A research nurse is a nurse who takes part in clinical studies in a variety of ways, from coordinating and administering studies on behalf of their designers to organizing and running studies on their own. Research nurses usually have a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing, with some nursing schools specializing in research nursing, as well as years of experience in the nursing field. A research nurse must be a registered nurse (RN) with at least one year of nursing experience.
New drugs and treatment protocols, as well as new diseases and methods of handling everything from operating room safety to patient intake, are all being researched constantly in medical research. Research nurses are often an important part of a research team, helping with administration, grant writing, and patient interaction. A research nurse is often the point of contact for patients in a study, and the nurse performs physicals, intake interviews, medical testing, and other study-related tasks, as well as obtaining informed consent from participants.
In addition to medical education, some research nurses work in academic settings such as teaching hospitals and nursing schools, where they apply their knowledge to advance medicine as a whole. Nurses who work in research can work for both government and private companies that conduct medical studies. While drug and medical device companies tend to pay the best, all settings provide research nurses with the opportunity to interact with renowned researchers and physicians while working at the cutting edge of modern medical care.
This nursing position can be extremely taxing. A research nurse may be working on several studies at once, some of which may be very complex, and while research nurses work regular hours, they are always on call for patients. Patients and participants who have concerns, questions, or emerging medical problems frequently contact the research nurse first because they have been directed to do so, which adds to the workload of a nurse who is already working long hours.
Nursing research can be extremely rewarding. Nurses have the opportunity to form deep, long-term relationships with patients and track their progress and lives throughout a study and its follow-ups. Working with leaders in the medical field can be extremely beneficial, and it provides research nurses with valuable work experience that will allow them to find work almost anywhere they wish.