Clinical Research Nurse Job Description
A vital piece to the pharmaceutical industry, clinical research nurses ensure that clinical trials and studies are run according to requirements and regulatory procedures. They work with the ultimate goal of protecting patients participating in research studies. Clinical research nurses draw on their experience to identify patient care problems and create treatment plans. They must promote good clinical practices and professional management of clinical studies.
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Experience
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At least two years of experience in clinical research is required. For illness-specific studies, experience in treating patients suffering from those diseases is preferred. For example, if the clinical research is focused on a cancer study, nurses with oncology experience will be preferred. Applicants must be registered nurses; those with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing will be preferred.
Skills
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Clinical research nurses must be comfortable working with database programs such as Excel and Access. Ideal candidates for this position are highly organized and communicate effectively in both written and oral communications.
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Responsibilities
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Clinical research nurses focus on the care of research study patients with regard to each study's safety and protocol. They communicate with patients to ensure they maintain informed consent. They ensure all data is accurately documented, such as patient vitals and times medications were administered. Clinical research nurses are essential to the operation of the clinical studies and must be available to patients, patients' families and investigators to answer questions at any time. They strive to advocate for their patients while ensuring the integrity of the clinical research study.
Compensation
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The average annual salary for clinical research nurses in January 2010 was $57,000, according to Simply Hired. Salaries vary based on company, location and experience. Full-time clinical research nurses are eligible for medical benefits and retirement packages.
Job Outlook
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The outlook for registered nurses overall is expected to increase by 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These nurses may work in academic medical centers or in hospitals that are cleared to conduct clinical research studies. They may advance to the role of research nurse coordinators if they excel in this field and show enhanced organizational and supervisory skills.
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References
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- Photo Credit nurse with a syringe image by Photosani from Fotolia.com
