Chapter 04: Examining Ethics in Nursing Research

Chapter 04: Examining Ethics in Nursing Research

 

Complete Chapter Questions With Answers

 

Sample Questions Are Posted Below

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE

 

1. The purpose of an institutional review board (IRB) in a university or clinical agency is to:

a.	approve funding for studies based on ethical standards.
b.	critically appraise ethical aspects of published studies.
c.	define ethical standards for the institution.
d.	protect the human rights of subjects in proposed studies.

 

 

ANS:  D

 

	Feedback
A	IRBs do not approve funding for studies based on ethical standards.
B	IRBs review ethical aspects of studies prior to the conduction of the study, not after they are published.
C	IRBs do not define ethical standards.
D	Institutional review boards (IRBs) are organized to examine the ethical aspects of studies before they are conducted.

 

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive level: Analyzing (Analysis)

REF:   pp. 94-95

 

2. An important initial focus of the Declaration of Helsinki, developed in 1964, was to:

a.	differentiate therapeutic from nontherapeutic research.
b.	define the concept of informed consent of research subjects.
c.	prevent the use of placebos during clinical drug trials.
d.	prohibit nontherapeutic research to protect subjects from harm.

 

 

ANS:  A

 

	Feedback
A	The Declaration of Helsinki was adopted in 1964 and its major focus was to differentiate between therapeutic research and nontherapeutic research.
B	The Nuremberg code helped to define the concept of informed consent of subjects.
C	The Declaration of Helsinki did not prevent the use of placebos, but declared that researchers must provide subjects in the placebo group with access to proven diagnostic and therapeutic procedures after the study.
D	The Declaration of Helsinki did not prohibit nontherapeutic research, but developed guidelines to address issues with this type of research.

 

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive level: Analyzing (Analysis)

REF:   p. 96

 

3. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study violated several ethical principles in which way?

a.	Coercion of subjects to participate in the study in exchange for treatment
b.	Failing to inform subjects about the purpose and procedures in the study
c.	Failing to inform in the Centers for Disease Control about the results of the study
d.	Not informing the subjects’ physicians that they were in the study

 

 

ANS:  B

 

	Feedback
A	Subjects were not coerced by the promise of treatment, which was not offered, even when the benefits were known.
B	In the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, subjects were not informed about the purpose and procedures of the study; some were not even informed that they were subjects.
C	The CDC was informed about the results and decided the study could continue.
D	In the Jewish Chronic Disease Study, subjects’ physicians were not informed.

 

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive level: Understanding (Comprehension)

REF:   p. 97

 

4. After the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (DHEW) regulations were published in 1973, all research using human subjects was required to:

a.	avoid using subjects who were ill, mentally impaired, or dying.
b.	obtain informed consent from all subjects prior to enrollment in a study.
c.	review only studies in which risk of harm to subjects is especially high.
d.	undergo full institutional review to examine risks and benefits to subjects.

 

 

ANS:  D

 

	Feedback
A	The DHEW regulations do not prohibit using subjects who are ill, mentally impaired, or dying, but provided protections for such subjects.
B	The US Code of Federal Regulations requires informed consent of human subjects.
C	DHEW regulations require institutional review of all human subjects, not just those with especially high risk.
D	The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare regulations were published in 1973, providing for the protection of human research subjects and requiring full institutional review of all studies involving human subjects.

 

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive level: Understanding (Comprehension)

REF:   p. 98

 

5. The ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice are considered essential elements in research involving human subjects. In which document are these principles identified?

a.	Declaration of Helsinki
b.	Department of Health, Education, and Welfare regulations
c.	National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects in the Belmont Report
d.	Nuremberg Code

 

 

ANS:  C

 

	Feedback
A	A major focus of the Declaration of Helsinki was the differentiation of therapeutic research from nontherapeutic research.
B	The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare regulations were published in 1973 providing for the protection of human research subjects.
C	The National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research was formed in the United States in 1978. This commission developed ethical research guidelines based on the ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice and made recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in the Belmont Report.
D	The development of the Nuremberg Code in 1949 addressed the mistreatment of human subjects.

 

 

PTS:   1                    DIF:    Cognitive level: Knowledge             REF:   pp. 98-99