NURS 345 Ethical Considerations in Research PDF

NURS 345 NURSING RESEARCH Session 10 Ethical Considerations in Research MS KAFUI HOBENU ([email protected]) Dept. of Research, Education and Administration, SoNM...

NURS 345 NURSING RESEARCH Session 10 Ethical Considerations in Research MS KAFUI HOBENU ([email protected]) Dept. of Research, Education and Administration, SoNM SCHOOL OF NURSING & MIDWIFERY 2024/2025 Academic Year MS KAFUI HOBENU 1  Lecture Overview Ethical research is essential for generating sound empirical knowledge for evidence-based practice. You need to be able to appraise the ethical aspects of published studies and of research conducted in clinical agencies critically. This session describes the ethical principles that guide the conduct of biomedical and behavioural research. SPECIAL  Session Objectives The objectives of this session are to Examine the concept of ethics in nursing research Discuss the ethical principles that govern research SPECIAL  Session Outline The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows: Topic one: Ethics in Research Topic two: Ethical Principles in Research SPECIAL Reading List Read Chapter 4 Grove, S. K., Burns, N., & Gray, J. R. (2014). Understanding Nursing Research: Building an Evidence-based Practice. Elsevier Health Sciences SPECIAL Ethics in nursing Research Topic One  Ethics Ethics are moral principles of right and wrong. They are embedded in codes prescribed by recognised bodies mandated by law to do so. Historically, the use of codes of ethics arose from certain studies that abused human rights such as Willowbrook Study, Tuskegee Syphilis Study, Nazi Medical Experiments, etc Read further on these studies to appreciate the need for ethical codes SPECIAL  Human Rights During Research Human rights are claims and demands that have been justified in the eyes of an individual or by the consensus of a group of people. Nurses who critically appraise published studies, review research for conduct in their agencies, or assist with data collection for a study have an ethical responsibility to determine whether the rights of the research participants are protected SPECIAL  Human Rights Elements for Protection The human rights that require protection in research are the rights to self-determination privacy anonymity and confidentiality fair selection and treatment protection from discomfort and harm (APA, 2010, Fowler 2010) SPECIAL Ethical considerations in nursing Research Topic Two  Right to Self-Determination (Autonomy) The right to self-determination is based on the ethical principle of respect for persons, and it indicates that humans are capable of controlling their own destiny People should be treated as autonomous agents who have the freedom to conduct their lives as they choose, without external controls. SPECIAL  Ensuring Autonomy As a researcher, you ensure autonomy when the following are done 1. inform participants about the study, 2. allow participants to choose whether or not to participate, and 3. allow participants to withdraw from the study at any time, without penalty SPECIAL  Violation to Self-Determination This is done in several ways such as Coercion Covert data collection Deception SPECIAL  Right to Privacy Privacy is the freedom people have to determine the time, extent, and general circumstances under which their private information will be shared with or withheld from others. Private information includes a person’s attitudes, beliefs, behaviours, opinions, and records. An invasion of privacy occurs when private information is shared without a person’s knowledge or against his or her will. SPECIAL  Ensuring Right to Privacy Understanding ‘Informed Consent’ addresses the issues regarding the kind of information that can be collected and shared A research report must indicate that the participants’ privacy was protected and may include the details of how this was accomplished. SPECIAL  Right to Anonymity and Confidentiality The participant in a research has a right to anonymity and the right to assume that the data collected will be kept confidential Complete anonymity exists when the participant’s identity cannot be linked, even by the researcher, with his or her individual responses (Grove, Burns, & Gray, 2013) Confidentiality is the researcher’s safe management of information or data shared by a participant to ensure that the data are kept private from others SPECIAL  Breach of Confidentiality A breach of confidentiality can occur when a researcher, by accident or direct action, allows an unauthorized person to gain access to the raw data of a study. Confidentiality also can be breached in reporting or publishing a study if a participant’s identity is accidentally revealed, violating his or her right to anonymity. SPECIAL Ensuring the Right to Anonymity and Confidentiality Examine research reports closely for evidence that the participants’ confidentiality was maintained during data collection, analysis, and reporting Do not use any obvious identification tags e.g. names, email address, telephone numbers, etc. Report the research findings in a published in such a way that a participant or group of participants cannot be identified by their responses. SPECIAL  Assignment Identify the kind of information or data the often lead to breaches of confidentiality. Explain how breaching of confidentiality in each of the data can lead to harmful consequences for the participant Discuss this among yourselves and note the points well SPECIAL  Right to Fair Selection and Treatment The right to fair selection and treatment is based on the ethical principle of justice - people must be treated fairly and receive what they are owed or is comparable to other persons in the same situation. Fair selection and treatment of participants in research is premised from the unethical selection of participants in studies that violated their human rights ( refer to earlier reading) In such instances researchers often treated these particpants carelessly and had little regard for the harm and discomfort they experienced. SPECIAL  Ensuring Fair Selection and Treatment Do not use selection criteria that are biased. Eg. Race, gender, sexual practices, etc. Do not exhibit favouritism towards some groups or participants to the detriment of others Personal preferences must be avoided to allow for objectivity All participants in the study must receive equal benefits SPECIAL Right to Protection from Discomfort and Harm Derived from the principle of Beneficence which states that one should do good, and above all do no harm In research, discomfort and harm can be physical, emotional, social, economic, etc The researcher must outline the risks and benefits of participation to the participant in order for an informed choice to be made SPECIAL  For Group Discussion Exercises Levels of discomfort and harm range from; no anticipated effects, temporary discomfort, unusual levels of temporary discomfort, risk of permanent damage, and certainty of permanent damage. Give practical examples of each level of harm and discomfort that can occur Explain the ways to ensure that the risks are avoided. SPECIAL  Informed Consent Informed consent requires the researcher to disclose specific information to all prospective participants in order for a choice to be made regarding participation. Informed consent implies not only that the researcher has imparted information to the participants, but also that the prospective participants have comprehended that information. Voluntary consent means that the prospective participant has decided to take part in a study of his or her own volition, without coercion or any undue influence SPECIAL  Essentials of Informed Consent. Informed consent includes four elements namely: 1. Disclosure of essential study information to the study participant; 2. Comprehension of this information by the participant; 3. Competence of the participant to give consent; 4. Voluntary consent of the participant to take part in the study. SPECIAL  Summary The human rights that require protection in research are the right to self-determination, privacy, anonymity and confidentiality, fair selection and treatment, and protection from discomfort and harm. Informed consent involves the transmission of essential study information to the potential participants, comprehension of that information by the potential participant, competence of the potential participant to give consent, and voluntary consent by the potential participant to participate in the study. SPECIAL  References Burns, N., Grove, S. K., & Gray, J. (2015). Understanding nursing research: building an evidence-based practice. 6th edition. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier. Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2010). Essentials of Nursing Research: Appraising Evidence for Nursing Practice: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. SPECIAL