Week 2 Discussion 1: Legal & Ethical Issues in Nursing

A state government official interested in determining the number of infants infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has approached your hospital to participate in a statewide-funded study. The protocol will include testing of all newborns for HIV; however, the mothers will not be told the test is being done, nor will they be told the results. Using the basic ethical principles found in Box 13.2 of your LoBiondo-Wood & Haber text, defend or refute the practice. How will the findings of the proposed study be affected if the protocol is carried out?