Question

The nurse takes on ethical responsibilities when conducting research with human subjects. Which of the following violates an ethical responsibility associated with informed consent?

1. Adhering to verbal and written agreements
2. Using data obtained before the initiation of the study
3. Explaining the possibility of unknown risks when appropriate
4. Providing alternatives, including the right of refusal and standard practices

Answer 1

The choice that violates an ethical responsibility associated with informed consent is 2. Using data obtained before the initiation of the study.

Step-by-step explanation:

Informed consent is a critical ethical principle in research involving human subjects. It entails ensuring that participants are fully aware of the study's nature, potential risks, benefits, and their rights before agreeing to participate. Option 2, using data obtained before the study's commencement, violates this principle as it compromises the voluntary and informed nature of participants' consent.

When researchers use pre-existing data without prior consent or without providing participants the opportunity to understand how their information will be used in a new study, it undermines the transparency and autonomy crucial to informed consent. This practice could lead to potential ethical breaches and erode trust between researchers and participants, impacting the validity and ethical integrity of the study.

Ethical research demands that participants have the right to know how their data will be utilized, and they must give explicit consent for its use in a particular study. Using previously collected data without informed consent not only disregards this fundamental aspect of ethical research but also fails to uphold participants' autonomy, potentially exposing them to risks they haven't agreed to, thus violating the principle of informed consent.

Answer 2

Using data obtained before the initiation of the study without informed consent is a violation of ethical responsibilities associated with informed consent for a nurse conducting research with human subjects. This is because it disregards the necessity for participants to be aware of and agree to how their data is used beforehand.

Step-by-step explanation:

The ethical responsibility associated with informed consent requires that research participants are fully aware of the nature of the study, including any risks and their rights within the study. When discussing potential violations of the rule requiring informed consent, we must look at scenarios where the autonomy of the participant may be compromised or full disclosure is not provided.

Among the options presented, using data obtained before the initiation of the study without the participants' consent would be a violation of informed consent protocols because it implies that the information was gathered without the appropriate ethical considerations applied, such as disclosure of the research's purpose and voluntary participation. Participants must be aware and must consent to how their data is used before the study begins.

Other ethical practices such as adhering to verbal and written agreements, explaining the possibility of unknown risks when appropriate, and providing alternatives, including the right of refusal and standard practices, align with the informed consent principle.