Responding to poor-quality care during research in nursing homes

For nurse researchers, responding appropriately to resident abuse is straightforward: The abuse must be reported. However, responding to care that is of poor quality-where care practices are problematic but do not meet the definition of reportable abuse-is not so straightforward. Decision making may be influenced by ethical and professional principles, as well as self-interest to complete a research project. The purpose of this article is to provoke a dialogue about a dilemma faced by many researchers conducting research in long-term care: responding to poor-quality care that does not meet the state's definition of resident abuse. We will accomplish this by providing a real-life situation faced by a novice researcher conducting her first funded research project, identifying some of the important considerations and possible responses by nurse researchers. Optimally, nurse researchers will develop a plan for responding to poor care before beginning the study.