What ethical principle emphasizes the importance of honesty and truthfulness in nursing practice?

The ethical principle that emphasizes the importance of honesty and truthfulness in nursing practice is veracity. Veracity requires nurses to provide accurate and complete information to patients, fostering trust in the patient-nurse relationship. This principle is critical because it underpins the integrity of healthcare; patients must rely on truthful communication to make informed decisions about their care. Upholding veracity also involves respecting patients' rights to receive honest information about their conditions, treatment options, and potential outcomes, ensuring that they can engage in their own care effectively. In other ethical frameworks, while considerations like beneficence, autonomy, and nonmaleficence are vital in guiding nursing actions, they do not specifically focus on honesty and truthfulness as the primary concern that veracity does.