Which term refers to the principles of right and wrong that guide an individual in making decisions?

• A. Ethics
• B. Applied ethics
• C. Ethical theory
• D. Morals

Answer: (A)

Ethics are the standards and principles that guide how we decide what is right or wrong, especially in professional and public contexts. They provide a framework for evaluating choices across different situations, so decisions align with shared expectations and responsibilities.

In nursing leadership, ethics help navigate common tensions like patient autonomy versus beneficence, confidentiality, and fair use of resources. Morals, by contrast, are more about personal beliefs and values that individuals hold, which can vary widely from person to person. Ethical theory is the philosophical work behind why those principles exist (for example, utilitarianism or deontology), while applied ethics is about using those principles to analyze concrete issues in real life.

So the term that best fits “principles of right and wrong that guide an individual in making decisions” is ethics.