NSG 4000 Week 5 Discussion

Sample Answer

Nursing theories provide a basis for different ways in which nursing practice can be promoted. In addition, nursing ethics offer guidelines that promote respectful practice. A nursing theory can be utilized by nurses as they conduct research while ensuring they respect the ethical guidelines of their practice.

Nursing Theory

I would use the health belief model as my foundation of nursing practice. The health belief model is based on an individual’s perception of health and the conditions that play a role in determining one’s health. The model has several components perceived susceptibility, benefits, severity, barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy (Alagili et al., 2021).

These components are vital in determining how an individual’s behavior can predetermine their risk of a disease and how they can change their behavior to prevent the likelihood of being ill. In addition, the model can address the benefits of maintaining their health, the challenges they face in maintaining health, and the actions they can take to maintain health.

The model can be instrumental in research. For example, when conducting a study on diabetes in a given population, one may educate the people on diabetes and the predisposing risk factors (Dorosteh et al., 2023). From the medical treatment, one can analyze the population on their behavioral change such as exercise and dieting as ways of preventing the onset of diabetes.

As a result, one may obtain data on how the two have reduced the likelihood of being diabetic. In addition, one may advocate for regular screening, get data on the number of cases identified, and initiate treatment for the group identified (Alagili et al., 2021).

Additionally, one may use the data from patients with positive test results to determine the number of patients with prior predisposing factors from those who did not have any. One may also follow up on the patients on treatment to identify how effective the treatment methods are, the likelihood of developing complications, and the barriers to treatment the patients.

Article Review- Ethics Principle

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was conducted on African American men to observe the effects of syphilis when not treated. However, the study was unethical as it violated the ethical principle of beneficence. The researchers in this study predisposed the patients to harm from the beginning of the study by withholding the information that the nature of their research would predispose them to harm, including death and several neurological sequelae of syphilis (Wikipedia, 2023).

In addition, the researchers did not inform them of the diagnosis and used ineffective patient treatment methods. The men involved in the study were also lied to on the duration as it extended up to 40 years instead of six months.

Furthermore, the researchers failed to treat the patients using penicillin despite it becoming a recommended antibiotic for the infection, depriving them of a cure. As a result, the study did more harm to the participants, as most of them died from syphilis and its related complications.

As a nurse in research, it is crucial to evaluate research to ensure that the process would benefit humans while ensuring there is no harm from the study. In addition, I would inform the study to the people interested and at the same time warn them of the potential damage resulting from the research and ensure they are medically covered in case of complications (Varkey, 2021).

Additionally, I would ensure I have well-informed consent and share their information with other researchers to ensure that their health and safety are upheld. I would also ensure no discrimination in the study and promote equity.

References

• Alagili, D. E., & Bamashmous, M. (2021). The health belief model as an explanatory framework for COVID-19 prevention practices. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 14(10), 1398-1403. https //doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2021.08.024
  
• Dorosteh, A. P., Ghaffari, M., Rakhshanderou, S., & Mehrabi, Y. (2023). Health beliefs on type 2 diabetes a methodological research for development and psychometric evaluation of “DIABA” (diabetes-related instrument to assess beliefs of adolescents) health beliefs on type 2 diabetes. BMC Pediatrics, 23(1). https //doi.org/10.1186/s12887-023-04251-3
  
• Varkey, B. (2021). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice, 30(1), 17-28. https //doi.org/10.1159/000509119
  
• Wikipedia. (2023). Tuskegee Syphilis Study. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Syphilis_