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Nonmaleficence is the obligation to do no harm. In nursing practice this means avoiding actions or omissions that could injure a patient, and actively working to prevent harm from care. It guides everyday decisions like double-checking a medication dose, using safe procedures to prevent falls, and monitoring for adverse effects so problems can be addressed promptly. The idea is to minimize risk and protect patients from unnecessary harm.

This principle sits alongside beneficence, which is about doing good, but they are not the same. Beneficence focuses on promoting the patient’s welfare, while nonmaleficence centers on avoiding harm. Autonomy refers to respecting a patient’s right to make their own decisions, and justice concerns fair and equitable treatment. When harm cannot be avoided, clinicians strive to minimize it and weigh risks and benefits to choose the option that causes the least harm while still aiming to provide benefit.