Informed consent among nursing students participating in biomedical research

Abstract

For consent in biomedical research, it is essential that research participants understand the need for research, the study protocol, the risk and benefits of participation, the freedom to participate or decline and the right to leave the study at any time. A structured questionnaire was used to assess understanding and knowledge among nursing trainees participating in a cohort study investigating exposure and latent tuberculosis at a tertiary care hospital. Data were collected for 138 participants. While 97% were aware of their enrollment into a research protocol, only 78% could state that it was a study on tuberculosis. Approximately two-thirds were aware of plans for blood collection, but not all of them knew the timings or number of samples. The majority (59%) participants had consulted others before making the decision to participate, and only 73% felt that their participation was completely voluntary. Even among healthcare trainees, emphasis needs to be placed on testing both the knowledge and understanding of participants to ensure the principle and practice of truly informed consent.