Date of Conferral

2015

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Health Services

Advisor

Eric Anderson

Abstract

A key component of informed consent to participate in research is the understanding that research is not the same as treatment and that scientific goals have priority over therapeutic ones. However, studies have found many research participants do not understand these important differences between research and treatment, a phenomenon termed therapeutic misconception (TM). The problem addressed in this project was research nurses' lack of education regarding the existence and concepts of TM, and their struggles to assess and address research participants' TM of clinical trials. Matutina's conceptual model of TM was used to guide this project. The purpose of this project was to develop an educational program that prepares registered nurses to assess clinical trials participants for TM and correct any misunderstandings. The educational program included concepts related to TM, guidance on recognizing TM, strategies to correct participant misunderstanding, and assessments of nurses' understanding of related concepts and strategies. The products of this project include the program with an implementation plan and an evaluation plan that outlines short- intermediate- and long- term plans for evaluating effectiveness of this program. For both short and intermediate-term evaluation, outcomes will be measured using a pre and post survey. The long-term evaluation of the educational program was designed as a study to measure TM among research participants comparing data before and after nurses receive TM education. Refining the standard education of TM for registered nurses can serve both to improve protection of trial participants and to clarify the informed consent process, ultimately contributing to a more informed population of clinical trials participants.

Download

Share

 
COinS