NonmaleficenceNonmaleficenceThe first thing I thought of when I read the section on nonmaleficence was the experiments the Army used in the late 1960s on soldiers assigned to Edgewood Arsenal to experiment on the effects on LSD and other drug concoctions.  In 1969 President Nixon abolished the use of soldiers to continue this cruel testing.   It is difficult to understand what ran through the minds of these “professional” scientist and doctors (along with government elected officials) who would allow such a lack of the five fundamental ethical principles.  Understanding that our way of life is built on past history, It appears that these principles may have rooted from treatments like this extreme case.
All of the fundamental ethical principles are seriously important to the professional ethical practice but I do agree that nonmaleficence is the most important.   Every time we are making decisions that will effect an individual or family, we need to use a model for ethical decision making to determine that whatever we recommend, whether it’s a treatment or a referral, will not harm those who have been placed in our care.   We need to make conscious, sound decisions that are well thought out.  It may mean referring a client to someone who can do a treatment who is more experienced or possibly referring them to another agency.   Bottom line is that I always want the best for my clients and should listen to them, do a fair assessment, and make recommendations that are sound.
[12] Mayo Clinic Journal of Medicine, 2, 595, 1995;
[14] N Engl J Med. 2003 Apr 27;340(48):2052-3&;
[16] Medscape Health J. 2004 Apr 27;1(6):6-8