Ethics and Research
Ethical issues are very important in research studies when human beings are involved in the research .To avoid human right violations different types of code of ethics have been developed(Polit,D&Beck,C,2010).American Nurses Association (ANA) has developed a code of ethics for the American nurses which we have to follow while doing our research.
I would like to mention about an ethical issue happened few years ago in Newyork which I found in Newyork Times. A healthy 19 year old college student named Nicole Wan agreed to participate in a research coducted by University of Rochester Medical Center.Ms.Wan agreed to participate in the research to earn 150dollars which she wanted to spend to go and see her immigrant parents in Queens,Newyork.Ms.Wan had a brochoscopy done by the doctor’s at the university medical center to collect cells from her lungs to be used in a 15 year old study on how the lungs defend themselves against infecton and pollutants.Bronchoscopy is a common procedure which is performed under local anesthetic lidocaine.In Ms.Wan’s case the doctor tried to go further down in the lungs to collect more cells which made her sneeze and cough more than usual.To make her comfortable the doctor sprayed more than the usual maximum amount of lidocaine into her throat.After the procedure Ms.Wan discharged home feeling week and suffering severe pain.She collapsed at her house in two hours and was taken to the emergency room.There the medical stafff was able to resuccitate her but in two days she passed away.The medical examination revealed a lethal amount of lidocaine in her body was the original cause of death.Report showed that she received four times greater than the usual maximum dose of lidocaine.(Rosenthal.E,1996).The state investigators said the doctors should have not exceeded the amount of lidocaine allowed in their original proposal without obtaining specific approval from the hospital committee that governs the research on humans.Before discharging Ms.Wan from the hospital a doctor or a nurse should have monitored her which should have avoided the incident.Another ethical issue arised in this incident was Ms.Wan was originaly informed about one study but her cells were used for two different studies which she was never informed.This case was settled for multimillion