In the surgery scenario, the nurse’s failure to double-check the patient’s medication is a breach of which ethical principle?

• A. Autonomy
• B. Fidelity
• C. Integrity
• D. Beneficence

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is professional integrity in medication safety. Integrity means acting with honesty and moral consistency, upholding the standards and duties of your role even when it’s easy to skip steps. In medication administration, double-checking the medication, dose, route, and patient identity is a concrete way of showing you are trustworthy and committed to doing what’s right for the patient. Skipping that verification signals a lapse in moral character and accountability, which can directly risk patient safety and undermine trust in care. While principles like autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and fidelity are involved in nursing care, the action described most directly reflects integrity because it speaks to the nurse’s adherence to ethical standards and responsible practice.