Which statement best defines autonomy in nursing ethics?

• A. The patient's right to be self-governing.
• B. The obligation to follow physician orders.
• C. The duty to promote general welfare.
• D. The right to receive all information.

Answer: (A)

Autonomy means respecting a patient’s right to make decisions about their own care. It centers on self-determination: the person has the capacity to choose, decisions are voluntary and free from coercion, and the clinician provides the information needed to make an informed choice. In practice, you support autonomy by giving complete information, helping the patient understand options, and honoring the decision, even if it differs from what the clinician would choose.

In pediatrics, autonomy is shared and age-appropriate. involve the child in decisions they can participate in, while parents or guardians provide consent and the nurse supports the child’s assent as development allows.

The other ideas describe related roles but not autonomy itself. Following physician orders is obedience, not self-determination. Focusing on promoting general welfare reflects beneficence, which can conflict with a patient’s stated wishes. Right to receive information is a component that enables autonomy, but autonomy is the broader right to self-governance in decisions about one’s own care.