Significance and Implications of Research Ethics to Nursing - Essay Example

Significance and Implications of Research Ethics to Nursing NURS 411 – Issues and Leadership in Nursing Delaware Research ethics is a significant issue in contemporary nursing research because nursing practices requires evidence-based decision-making. The entire decision-making processing nursing ranging from the assessment to the modification is complicated because it involves human beings as subjects. Stewart (2011) states that research ethics aims at incorporating the critical ethical standards in nursing research to produce concrete results for implementation in health care institutions. Accordingly, the key nursing ethical theories and decision-making steps apply to research ethics at various levels. The issue of research ethics entails conducting nursing research in a professional yet ethical manner to produce hard evidence for implementation in nursing care (Boswell, Boswell, & Cannon, 2014). The implications of research ethics are substantial in nursing care, considering the gravity of some decisions that nurses have to make based on existing evidence (Comstock, 2013). This paper takes a critical analysis of research ethics, as a relevant issue in nursing, using the decision-making steps and ethical theories in nursing to explore the concept and its implications on nursing practice. Gerrish and Lacey (2010) claim that contemporary nursing practice requires use of hard evidence, which can only be achieved through incorporation of research ethics in nursing research. Research ethics is relevant to nursing because the researchers use humans as the subjects. Right from data collection to the implementation of the recommendations, nursing research embodies ethical principles that all researchers must adhere to in their research endeavors. Research ethics may sometimes necessitate the convention of a research ethics committee (REC) to assist in making decisions relating nursing research from the ethical point of view. Besides, the ethical principles and theories of nursing apply extensively to nursing research, which makes research ethics an important topic to nursing. Unlike the practice of nursing in the 18th and 19th century when ethics was not a major concern, modern nursing practice weighs in on ethical principles and theories. Research ethics plays an important role in the nursing management and leadership. Since leaders and managers of health care institutions should abide by the highest ethical standards, they can guarantee ethical nursing practice only through research ethics. Both qualitative and quantitative research provides evidence that nurses can use to treat their patients or prevent specific medical conditions (Stewart (2011). Leaders and managers in nursing depend heavily on nursing research to provide effective directions and decisions that nurses can prefer in their medical undertakings. It implies that research ethics merits objectivity in nursing management through the provision of concrete results. Effective nursing management entails nursing practice and decision-making that is anchored on concrete evidence from research. Such research could either be qualitative or quantitative but either way, it must embrace ethical principles and theories (Danchev & Ross, 2013). Burns, Grove, and Gray (2015) list consequentialism, principlism, virtue ethics, and deontology as four major nursing ethical theories that concern research ethics. These ethical theories inspire the thinking of leaders and managers in healthcare institutions to make ethical decisions in nursing practice. With regard to consequentialism, the outcome of nursing research determines the morality of the research. It means that the response in connection with certain medical undertakings can only be valid if they are positive irrespective of the decision-making process or the ethical principles applied to the research. When it comes to deontology, it is incumbent upon researchers to uphold the highest ethical principles in their research endeavors, particularly when the study involves human subjects. The ethical principles include autonomy, non-malificence, beneficence, justice, paternalism, fidelity, and confidentiality. The theories of deontology and consequentialism differ significantly on the approach because the later focuses on the process while the latter on the result. All the same, both theories correlate to research ethics. According to Danchev and Ross (2013), virtue ethics and principlism relate closely to nursing management and leadership because they delve in the character of the individuals involves in research ethics. Nursing managers and leaders influence nursing research significantly by enforcing prinicplism through the four primary principles of nursing ethics. Nursing leadership requires researchers to practice beneficence, justice, autonomy, and non-malificence in the research processes. These ethical principles relate directly to the patient or participant in nursing research. The patients or participants in nursing research have the final word regarding any research in which they are subjects. Conversely, virtue ethics focuses on the moral values of researchers and those entrusted with nursing leadership. All these theories postulate a high sense of ethics from the researchers and managers in health care (Gerrish & Lacey, 2010). According to the utilitarianism theory, government involvement in nursing research is appreciated only if it benefits the people directly, especially the participants in the research, who may include the patients. Government involvement in medical research is prevalent in many countries although most governments partner with non-governmental agencies in facilitating nursing research. Such health bodies as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) play instrumental roles in cooperating with host governments in conducting nursing research. In most medical studies around the world where governments have participated, the outcomes have been successful as far as disease treatment and prevention are concerned. Accordingly, government involvement in nursing research promotes research ethics through focusing on the needs and benefits of the patients (Burns, Grove, & Gray, 2015).  Whether it involves government or non-governmental bodies, nursing research demands ethics that have far-reaching implications both presently and in the future. The quality of research depends on the degree to which the nursing managers and researchers have applied the theories and principles of ethics. Ethics and nursing practice go concurrently meaning that any current or future medical study ought to embrace ethics, particularly nursing ethics. Additionally, nursing practice incorporates evidence gathered from qualitative and quantitative studies. Such evidence could be viable for practice and implementation by nurses only if the research incorporated the ethical principles of nursing. Research ethics is important for leaders and managers in the nursing sector because it determines the quality and effectiveness of their leadership within the profession (Miller, 2012).  My perspective on the issue of research ethics affects the role that nurses and nursing managers play in healthcare. Since nursing practice is based on evidence, the quality of medical research has to be beyond significant reproach for it to be effective. Research ethics protects the rights and health of patients against abuse while at the same time it enhances the quality of nursing practices. Leaders and managers in nursing profession require knowledge of the concept of research ethics so that they can make ethical decisions regarding the implementation of recommendations derived from medical studies (Boswell, Boswell, & Cannon, 2014).  In conclusion, Research ethics is a key issue in nursing research and practices, particularly because it affects the decision-making process and roles of leaders in nursing management. The nursing practice uses concrete evidence derived from qualitative and quantitative medical studies. Leaders in nursing management can integrate the ethical principles and theories of nursing in nursing research. This enables such leaders to make ethical decisions that are suitable for nursing implementation. Research ethics affects evidence used by nurses in treatment and prevention besides determining the roles played by managers in healthcare institutions. As a consequence, research ethics can have significant implications on the roles played by nurses in current and future medical situations. This factor alone makes research ethics a critical issue in nursing (Comstock, 2013). References Boswell, C., Boswell, C., & Cannon, S. (2014). Introduction to nursing research: Incorporating evidence-based practice. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Burns, N., Grove, S. K., & Gray, J. (2015). Understanding nursing research: Building an evidence-based practice. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier. Comstock, G. (2013). Research ethics: A philosophical guide to the responsible conduct of research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Danchev, D., & Ross, A. (2013). Research Ethics for Counselors, Nurses & Social Workers. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Gerrish, K., & Lacey, A. (2010). The research process in nursing. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K: Wiley-Blackwell. Miller, T. (2012). Ethics in qualitative research. London: SAGE. Stewart, C. N. (2011). Research ethics for scientists: A companion for students. Chicester: John Wiley & Sons. Read More