Veracity in Nursing

What is Veracity in Nursing?

Veracity in nursing refers to the ethical principle of truthfulness and honesty in nursing practice. It is essential in maintaining the integrity of the nursing profession. Nurses must provide objective truth, such as a patient's diagnosis, respecting their autonomy and enabling them to make informed decisions about their healthcare (American Nurses Association, 2024). Doing this improves the nurse-patient relationship and promotes patients' trust in healthcare providers.

Part of practicing veracity involves nurses admitting mistakes and disclosing any errors or limitations in patient care, even when it may sometimes lead to patient distress. This honesty is essential not just with patients but also with their colleagues. When nurses provide clear and truthful information, like the noted patient symptoms, it builds trust with other team members and helps the team work more effectively.  Even in nursing education, veracity is taught as a core ethical principle, providing a solid foundation for ethical decision-making and professional relationships.

What are examples of showing veracity as a nurse?

Veracity supports patient-centered medical care and protects patients from harm. There are numerous ways for nurses to demonstrate veracity in practice. Here are some examples:

Providing accurate information

Nurses ensure patients receive accurate and truthful information about their health condition, treatment options, procedures, and potential outcomes. This includes explaining diagnoses, discussing treatment plans, and addressing patients' questions or concerns.

Obtaining informed consent

Nurses uphold veracity by ensuring patients fully understand the risks, benefits, and alternatives associated with proposed treatments or procedures before obtaining informed consent. This involves explaining the purpose of the intervention, potential side effects, and any other relevant information to help patients make informed decisions.

Disclosing medical errors

If a medication error or any other type of mistake occurs, nurses demonstrate veracity by promptly telling the error to the patient, their family, and appropriate members of the healthcare team. This includes explaining what happened honestly, apologizing if necessary, and collaborating on a plan to prevent similar errors.

Respecting patient privacy and confidentiality

Nurses maintain veracity by safeguarding patient privacy and confidentiality. This involves ensuring that sensitive information is shared only with individuals directly involved in the patient's care and that patients' rights to privacy are respected at all times.

What are the benefits of practicing Veracity in Nursing?

Now that we've looked into the examples of Veracity in Nursing, let's go over the benefits of practicing veracity and how it can help in patient care. Here are some of them:

It promotes patient-centered care.

Patient-centered care is essential in nursing, and honesty is vital to improving patient well-being. When nurses communicate truthfully, they build trust, leading to better relationships and positive health outcomes. Well-informed patients are more likely to follow their treatment plans, leading to improved recovery. Open and honest communication also increases patient satisfaction, making them feel respected and involved in their care.

It encourages nurses to maintain professionalism and uphold ethical principles.

Nurses are responsible for upholding ethical standards by practicing honesty and transparency. Being truthful aligns with nursing principles and helps build trust with patients and colleagues. In nursing care, clear communication reduces misunderstandings, lowering the risk of legal issues. Nurses also find professional fulfillment when they create strong, honest connections and support patients in making informed decisions.

It facilitates collaboration and teamwork.

Effective collaboration among healthcare professionals is essential for providing comprehensive care to patients. Veracity in communication encourages a culture of teamwork, enabling nurses to work seamlessly with colleagues and other healthcare team members to see healthcare providers achieve optimal patient outcomes.

What are the four main ethical principles in nursing practice?

In nursing, core ethical principles provide a foundation for guiding practice and decision-making. While some sources recognize up to seven ethical principles, including veracity (Faubion, 2022; Sater-Wee, 2023), the American Nurses Association (2023) focuses on four major ones:

Autonomy

This principle recognizes the patient's right to make decisions about their healthcare. Nurses respect patient autonomy by being patient advocates, providing truthful and relevant information, and enabling patients to make informed decisions that align with their values and preferences.

Beneficence

Nurses must promote their patients' well-being and best interests. Practicing veracity ensures that patients receive the information necessary to access appropriate health care and make decisions that benefit their health and overall quality of life.

Nonmaleficence

This principle emphasizes the obligation not to harm. Nurses practice veracity by disclosing information about potential risks, adverse effects, or limitations of treatments, allowing patients to make decisions that minimize harm and prioritize their safety.

Justice

Justice advocates for fairness and equity in healthcare delivery. Nurses ensure that all patients have access to truthful information and are treated with respect and dignity, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, gender, or sexual orientation.

References

American Nurses Association. (2023). Why ethics in nursing matters: Ethical principles in nursing. https://www.nursingworld.org/content-hub/resources/workplace/why-ethics-in-nursing-matters/

American Nurses Association. (2024, February 21). What is veracity in nursing? https://www.nursingworld.org/content-hub/resources/workplace/veracity-nursing

Faubion, D. (2022). 7 ethical principles in nursing + why they're important. NursingProcess.org. https://www.nursingprocess.org/ethical-principles-in-nursing.html

Sater-Wee, D. (2023, March 2). 7 core ethical principles in nursing. American Institute of Alternative Medicine. https://www.aiam.edu/nursing/ethical-principles-in-nursing/