Addressing nurses' ethical concerns about research in critical care settings

Clinical research with critically ill patients presents numerous ethical issues affecting patients' well-being, research integrity, and nursing practice. Key findings from a survey of critical care nurses' perceptions about research ethical issues in these settings indicated that nurses encounter ethical issues about which they have limited knowledge and they may not seek guidance from the most appropriate resources. The results suggest that nurses, as well as researchers, need not only training about the responsible conduct of research but also visible and highly functional organizational structures to support and oversee clinical research in research-oriented medical centers.