A major aspect of the nursing profession is research. Nurses must be competent both evaluating and conducting research in the medical environment in order to determine best practices when providing client care. As a student that has not yet studied research ethics, I have a lot of assumptions of the nursing role regarding evidence implementation and generation. I believe that the nurse’s priority when executing research is patient safety, just as it is in the clinical setting. The nurse should ensure the research subjects are fully informed, which includes discussing any positive or negative outcomes of the research. Additionally, the research subjects should provide both verbal and written consent to participate in the research process. This should be done after communication regarding the risks and benefits of the research. Overall, it is the nurse’s responsibility to execute research on participants that are both fully informed and are in compliance with the research.
As a student, I also have assumptions regarding nursing contribution to the ethical conduct of research and implementation of research findings. Ethics is another important facet of the nursing profession in both the clinical and research environment. The four main qualities of nursing ethics include autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice. In other words, the nurse should empower the patient, minimize or avoid harm to the patient, and treat all patients equally. I believe that these qualities also carry over in nursing research. The nurse must recognize that the patient is an independent individual with the ability to make his or her own choices and ensure that all patients are being provided with the same level of care and respect. By acknowledging these qualities, the nurse is able to support research that is ethical.
