any clinical research nurses out there?

My experience has been that nurse researchers are not recruited. These positions are usually identified through networking or acadamia. Occassionally there will be a local ad - usually this means they have a sponsored trial and are looking for a trial nurse. Talk with your local nurse leaders about your interests and check out local schools. You may need to start as a research assistant (read paycut , but it is a great experience and a foot in). All of the independent nurse researchers I know are PhD or on tract to complete. Also there are several previous posts on this subject that are worth reading. Good luck!