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Picking the 'proper hat?' Emerging ethical dilemmas while juggling nursing and research roles
Tamar Vechter1, Anat Drach-Zahavy2, Hadass Goldblatt2
1Pat Matthews Academic School of Nursing, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Hadera, Israel.
Aim:
The aim of this study is to explore ethical dilemmas inherent in two potentially conflicting roles: practising nurse and researcher.
Background:
Ethical guidelines for practice and research in nursing have been widely discussed. Yet examining ethical dilemmas that emerge from engaging in the dual role of nurse-researcher is rare.
Method:
A qualitative approach was employed, using semi-structured interviews with 15 nurse-researchers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Results:
One theme emerged with three subthemes of nurse-researcher role definitions: primarily nurse, primarily researcher and combined nurse-researcher. Each subtheme had three dimensions: (a) how ethical dilemmas were expressed in encounters with role colleagues, (b) coping strategies and (c) implications for nurse-researchers.
Conclusion:
Primarily nurses or primarily researchers experienced conflict in encounters with role colleagues, developed less effective coping strategies and reported impaired well-being. Conversely, combined nurse-researchers said each role nourished the other.
Implications For Nursing Management:
Nursing policymakers and managers should support the nurse-researcher role by developing a code of ethics that acknowledges the dual role's inherent dilemmas, assimilate organisational routines and roles that support nursing research and encourage forums for discussing staff dilemmas.
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