NURS 8818 Bioethical Issues in Research
This core course affords students the opportunity to explore complex bioethical issues which arise when conducting human subjects and animal research. We will examine major theoretical approaches that inform analysis of ethical issues; seminal cases of unethical use of human subjects; development of regulations and international guidelines governing research with human subjects and animals; and current mechanisms for research oversight within the Department of Defense, U.S., and internationally. We examine real-world cases, apply ethical analysis, and touch upon ethical and legal-regulatory aspects of topics such as: informed consent, decisional capacity, privacy and confidentiality, research design, risk-benefit assessment, use of “vulnerable” subjects, inducements, conflicts of interests, disclosure of findings, emerging technologies and national security, and international research. Research ethics, policy, and regulatory content are integrated in class discussions and assignments.