Ethical Considerations
Throughout this course, you will have explored the importance of research, the impact of research, and the different types of research. During our final week, you will explore the importance of ethical considerations in research.
In this Discussion, you will focus on a specific study to explore ethics in research and consider the importance of the ethics pledge.
Resources
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
· Alsan, M., & Wanamaker, M. (2018).
Tuskegee and the health of black menLinks to an external site..
The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 133(1), 407–455.
· Bates, B. R., & Harris, T. M. (2004).
The Tuskegee study of untreated syphilis and public perceptions of biomedical research: A focus group studyLinks to an external site..
Journal of the National Medical Association, 96(8), 1051–1064.
· Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, December 5).
The USPHS untreated syphilis study at TuskegeeLinks to an external site.
.
· Hunt, D. F., Dunn, M., Harrison, G., & Bailey, J. (2021).
Ethical considerations in quality improvement: key questions and a practical guideLinks to an external site..
BMJ Open Quality, 10(3), e001497.
· Office for Human Research Protections. (n.d.).
Quality improvement activities FAQsLinks to an external site.
. United States Department of Health and Human Services.
·
Document:
Doctoral Project Ethics Pledge (Word document)
Download Doctoral Project Ethics Pledge (Word document)
To prepare:
· Read and view the Learning Resources, focusing specifically on the Tuskegee study resources.
· Read the ethics pledge.
By Day 3 of Week 11
Post a response including the following:
· What are the characteristics of the research study (Tzeng & Yin, 2017), the quality improvement study (Khoja & Moosa, 2023), and the DNP project (Bangura, 2024) in terms of generalizability, sampling, and the nature of ethical protections?
· Compare and contrast ethical considerations in research to ethics requirements for QI and/or for a DNP project.
By Day 5 of Week 11
Read a selection of your colleagues’ posts and
respond to
at least two of your colleagues on
two different days by expanding upon their reflections, making connections to your perceptions, and offering additional insights.
Reply
CLASS,
In this discussion, you will focus on a specific study to explore ethics in research and consider the importance of the ethics pledge.
Our interactive discussion addresses the following learning objectives:
· Analyze ethical considerations in relation to DNP problem statements
· Compare and contrast ethical considerations for research vs. quality improvement or any type of DNP project
· Compare and contrast a research study, a QI study, and a DNP project with regard to generalizability and protection of human subjects (IRB review)
Post a response to the following prompts:
· What are the characteristics of the research study (Tzeng & Yin, 2017), the quality improvement study (Khoja & Moosa, 2023), and the DNP project (Bangura, 2024) in terms of generalizability, sampling, and the nature of ethical protections?
· Compare and contrast ethical considerations in research to ethics requirements for QI and/or for a DNP project.
We encourage you to read the question carefully to answer all aspects presented.
RESPOND TO THIS DISCUSSION POST
Patience
Ethical Considerations
Nursing research takes many forms. Three key approaches include research studies, quality improvement projects, and DNP scholarly work. Each serves nursing practice but follows different rules about who they study, how widely their findings apply, and what ethical steps they must take.
Research Study Characteristics
Tzeng and Yin (2017) conducted a cross-hospital study to find effective fall prevention methods. Their work included multiple hospitals, giving their findings broad reach. They surveyed nurses across settings, making their results useful to many hospitals. Their ethical steps included full review board approval, written consent from nurses, and strict data protection plans. This multi-site approach strengthened how widely their findings apply. Khoja and Moosa (2023) focused their work on specific hospital units. Their goal was to test if TIPS (Tailored Interventions for Patient Safety) could cut fall rates. Since they worked within one system, their findings may not apply as broadly. They collected data from patients in select units over six months. Their ethical steps skipped full board review but still protected patient privacy through group-level reporting. Their work aimed to fix a local problem while adding to nursing knowledge. Bangura (2024) implemented a nurse-led rounding system at one veterans’ care center. This project had the most limited scope – just 25 beds in one facility. The sampling included all patients over 18 years in that unit during a six-week period. Ethical steps included staff training and leadership approval without need for research-level oversight. The project “sought to decrease the current fall rate below the national rate of five falls per month or five percent per 1000 patient days” (Bangura, 2024). Success meant beating this benchmark in one specific setting.
Ethical Considerations Compared
Research studies face the strictest ethical rules. Tzeng and Yin (2017) needed full ethics board review, detailed consent forms, and careful risk assessment before starting. Their work created new knowledge but had to clear high ethical bars first. Quality improvement work follows less rigid rules. Khoja and Moosa (2023) needed less formal review since they worked within standard care patterns. They focused on fixing a known problem using proven methods, not testing new theories. Their ethical focus centered on improving systems without adding patient risk. DNP projects blend research and practice improvement. Bangura (2024) worked to bring best practices to a specific site. This approach calls for basic ethical oversight that focuses on proper implementation rather than research protections. The key difference lies in purpose, research creates new knowledge (highest ethical burden), quality improvement refines existing systems (moderate oversight), and DNP projects apply known evidence to local problems (streamlined ethics review).
Conclusion
The three fall prevention studies show clear differences in reach, sample selection, and ethical requirements. Research studies face the strictest ethical oversight but offer the most widely useful findings. Quality improvement and DNP projects can move faster with less formal review but produce more locally focused results. All three approaches help prevent patient falls, just through different routes with matching ethical frameworks.
References
Bangura, F. (2024). Development and Evaluation of a Nurse Practitioner Intentional Rounding Strategy and Its Impact on Decreasing Falls in a Veterans Long-term Care Facility. Wilmington University (Delaware)
Khoja, A., & Moosa, L. (2023). Impact of tailored interventions for patient safety (TIPS) to reduce fall rates.
MEDSURG Nursing,
32(2), 89.
to an external site.
Tzeng, H. M., & Yin, C. Y. (2017). A multihospital survey on effective interventions to prevent hospital falls in adults.
Nursing Economics,
35(6), 304–313.
to an external site.
