Example: When this elderly person above received pain medication (an act of
beneficence) there are complications that could arise. Practitioners recognize that using
a narcotic may cause confusion. When obtaining the consent for her hip surgery, we want
to make certain that the patient is alert enough to understand the risks and benefits of the
procedure. We must balance the beneficence of providing the medication quickly with the
possible maleficence of obtaining a consent when patient does not have the capacity to
make the decision for surgery.