Legal, ethical and practical considerations in research involving nurses with dyslexia

To discuss the legal, ethical and practical considerations in UK studies involving nurses with dyslexia and medication administration errors (MAEs).

Nurses with dyslexia are a vulnerable population as they are susceptible to misrepresentation in research, especially that which involves a sensitive topic such as MAEs.

Nurses with dyslexia may be particularly vulnerable to research that could exploit, implicate or attribute unsafe practice to them and their disability. Special consideration should be exercised when researching this population.

Despite the potential for legal, ethical and practical issues, MAEs and nurses with dyslexia are under-researched areas and warrant further research. Benefits can be gained, not only by participants but also those with a vested interest in how best to support dyslexic nurses in clinical practice.

Through effective design, risks can be identified and minimised, and the research made viable, ethically sound and ultimately beneficial to all those involved.