The principle of respect for autonomy does not apply to people not in a position to act in an autonomous manner. This means that infants, suicidal people, and drug-dependent patients may be validly controlled on the grounds of beneficence to protect them from harm.1 Under the principle of beneficence, the nurse may legitimately restrain a patient from exercising his or her autonomy by trying to jump out a window.3 But people judged mentally incompetent are still capable of making autonomous choices about what they want to eat or what clothes they wish to wear.1 Constraint of a person'...

• Word Count: 2553
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: Undergraduate