Nursing Jurisprudence and Ethics for Texas Nurses Practice Exam

What does fidelity in nursing practice emphasize?

1. Offering the most cost-effective treatments

2. Maintaining trust and keeping promises to patients

3. Adhering to hospital policies only

4. Following new and emerging trends in healthcare

The correct answer is: Maintaining trust and keeping promises to patients

Fidelity in nursing practice emphasizes maintaining trust and keeping promises to patients. This principle is vital in building a strong nurse-patient relationship, which is foundational to effective patient care. When nurses uphold fidelity, they honor their commitments to patients, which includes providing safe, competent, and ethical care, as well as respecting patient autonomy and confidentiality. This focus on trust helps ensure that patients feel secure in the healthcare environment, knowing that their nurses are reliable and dedicated to their well-being. Moreover, by fulfilling their promises, nurses help to foster a therapeutic alliance, which can improve patient outcomes and enhance the overall healthcare experience. The other options, while they may reflect aspects of nursing practice, do not capture the essence of fidelity. Offering cost-effective treatments pertains more to the economic aspect of healthcare delivery, adhering to hospital policies refers to compliance rather than the moral obligations to patients, and following new trends, although important, is not the core of fidelity which is fundamentally about trust and commitment.