Beneficence (ethics)

Beneficence is a big word that means doing things to help people and make them feel better. Imagine you have a friend who is sick and you want to help them. You bring them soup, give them a blanket, and read them stories to make them feel better. This is you being beneficent!

In the grown-up world, doctors, nurses, and other people in important jobs also need to be beneficent to people. They do this by making sure they are using their skills and knowledge to help people in the best possible way. They might give medicine, do surgery, or talk to someone about how they're feeling.

But being beneficent doesn't just mean doing any nice thing for someone. It means doing what is best and what will help them the most. Sometimes this might mean doing something that's uncomfortable or even a little bit scary. For example, getting a vaccine might hurt a little bit, but it's really good for you because it keeps you healthy!

So, in short, beneficence is all about doing things to help people and making sure you're doing the best you can to help them in the safest way possible.