Which ethical principle refers to equal rights to nursing interventions for all patients?

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

Answer: (C)

Justice in nursing ethics is about fairness in the distribution of care and resources, ensuring every patient has equal access to necessary nursing interventions. It means treating all patients with the same standard of care and avoiding discrimination based on background, income, race, or any other characteristic, and it guides how we allocate limited resources so no one is unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged. In practice, this translates to offering required interventions—pain relief, monitoring, assessments, and treatments—to all who need them and advocating for equal access to care. By contrast, autonomy focuses on respecting a patient’s right to make their own decisions, nonmaleficence on avoiding harm, and beneficence on promoting the patient’s best interest. None of those alone captures the obligation to treat all patients equally in access to interventions, which is the essence of justice.