Running Head: ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN NURSING RESEARCH

Ethical Principles in Nursing Research

N.D.
Bay Path University

Running Head: ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN NURSING RESEARCH

Ethical Principles in Nursing Research

Research and evidence based practice (EBP) is essential in nursing to ensure that patients
receive most effective and cost appropriate treatments. Through research and studies medical
field has significantly progressed and nowadays we can witness breakthrough inventions such as
robots performing medical procedures, and new medications formulated to treat variety of
diseases with successful rate. Healthcare is an evolving field thus research and studies of best
practices will continue to grow. The nursing research encounters few ethical principles as it
frequently has human participating in researches. Nursing foremost responsibility is to advocate
for patients rights.
Throughout the world researches must adhere to rules and ethical principles. Polit and
Beck, reported that in 1978, the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subject of
Biomedical and Behavioral Research adopted an important code of ethics, which is also known
as the Belmont Report (p.5). The Belmont Report was a foundation for the institutional review
boards (IRBs). These boards have the power to ensure that researches are accomplished in
compliance with regulations that protect ethical human rights. (Schneider, 2012). Prior to starting
any study, researches must complete official IRB training. Polit and Beck (2014) reports that an
IRB can approve the prosed plans, require modifications, or disapproved them (p.91). The
Belmont Report expressed three principles which are respect for persons, beneficence, and
justice.
The principle of respect for persons includes two requirements, which are: each
individual has right if she/he wants to participate in research and shield those who have

Running Head: ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN NURSING RESEARCH

diminished capacity in making those decisions. The principle of respect also includes obtaining
informed consent from research participants.
Informed consent is an agreement by a client, or the clients legal
representative in the case where the client is unable to give consent,
to accept a course of treatment or a procedure after complete
information, including the risks of treatment and facts relating to it,
has been provided by the physician or independent practitioner in a
manner that the client or representative understands. (Blais &
Hayes, 2016, p. 85).
Beneficence principle defined as protecting research participants from harm and ensuring
their wellbeing. Researchers must safeguard participants by evaluating partakers for financial,
physical, emotional or social risk/benefit ratio. (Polit & Beck, 2016, p. 86). The benefit of the
proposed research must out weight the risks. Furthermore, individuals participating in any
research have right to full disclosure of the research and the nature of the study and their role in
the research context (Greaney et al, 2012, p. 41).
Third principle of justice includes participants right to fair treatment and their right to
privacy (Polit & Beck, 2014, p. 85). The principle implies how burden and benefits are
distributed among different groups, and ensures that minority and vulnerable groups are not
excluded from research participation. (Greaney et al, 2012). Moreover, researchers must ensure
participants privacy and that the information received in study will be preserved in strict
confidence.

Running Head: ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN NURSING RESEARCH

During a research, the nurses role is to protect patients rights. Parker (2007) reports that
a nurses knowledge and skill are important forces that can contribute to the power to influence
patient care in an ethical manner (p. 1). Knowledge of the three ethical principles from the
Belmont report, respect of person, beneficence and justice enables nurse to assist patients with
decision making and patient treatment. Using moral principles, the nurse may assist patient in
an atmosphere of caring, respect, openness, and honesty (Parker, 2007, p.1).
The article Addiction research ethics and the Belmont principles: Do drug users have a
different moral voice? (2011), by Celia Fisher, explores the subject of ethics during studies
among drug users. The study was to surface the moral precepts that street drug users apply to
addiction research ethical dilemmas (Fisher, 2011, p. 730). While advocating for such group of
participants, a nurse would ensure that all steps of the study would be disclosed to them. All
participants have capacity to consent to this study and appropriate documentation is filed. As a
nurse, I would make sure that partakers understand risks and benefits involved of the study; and
to ensure that personal risks are not greater than the benefit. While participating in this study,
each participant should be treated with respect to their personal life and their privacy should be
guaranteed.
Fisher (2011) reported that ethical challenges along with the benefits of a national
research agenda on drug use and misuse are associated with the multiple vulnerabilities of
persons within these populations (p. 736). Characteristics such as financial struggles, use of
recreational drugs, poor health conditions, luck of education, minority status and experiencing
cravings created moral challenges during the research. The researchers were able to satisfy all
the requests of the Belmont principles and IRBs. Research ethics application process, and

Running Head: ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN NURSING RESEARCH

understanding the principles of respect for persons, beneficence and justice are essential for
researchers to sufficiently demonstrate that they have met the requirements for ethical approval
(Greaney et al, 2012, p.43).
Research in nursing is an important puzzle peace to evidence based practice. The purpose
of EBP is to transform research into clinical practice and offer patients most effective treatment.
Nurses play a critical role in research ethics to advocate for patient rights and ensure fair
treatment while promoting research in nursing.

Running Head: ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN NURSING RESEARCH

Reference
Blais, K., & Hayes, J. (2016). Professional nursing practice: Concepts and perspectives (7th
ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall
Fisher, C. B. (2011). Addiction research ethics and the Belmont principles: Do drug users have a
different moral voice? Substance Use & Misuse, 46(6), 728-741.
doi:10.3109/10826084.2010.528125
Greaney, A., Sheehy, A., Heffernan, C., Murphy, J., Mhaolrnaigh, S. N., Heffernan, E., &
Brown, G. (2012). Research ethics application: a guide for the novice researcher. British
Journal of Nursing, 21(1), 38-43.
Parker, F. M. (2008). Ethics: The Power of One. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 13(1), 9.
Polit, D., & Beck, C. T. (2012). Essentials of nursing research: Appraising evidence for nursing
practice (8th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Schneider, M. (2012). Your role in protecting research participants. Nursing, 42(1), 15-17.
doi: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000408479.75208.1d