Ethical principles influencing parents of well children

The purpose of this descriptive study was to survey the parents of well children to determine the ethical principles that influenced the decisions they made in regard to hypothetical choice of treatment options. Sixty-one parents responded to a mailed survey designed to measure the principles of autonomy, beneficence/nonmaleficence, and justice. The high total mean scores for the principles of autonomy and beneficence/nonmaleficence indicated that all three ethical principles were influential in the decision-making process of parents of well children. A student t-test revealed that the mean score for the principle of autonomy was significantly higher than the mean score for the principles of beneficence/nonmaleficence. Open-ended questions regarding the principle of justice revealed many frustrations of the sample population regarding the health care system. The study identified the need for nurses and other health care providers to be aware of the influence these ethical principles have on decision making and the importance of autonomy to the parents of well children.