PROTECTING PATIENTS, ADVANCING SCIENCE: ETHICS IN NURSING RESEARCH

Ethics in nursing research is fundamental to safeguarding patient welfare while advancing scientific knowledge. As healthcare research becomes increasingly complex, the need to balance innovation with ethical responsibility is more critical than ever. Core ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice guide nurse researchers in protecting participants from harm and ensuring integrity in the research process. This study aims to examine the role of ethics in nursing research, focusing on how ethical principles protect patients while facilitating the advancement of science. This study utilized a literature review research design, systematically analyzing peer-reviewed articles, ethical guidelines, and scholarly publications from 2015 to 2025. Relevant sources were retrieved from databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar using keywords related to nursing research ethics. Inclusion criteria focused on studies addressing ethical principles, patient protection, and research governance, while irrelevant and outdated sources were excluded. Data were synthesized using thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and insights. The findings reveal that ethical practices in nursing research are operationalized through informed consent, confidentiality, risk-benefit assessment, and institutional review processes. Ethical frameworks were found to enhance participant protection, promote trust, and improve research credibility. However, challenges such as ethical dilemmas in vulnerable populations, data privacy concerns, and evolving digital research contexts were also identified. The integration of ethical training and strict adherence to guidelines significantly improves compliance and research quality.