Nursing students as research participants: a framework for ethical practice

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research Ethics
• Educational Research

Background:

• Nurse researchers have ethical guidance, but challenges persist, especially in higher education.
• Nursing students as research participants present unique ethical considerations.
• Existing guidance may not fully address the complexities of educational nursing research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel framework for ethical decision-making in educational nursing research.
• To provide nurse researchers with a tool to navigate complex ethical situations.
• To enhance ethical research practice in academic nursing settings.

Main Methods:

• Exploration of the complexities inherent in educational research.
• Development of the Framework for Ethical Research Practice, inspired by Wendler and Grady's work on informed consent.
• Application of the framework using practical research examples.

Main Results:

• The Framework for Ethical Research Practice offers a structured approach to ethical decision-making.
• The framework considers research contribution, relationship, and impact.
• Practical examples demonstrate the framework's utility for nurse researchers.

Conclusions:

• The new framework provides an innovative method for improving ethical research practices.
• It is designed to assist researchers in making ethically sound decisions.
• The framework aims to enhance the ethical dimension of nursing research.