The four guiding biomedical ethical principles for nursing research are autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.

According to the chapter, these four principles are central to nursing research ethics. Autonomy means respecting a person's freedom to choose whether to participate, which underpins informed consent. Beneficence means doing good and acting in the participant's best interests. Non-maleficence means avoiding or minimising harm, both physical and psychological. Justice means ensuring fairness and equity in the distribution of research benefits and burdens, including fair treatment of participants and protection of vulnerable groups.

Key points

Autonomy: respecting participants' freedom to choose and underpinning informed consent.
Beneficence: doing good and acting in the best interests of the participant.
Non-maleficence: keeping people from harm and minimising risks.
Justice: ensuring fairness, equity, and fair distribution of research benefits and burdens.

What are the four guiding biomedical ethical principles for nursing research according to the chapter?