The role of research ethics committees

Raise the subject of Research Ethics Committees in any gathering of nurse researchers and you can expect tales to be told of projects held up waiting for ethical clearance, of applications returned with picky questions and, in some cases, of permission refused without an apparently convincing ethical objection. Less worth retelling, naturally enough, are the examples of straightforward applications to efficient committees which receive straightforward approval with the minimum of delay. The latter probably outnumber the former but, of course, they rue less newsworthy. Anyway, it is from examining the 'difficult cases' that we can probably learn most about the potential pitfalls in the process of seeking clearance from Research Ethics Committees and, at the same time, increase our awareness of the greater range of ethical issues which confronts nurses as research in nursing becomes more innovative and more complex.