The Significance of the Belmont Report to the Nursing Research
A crucial piece of literature on clinical research ethics is The Belmont Report. Belmont seeks to safeguard both research participants and subjects in clinical trials (Miracle, 2016). It is essential for providing an ethical foundation for nursing research and guarantees that subjects’ rights are upheld at all times (Department of Health, 2014). Respect for people, goodness, and justice are the three basic tenets of the Belmont Report.
Respect for others is upholding each person’s autonomy and behaving politely and respectfully toward them. Before using human subjects for clinical research, it’s crucial to obtain their informed consent (Miracle, 2016). People must be given the opportunity to exercise their freedom and make decisions or choices. On the other hand, the researcher should act honestly and be truthful in their research.
Do no harm is related to the concept of beneficence. The significance of the researcher to make sure that the welfare of the participants is taken into consideration is supported by a principle in research ethics. The protection of human subjects should always be a priority in clinical trials (Sims, 2010). Therefore, this objective is accomplished by limiting participant risk and maximizing the study’s or clinical trial’s advantages.
Justice in research is referred to as justice in decision-making, particularly when choosing research subjects. Justice guarantees that all study protocols are reasonable, ethical, and well-planned. The notion also pertains to the equitable sharing of advantages and risks among potential clinical trial participants (Miracle, 2016). To prevent any type of injustice, it establishes the standards to be used in choosing who should take part in a study.