NONBENEFICENCE Meaning and
Definition
-
Nonbeneficence is a concept often associated with medical ethics and refers to the act of intentionally not providing beneficial treatment or care to a patient. It is a form of nonmaleficence, which entails the duty to do no harm. Nonbeneficence may arise when healthcare professionals intentionally avoid providing a treatment or intervention that would likely improve the patient's condition or alleviate their suffering.
The principle of nonbeneficence recognizes that while healthcare providers have a duty to act in the best interests of their patients, they also have a responsibility to respect patients' autonomy and preferences. Consequently, there may be situations where a patient refuses a potentially beneficial treatment or requests the withholding of certain interventions. In such cases, nonbeneficence may be indicated if the healthcare provider complies with the patient's wishes.
Nonbeneficence raises important ethical questions, as it challenges the traditional medical principle of beneficence, which obliges healthcare professionals to act in the best interests of their patients. It also requires healthcare providers to carefully balance the principles of beneficence against autonomy, avoiding unwanted interventions, and the promotion of patient-centered care.
It is worth noting that nonbeneficence should not be confused with maleficence, which refers to intentionally causing harm or injury to a patient. Nonbeneficence instead pertains to withholding or abstaining from providing a beneficial action or treatment.
Common Misspellings for NONBENEFICENCE
- bonbeneficence
- monbeneficence
- jonbeneficence
- honbeneficence
- ninbeneficence
- nknbeneficence
- nlnbeneficence
- npnbeneficence
- n0nbeneficence
- n9nbeneficence
- nobbeneficence
- nombeneficence
- nojbeneficence
- nohbeneficence
- nonveneficence
- nonneneficence
- nonheneficence
- nongeneficence
- nonbwneficence
- nonbsneficence
Etymology of NONBENEFICENCE
The word "nonbeneficence" is derived from combining two words: "non-" and "beneficence".
1. "Non-" is a prefix in Latin meaning "not" or "without". It is commonly used in English to indicate negation or absence of a certain quality or action.
2. "Beneficence" comes from the Latin word "beneficentia", which is formed by combining "bene" (meaning "well" or "good") and "facere" (meaning "to do" or "to make"). "Beneficentia" signifies the quality or act of doing good or performing acts of kindness, such as acts that bring benefits or promote well-being.
When "non-" is added as a prefix to "beneficence", it creates the word "nonbeneficence", which implies the absence or negation of beneficent actions.
Infographic
Add the infographic to your website:
