A nurse is caring for a client who has a prescription for a potassium supplement. The client tells the nurse that the pill is too large to swallow and refuses to take it. The nurse offers to break the pill into two smaller pieces. The nurse is demonstrating which of the following ethical principles?

Autonomy refers to respecting the clientÔÇÖs right to make their own decisions about their healthcare, even if it differs from the nurseÔÇÖs recommendation. By offering the client the option to break the pill into two smaller pieces, the nurse is respecting the clientÔÇÖs autonomy and promoting their ability to make regarding their care. Beneficence refers to the nurseÔÇÖs duty to act in the clientÔÇÖs best interest and promote their wellbeing. In this scenario, the nurse is not necessarily promoting the clientÔÇÖs well-being but rather facilitating their ability to make a decision about the medication. Justice refers to fairness and equal treatment of clients. It is not directly applicable in this scenario. Nonmaleficence refers to the nurseÔÇÖs duty to do no harm to the client. In this case, breaking the pill into smaller pieces is not harmful to the client; however, it is not the primary ethical principle demonstrated in this situation.