Clinical Research Nurse

About the Role

The Clinical Research Nurse is a Registered Professional Nurse responsible for assisting in the assessment, management, and coordination of care for subjects enrolled in IRB-approved research studies/clinical trials. This role involves providing safe, competent, and quality care based on nursing theory and research to patients participating in studies, managing acute and complex conditions, and utilizing critical decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

Research

• Participates in planning new protocol implementation on patient care units or practices.
• Administers research interventions and collects patient data according to protocol specifications.
• Evaluates patient response to therapy and responds to variances in protocol implementation, reporting them to the research team.
• Reports adverse events and serious adverse events in accordance with IRB standards, sponsor guidelines, and federal regulations.
• Integrates evidence-based practice into nursing practice and evaluates patient outcomes.

Patient Care

• Delivers patient care using the Relationship Centered Care model and nursing process, grounded in theory, research, and evidence-based practice.
• Assesses and evaluates patient care needs, applying critical thinking skills to patient care management.
• Integrates relevant assessment and intervention skills in nursing care delivery.
• Collaborates with the interdisciplinary healthcare team on the development, implementation, and evaluation of the plan of care, aligned with research protocol requirements.
• Prioritizes all aspects of patient care, including assessment, teaching, coaching, ordering protocol-specified tests, and delegation.
• Educates patients and caregivers about their research-specified plan of care, health promotion, and disease prevention, anticipating their needs and learning readiness.
• Communicates effectively and professionally with patients, families, and all members of the Interdisciplinary Patient Care Team.
• Manages assignments within the Modified Primary Nursing Care Delivery Model and demonstrates effective allocation of material resources.

Patient Experience

• Models the tenets of the Mount Sinai Relationship Centered Care (MSHRCC) Professional Practice Model.
• Considers patient values, preferences, cultural diversity, expressed needs, and knowledge in all aspects of care.
• Establishes and maintains a therapeutic relationship with research patients and their families.
• Uses evidence-based practices to enhance understanding of research patients' perceptions of care.
• Initiates service recovery for research patients and family members with concerns, escalating as needed to the Principal Investigator/Sub-Investigator, Clinical Nurse Manager/Assistant Nurse Manager/Nursing Shift Manager, Investigational Review Board, or Patient Relations.
• Demonstrates caring, respect, compassion, empathy, and active listening through dialogue, body language, and actions.
• Supports staff in using evidence-based practices to increase understanding of research patients' perceptions of care.

Quality and Safety

• Practices safe and efficient patient-centered care, identifying and escalating barriers and opportunities for improvement.
• Demonstrates clinical skills and knowledge essential for quality and safety in the patient population served.
• Implements process improvement strategies based on institutional, evidence-based standards, and procedures.
• Engages in formal and informal peer and institutional review processes.
• Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to create and implement quality improvement projects, evidence-based practice activities, and nursing research studies.
• Contributes to quality and safety practices and required compliance measures.
• Implements principles of high reliability to identify and avoid high-risk behaviors, ensuring a safe environment for patients.
• Escalates potential safety hazards or deviations from best practice according to the institutional chain of command protocol.
• Utilizes institutional information technology for documenting nursing practice to support quality and performance improvement initiatives.

Operations

• Establishes and implements short and long-term study goals, objectives, and operating procedures to ensure high fidelity in research study conduction.
• Provides consultation and education to the interdisciplinary study team and participant populations specific to the research study.
• Demonstrates patient-focused and cost-effective approaches to patient care regarding equipment, staff, supplies, and other resources.
• Documents accurately and thoroughly in compliance with hospital, regulatory, and legal requirements and standards of care.

Professional Development

• Contributes to the environment of care to support clinical colleagues, patients, their families, and healthcare team members.
• Advances clinical competence in nursing practice from novice to expert.
• Projects a professional image and communicates with styles and methods demonstrating care, respect, compassion, and empathy.
• Incorporates ethical principles into decision-making for patients and families.
• Encourages and demonstrates scholarship, inquiry, lifelong learning, and innovation for self and others.
• Acquires knowledge and skills relevant to the role, patient population, clinical specialty, and local/global health community needs.
• Participates in shared decision-making through specialty practice councils, nursing department committees, and unit initiatives.
• Serves as a professional role model and preceptor for new staff and students.
• Advances as a clinical leader, patient throughput facilitator, and resource person for the unit/clinical service area.
• Articulates the values of research and evidence-based practice and its application to nursing practice and the environment of care.
• Contributes to the nursing profession through participation in professional organizations.

Qualifications

Education Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in nursing preferred; nursing degree required.
• Associate degree in nursing considered with relevant experience if approved by Chief Nursing Officer or designee.

Experience Requirements

• Relevant clinical competence in the assigned area of nursing practice.
• New graduates must possess current knowledge of the nursing process and its application.

Licensing and Certification Requirements

• License: RN (Issuing Agency: Department of Health/Office of Professions)
• Name: Basic Life Saver (BLS) (Issuing Agency: AHA)
• Certification: NRP (if applicable for Labor and Delivery, NICU dept)
• Certification: ACLS (if applicable for ED; PACU/ASU; ICUs; Telemetry Units; SDU; IR, Interventional Cardiology (CCL/EP/Echo); L&D; Endoscopy, and APN Adult Oncology)
• Certification: PALS (if applicable for ED; PACU; IR; Peds ICU, and APNs Pediatric Oncology depts.)

Collective bargaining unit:

NYSNA-MSH

Key skills/competency

• Clinical Research Nurse
• Registered Professional Nurse
• IRB approved research studies
• Clinical trials
• Nursing theory
• Evidence-based practice
• Patient care management
• Interdisciplinary healthcare team
• Quality and safety
• Professional development