How do I obtain a career in nursing research?

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I am a nursing student and I want to know how I can get into :nurse: nursing research. Can someone help me out? I know this is a bit ambitious but neurology research is defiantly calling my name out:D!!

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I'm still a student myself, but I think there are a few places to start. Get your BSN (if you're starting with an ADN); get on a professor's good side and work with them to get something published; and get a job in neurology, preferably at a major hospital with a significant research emphasis. Clinical experience is important for a research position too. Start networking with anyone and everyone you can meet ... I've heard that something like 90% of jobs are never advertised, they're filled by a friend-of-a-friend who heard about the job through the grapevine. Good luck!

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Specializes in ICU (med/surgical/transplant/neuro/ent).

Hey! I'm actually a second-degree nurse. My first degree was in psychology and I worked 3 years as a research assistant working with brain-stuff (mice, but brains none-the-less). My interest is in neurology/neuroscience and ideally would love to get back into research as a clinical research coordinator. Unfortunately, I've only been a nurse 9 months and currently have found no research nursing jobs. However, I do have some prospects in the far future to get my foot back in the door of research. I so ready to leave the bedside! I think ideally someone that would hire you for nursing research will want you to have some bedside experience, but that is not always the case. Academic research centers seem to be more willing to train new clinical research coordinator than private sector companies. All I can say is good luck and hope to see you in the research world soon! Check out the research nursing forum for some more good info about research nursing!

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Specializes in Family medicine, Cardiology, Spinal Cord Injury.

I'm currently a clinical research nurse at a firm that does Phase 1-4 clinical trials. So far all my experience has been in Phase 1. It is a different kind of research though. I got the job after months of looking and it turns out that one of the parents of one of my sunday school kids is the CEO of the company. Pretty much, it's who you know.

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I think that as a student I will volunteer somewhere doing some kind of research at a facility. I'm also thinking that when I go to conferences I'll talk to some of the people who gave presentations and ask them for advice. Anyone else have any ideas?

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