Ethical Issues in Conducting Research

Ethical Issues in Conducting Research

The roles of nurses have evolved over the years from patient-centered care to other spheres such as clinical research. DeNisco and Baker (2016) postulate that advanced registered nurses, especially nurse educators, must equip nurses with the need to base their practice on reliable evidence. As part of their mandate, advanced registered nurses such as nurse educators are impacted by certain ethical considerations during the conduction of research. According to Ying, Han and Sng (2016), informed consent is one of the most fundamental ethical considerations for a nurse during a research undertaking. A study participant or subject should demonstrate willingness to participate in the research after they have received all the pertinent information concerning the research. Informed consent attempts to inculcate the rights of autonomous people through self-determination.

Further, it seeks to cushion assaults on the integrity of a study participant and protect veracity and personal liberty of the same. In addition to informed consent, advanced nursing practitioners are also impacted by the beneficence (do not harm) ethical principle (Porter-O’Grady & Malloch, 2016). This principle entails the professional requirement to conduct efficacious and substantial research for purposes of serving and promoting the welfare of constituents in a better way. The principle of beneficence particularly applies when dealing with the creation of a hypothesis as regards a qualitative research. Immense ethical issues may be raised in such studies if the research results indicate that the study was not as beneficial as anticipated. Further, advanced nurse practitioners are impacted by the necessity to uphold anonymity and confidentiality of the study participants, respect their privacy and make a consideration concerning vulnerable groups as some researchers claim they lack the capacity to provide informed consent.

In addition to the above research considerations, advanced nurse practitioners also play a fundamental role in advocating for the rights and safety of patients during research undertakings. Through the principle of non-maleficence, advanced registered nurses need to examine the potential participation risks to the patient (Ying, Han, & Sng, 2016). Indeed, they need to demonstrate a high-level of sensitivity as to the constitution of harm so as to ensure patient safety and respect for their rights. Non-maleficence thus dictates that these nurses minimize potential harm and prevent the occurrence of potential harm to the participants.

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