Informed Consent
Title: An Exploration of Perceived Levels of Empowerment in Parish Nursing
Project Director: Jean Bokinskie, RN, MS, Doctoral Student
Phone Number: 701-866-3063
Department: College of Nursing, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND.
Dear Parish Nurse:
A person who is to participate in the research must give his or her informed consent to such participation. This consent must be based on an understanding of the nature and risks of the research. This document provides information that is important for this understanding. Research projects include only subjects who choose to take part. Please take your time in making your decision as to whether to participate. If you have questions at any time, please ask.
You have been invited to participate in this research study because you are a parish nurse or faith community nurse (PN) who has completed the Basic Parish Nurse Preparation course offered through the Parish Nurse Center, Concordia College, Moorhead, MN. Approximately 400 practicing PNs will complete this study. The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions of empowerment of practicing PNs. Parish nurses must be able to work with health care providers, clergy and congregational boards to effectively develop, facilitate and implement health promoting and spiritually focused programs. Empowerment of PNs is necessary to achieve these positive program outcomes within faith communities. This study will provide a baseline of understanding of the components of empowerment within faith communities, as well as the perceived level of empowerment of the PN.
It will take you about thirty minutes to complete the survey. You will only need to complete the survey once. The survey will be available on the web-site until December 30, 2009. If you desire to complete a paper version (mailed) of this survey, please contact the Concordia College, Parish Nurse Center, and the office manager will mail out the survey tool. The phone number is 218-299-3893.
Participation in this PN study is voluntary and you may choose to skip any question that you prefer not to answer or you may quit the survey at any time. The completion of the survey indicates your implied consent to participate. You may choose not to participate without affecting your relationship with Concordia College, the Concordia College Parish Nurse Center, or the University of North Dakota.
There may be some risks from being in this study. You may experience frustration as some questions may be of a sensitive nature. If, however, you become upset by questions, you may stop at any time or choose not to answer a question. If you would like to talk to someone about your feelings about this study, you are encouraged to talk with a colleague, clergy or support staff. There are no direct benefits to participating in the survey; however your participation will benefit the understanding of PN ministries within faith communities. You will incur no costs for participating in this study. The University of North Dakota, Concordia College, and the researcher are receiving no payment from other organizations to conduct this research study.
The records of this study will be kept secure and private to the extent permitted by law. Your study record may be reviewed by governmental agencies, the University of North Dakota Institutional Review Board, or the Concordia College Institutional Review Board. Any information that is obtained in this study and that can be identified with you will remain confidential and will be disclosed only with your permission or as required by law. Confidentiality will be maintained by means of safeguarding data at Concordia College, Parish Nurse Center. Access to the data will be restricted to the Center’s office manager and the researcher. Paper versions of the survey tool will be coded with random numbers; these numbers will be kept secured and away from the data by the office manager. If you are participating in the web-based survey, your IP address will be blocked from the researcher’s view or access. Written reports or articles about this study will describe the study results in a summarized manner so that you can not be identified.
Thank you for your willingness to participate in this research study. Again, your participation is voluntary. You may choose not to participate or you may discontinue your participation at any time with penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. Your decision whether or not to participate will not affect your relationship with Concordia College, the Concordia College Parish Nurse Center, or the University of North Dakota.
The researcher conducting this study is Jean Bokinskie. If you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact her at 701-866-3063, or during the day at 218-299-3825, or bokinski@cord.edu. If you would like to speak with her dissertation study advisor, please contact Dr. Julie Anderson, Interim Dean, College of Nursing, University of North Dakota at 701-777-4553 or julieanderson@mail.und.edu.
If you have questions regarding your rights as a research subject, or if you have any concerns or complaints about the research, you may contact the University of North Dakota Institutional Review Board at 701-777-4279 or the Concordia College Institutional Review Board at 218-299-3545. Please call this number if you cannot reach research staff, or you wish to talk with someone else.
Your willingness to complete the survey indicates that this research study has been explained to you, that your questions have been answered, and that you agree to take part in this study. You may print off a copy of this consent letter or you may keep this mailed copy.
Jean Bokinskie, MS, RN
Doctoral Student, Principal Investigator
Contact: 701-866-3063 (cell); 218-299-3825 (office): electronic mail bokinski@cord.edu.