If a nurse is maintaining truthfulness and keeping promises while caring for a client, what are they demonstrating?

When a nurse maintains truthfulness and keeps promises while caring for a client, they are demonstrating a primary commitment to the client. This principle emphasizes the importance of building trust in the nurse-client relationship, which is vital for effective care. By being truthful and dependable, the nurse fosters an environment where the client feels secure and valued, enhancing their willingness to share information and adhere to treatment plans.

The concept of primary commitment to the client is foundational in nursing ethics and reflects the nurse's obligation to prioritize the well-being and needs of the client. This commitment ensures that the nurse acts in the client's best interests, which is critical to providing quality care. It reinforces the ethical duty to advocate for the client and maintain a therapeutic relationship.

While other options might also hold significance within nursing practice—such as honoring client autonomy, which pertains to respecting a client's right to make their own decisions, and accountability for professional practice, which emphasizes the responsibility nurses have for their actions and the standards of care—they do not primarily focus on the aspect of truthfulness and promise-keeping. Leadership in client care involves guiding and influencing others, but again, it does not directly relate to the specific actions of truthfulness and maintaining promises. Thus, the primary commitment to the client encapsulates the