CHAPTER ONE Augustine the Philosopher There are, according to Augustine in the early work entitled soliloquia, two principal (indeed, strictly speaking, ...

Genomic research results and incidental findings with health implications for a research participant are of potential interest not only to the participant, but also to the participant's family. Yet investigators lack guidance on return of results to relatives, including after the participant's death. In this paper, a national working group offers consensus analysis and recommendations, including an ethical framework to guide investigators in managing this challenging issue, before and after the participant's death.

Background Professional values are important in promoting healthy work environments, patient satisfaction, and quality of care. Magnet® hospitals are recognized for excellence in nursing care and as such, understanding the relationship between nurses' values and Magnet status is essential as healthcare organizations seek to improve patient outcomes. Research question/aim/objectives The research question is: are there differences in individual values, professional values, and nursing care quality for nurses and nurse managers practicing in Magnet, Magnet journey, and non-Magnet direct patient care settings? (...) Research Design This descriptive cross-sectional study is guided and informed by the conceptual framework of the Professional Values Model including individual values, professional values, and nursing care quality. Participants and research context Convenience sampling of registered nurses and nurse managers, responsible for direct patient care, was utilized in a non-profit healthcare system in the Midwest region of the United States. Ethical Considerations Institutional review board approval was obtained. Participants were informed about the right to self-determine participation and assurance of anonymity. Findings 827 (n = 827) nurses and nurse managers responded to the survey. Significant differences were identified in individual values sub-scale: self-enhancement ( p = 0.38), professional values ( p = 0.037), practice environment: participation in hospital affairs ( p = 0.00), foundations for quality care ( p = 0.016), and resources adequacy ( p = 0.012) and in nurse sensitive HCAHPS questions: nurses explained things understandably ( p = 0.00), got help as soon as wanted ( p = 0.00), and treated with courtesy and respect ( p = 0.00). Discussion/Conclusions Findings indicate that fostering individual and professional values may impact nursing practice, regardless of Magnet designation. Promoting professional values may contribute to improved work environments, enhancing patient satisfaction. Study results offer valuable insights for organizations striving to enhance nursing values, impacting quality of care provided to patients. MeSH Terms Cross-Sectional Studies, Respect, Ethics Committees, Patient Satisfaction, Nurse Administrators, and Personal Satisfaction. (shrink)

Returning genomic research results to family members raises complex questions. Genomic research on life-limiting conditions such as cancer, and research involving storage and reanalysis of data and specimens long into the future, makes these questions pressing. This author group, funded by an NIH grant, published consensus recommendations presenting a framework. This follow-up paper offers concrete guidance and tools for implementation. The group collected and analyzed relevant documents and guidance, including tools from the Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research Consortium. The authors then (...) negotiated a consensus toolkit of processes and documents. That toolkit offers sample consent and notification documents plus decision flow-charts to address return of results to family of living and deceased participants, in adult and pediatric research. Core concerns are eliciting participant preferences on sharing results with family and on choice of a representative to make decisions about sharing after participant death. (shrink)

Perruchet & Vinter (P&V) ground their arguments in a view they call “the mentalistic tradition.” Here I point out that such a view has already been advocated by two old masters of psychological science, William James and James Gibson, as well as by the philosopher Merleau-Ponty. In fact, in the writings of these older thinkers, arguments very similar to those presented in the target article are found.