The nurse has been asked to support and participate in a clinical tria

QUESTION

The nurse has been asked to support and participate in a clinical trial by administering trial medications to clients on the nursing unit.

What is the most important question the nurse should ask before answering this request?
1. “Will I get extra pay for participating?”
2. “Who else is participating in the trial?”
3. “Has the study been approved by the IRB?”
4. “Am I responsible if the client doesn’t want to participate?”

ANSWER:

Correct Answer: 3

The most important question for the nurse to ask is whether the study has been approved by the institutional review board, or IRB. Typically there is no extra pay for the nurse who participates in a clinical trial. The nurse is not responsible if the client does not want to participate in the study. The other persons participating in the trial may influence the nurse’s decision, but are not as essential as the question about the IRB.