Ethics in research-dealing with human subjects
Student name
Institutional affiliation
Instructor
Course title
Date
Ethics in research-dealing with human subjects
When conducting research that deals with human beings, then it is imperative to protect human subjects. This means that we protect human subjects from victimization to give research responses based on objective thought rather than subjective ones. This is crucial for ensuring that we take caution and ethical standards with human beings as research subjects. Protecting human subjects means maintaining the subjects’ confidentiality, too, so that they cannot be victimized for providing certain responses the way they do (Wu et al., 2019). Protecting human subjects’ interests should be done in a manner that asks for their consent before they are used in research. This shows an ethical way of doing research and showing respect for humans. The protection of human subjects in research, to me, also entails the preservation of their rights, using their responses morally and not for any other purpose other than the research. This is evident in the Nursing Code of ethics that states in section 13 that, Section 1.3 of the Code of Ethics for Nurses states, “that the worth, dignity and rights of all human beings irrespective of the nature of the health problem that the worth of the person shall not be affected by disease, disability, functioning status, or proximity to death.” (Rosenkoetter & Milstead, 2010).
Finally, it entails asking for the participants’ consent in research so that they are used in the research upon their admission. It is essential to consider a few things while conducting research using human subjects. Firstly, it is vital to consider beneficence. The human subjects need to benefit from the research before they can consent to be participants. The researcher must consider the safety of the participants such that no harm should be mitigated against them. It is crucial to consider the relationship between the human subjects and the investigator to be trustworthy and fidelity to both parties involved (World Medical Association, 2001). When this is not considered, then the human subjects are unethically treated. Finally, it is important to consider the dignity of human subjects in research. Upon being used in the research, they still see themselves as beneficial to society, and dignity should be preserved.
Yes, patients subject themselves to research in the health environment when they get admission to such facilities for various reasons. They see several benefits of being used as research subjects. For instance, they stand to gain from the expert guidance and information from the persons performing the research they perceive to be experienced in such matters. The human subjects who surrender themselves for research by consent also gain from increased surveillance from the facility (Barlow, 2020). This benefits them because they feel an increased sense of being secure; there are reduced chances of criminal acts in the facility when they are still hospitalized, among other benefits that come with increased surveillance. Finally, they give themselves for research to impart the skills, the knowledge from the expert nurses and researcher to those who may be relatives, friends, and even strangers for humane reasons.
The bible also talks about ethical standards in research and the protection of human subjects’ rights and dignity used in research. For instance, the bible in the book of John 16:13 talks about human subjects’ ethics and rights. For instance, it says that researchers should not have self-interest while conducting research using humans, and they should adhere to the rights of subjects to ensure they do not violate them. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come”.
Reference
Barlow, C. (2020, April). Human Subjects Protection and Federal Regulations of Clinical Trials. In Seminars in Oncology Nursing (p. 151001). WB Saunders.
Rosenkoetter, M. M., & Milstead, J. A. (2010). A code of ethics for nurse educators: revised. Nursing ethics, 17(1), 137-139.
World Medical Association. (2001). World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 79(4), 373.
Wu, Y., Howarth, M., Zhou, C., Hu, M., & Cong, W. (2019). Reporting of ethical approval and informed consent in clinical research published in leading nursing journals: a retrospective observational study. BMC Medical Ethics, 20(1), 94.