Any clinical research nurses out there?

Larry · May 14, 2002

There are lots of nurses who work within the HIV field. Needle stick injuries are not that common - I think that you can get retractable needles. Its ridiculous to cite only that event - perhaps you should research into how many nurses got needle stick injuries in such a job.

We are really lucky in the first world - you just have to look at Africa ......

BeachNurse · May 18, 2002

Hi, Steena...just wanted to let you know I am a research coordinator with HIV patients. I am not in the clinic every day, and I don't draw labs daily, because of the way we are organized. I can tell you that needlesticks are very infrequent. My friend, who is a clinical nurse (draws labs every day) has worked there for 5 years and through 2 pregnancies and never once had a needlestick. Another nurse had a deep needlestick after sticking a HIV+ patient with a very high viral load. She was put on meds prophylactically, and she was fine. Yes she had to endure a few months of stress, but the point is she is fine.

I hope you will not find your fear of needlesticks to keep you from pursuing a position like this. It is so very rewarding!

Let me know if you have any questions,

Michelle :)

BeachNurse · May 18, 2002

I wanted to let you know that when you handle specimens, especially when you have to spin blood and separate the serum or plasma, you will be pipetting directly from the tube. You MUST wear goggles and work slowly to be sure you don't splash anything. We use plexiglass barriers and our hands are behind them just in case. Serum and plasma has very high levels of the virus. I would say you have a much higher chance of splashing your eyes or other mucous membranes than suffering from a needlestick problem. The first time I had to process these labs I was a little nervous, but it doesn't take long to become comfortable with it.

Danielle4 · Jul 7, 2002

HI,

I work under an RN in a rheumatologist office and I am the coordinator's assistant. All our coordinator does is see the patients and draw the labs and I do all of her CRF transcription and process of her labs for shipment. I am still in school so I really like doing things like this and I love learned about all of these new medications. It is so rewarding when these drugs get approved by the FDA. we do studies on many of the drugs for arthritis like enbrel, clenoliximab (not released), valdecoxib (before it was released), remicade, naproxen, we even have tylenol studies which is weird. I love doing it because it gives us a chance to get some of the people on medicare that have to pay for those expensive drugs since the insurance does not cover them and give them to them for free. It is so rewarding to see someone that was in so much pain and see their progress on the study drug. I think it is just like the cancer patients they are so thankful for stopping some of their pain.

I think a career in research is so much more rewarding!

researchrabbit · Aug 7, 2002

I'm a clinical trials psychiatry research nurse (also have worked on Federal grants). I've worked in the field for 12 years now (received my RN in 2000). I love it!

albireo · Nov 10, 2003

I work for a company that does cancer research through clinical trials. We do many treatment studies and I coordinate a breast cancer preventions study. I have been doing this for over two years and find it very interesting. There are always new challenges and new knowledge to gain. What kind of research are you involved with?

zambezi, BSN, RN · Nov 10, 2003

I am the clinical coordinator at a local neurology clinic. I have one study that I do with our neurosurgeons and the rest are with the neurologists...mostly stroke, epilepsy, alzheimers, and ms studies...I am in the process of leaving the job at this point though, have been working there for a couple of years but want to focus on my hospital job for now, even though I do enjoy the clinical trials...

sherryrn · Mar 25, 2004

Cool! I just joined today 11/23/01 and I also think this is a great forum. I am a clinical research nurse for an oncology group. I just started in this field and I'm very excited about it. I was a staff nurse on an oncology unit for a few years prior to this and I am just thrilled to find a career path that I get to really help people with cancer and not get blood or other body fluids on me - or end up needing back surgery! White.

Hey: I am a psych nurse and trying to get into research. I saw a job at an oncology office for a clinical trial nurse (they would train if no experience) and I am soooo mad at myself that I didn't apply. I want to become a CRA that monitors the clinical trial testing sites. Any ideas on how to get my foot in the door? I am an RN and will be finished with my BSN next year. Thanks for any help!!

Sherry Heft

sherryrn · Mar 25, 2004

I'm a clinical trials psychiatry research nurse (also have worked on Federal grants). I've worked in the field for 12 years now (received my RN in 2000). I love it!

I have been an RN for 5 1/2 years, four of which was in psych. I would LOVE to get into clinical trials for pscyotropic meds. How do I get my foot in the door? Research is where I really want to be. Thanks for any info. :) Sherry Heft

albireo · Mar 27, 2004

Hey: I am a psych nurse and trying to get into research. I saw a job at an oncology office for a clinical trial nurse (they would train if no experience) and I am soooo mad at myself that I didn't apply. I want to become a CRA that monitors the clinical trial testing sites. Any ideas on how to get my foot in the door? I am an RN and will be finished with my BSN next year. Thanks for any help!!
Sherry Heft

You certainly don't have to limit your search in the area of oncology. Drug companies do a lot of studies that they need site monitors for and the experience needed varies. Hospitals also employ research nurses to coordinate and enroll patients on clinical trials from many different disciplines. You could also get information from many websites out their with information on training and experience needed to become a CRA. You need to be very detail oriented and enjoy paper work. It is a very demanding and rewarding at the same time.

Listingbadly · May 20, 2004

I am a clinical trials nurse in Australia interested in getting some comments on how trials are run overseas.

My current work is all in epilepsy and I have noted the following:

1. There seems to be a trend here to employing CRAs that have no clue about healthcare (Business grads, science grads with only passing knowledge medicine..etc). Is this the same OS?

2. At a time that trials are becoming more expensive to run we are being offered less & less to conduct trials. The usual reason being that "this is the price being paid in the US or Europe." I had occasion to check the price being offered on an identical trial in Canada and found we were being offered about half the price they were. Does anyone else get this scam?

3. Increasing amounts of compliance paperwork from CROs to the extent that even IRBs are complaining.

4. Increasingly intrusive qualification, initiation and monitoring visits that make no sense. for example I had a CRA that had checked our site for qualification for a study that came back 3 weeks later to check the site again for a different study but checking exactly the same things.

5. Start up payments seem to have dissappeared.

Any comments, observations, answers???

Thanks

Charlott · Aug 5, 2004

I am a clinical research coordinator at a University. I have an ADN with over 25 years experience in everything from critical care to correctional nursing. I love research, and although most of the studies we do are pharmaceutical based, I would really like to investigator initiated studies.

Charlott