Which ethical principle is most directly concerned with treating people fairly and distributing resources equitably?

• A. Autonomy.
• B. Beneficence.
• C. Justice.
• D. Nonmaleficence.

Answer: (C)

Treating people fairly and allocating resources equitably is the essence of justice. In nursing ethics, justice means being impartial and ensuring that benefits, burdens, and access to care are distributed without bias. This includes making sure that all patients have fair opportunities to receive needed services, even when resources are limited, and using objective criteria to guide decisions.

Autonomy focuses on respecting a patient’s right to make their own choices about their care, which is important but does not address how resources are shared among people. Beneficence is about promoting the patient’s good and acting in their best interest. Nonmaleficence is about avoiding harm. While these are all essential, they don’t specifically target the fairness of distribution and equal treatment across individuals, which is why justice is the best fit for this scenario.

For example, in a situation with limited ICU beds, justice guides the use of fair, objective criteria to determine who receives a bed based on medical need and the likelihood of benefit, rather than on wealth, status, or personal connections.