RESPONSE DISCUSSION
Questions to respond on the discussion below:
Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.
Offer and support an alternative perspective using readings from the classroom or from your own research in the Walden Library.
Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.
Make a suggestion based on additional evidence drawn from readings or after synthesizing multiple postings.
Expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence.
When reflecting on the readings this week it is evident that without diligence and close attention to detail and protocols, ethical research can be breached. For this reason, rigorous guidelines have been put in place to protect the patient and the researcher in an attempt to honor what is needed to the scientific world to improve health outcomes, while protecting patients’ rights.
Two significant ethical issues that DNP’s face include research conducted on vulnerable populations and being involved in a study that may not be viewed as advantageous to the patient. According to Fouka and Mantzorou (2011), nurses have a focus that involves a deep level of caring for a patient. Conflict can arise for nurses if they are involved in a study that does not benefit everyone. Fouka and Mantzorou (2011) state that “Clinical trials are one method of research that can cause conflict for a nurse researcher because the thought of eliminating a candidate from a trial that could be beneficial to a patient is not intuitive to a nurse” (p.10). Additionally, research can be ethically controversial when studying vulnerable populations. Campbell-Crofts et al. (2013) discuss that vulnerable patients may fear that care will be withdrawn form not participating in a study and so consider the participation a necessity of receiving care. Optimally the person conducting the research is not the recruiter for the study. Guidelines for conducting research have been put into place to protect nurses and patients from falling into unintentional traps that might compromise their research.
I work with the vulnerable population of pregnant women and NICU babies every day. The intimidating environment of a health care agency itself lends this group of people to feel even more vulnerable. The unfamiliarity of the surroundings, the procedures that are new to this population, and the inherent risks of childbirth make people feel even more exposed. Following the guidelines described by Fouka and Mantzorou (2011), by “obtaining informed consent, considering beneficence, understanding the right to confidentiality, autonomy, and respect for the right to choose not to participate” (p. 4) are key elements of successful research.
References:
Campbell-Crofts, S., Field, J., & Fetherstonhaugh, D. (2013). Ethical considerations for nurses undertaking research with a potentially vulnerable population
with chronic kidney disease. Renal Society of Australasia Journal, 9(2), 74-79.
Fouka, G., & Mantzorou, M. (2011). What are the major ethical issues in conducting research? is there a conflict between the research ethics and the nature of nursing? Health Science Journal, 5(1), 3-14. Retrieved from
https://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdocview%2F845921674%3Faccountid%3D14872
Milton, C. L. (2009). Nursing Ethics and Power in Position. Nursing Science Quarterly, 23(1), 18-21. doi:10.1177/0894318409353812