nurse as a principal investigator?

[2lroberts]

hello!

i'm looking to get some info about the role of nurses in research.

is it possible for a nurse with an advanced degree to be a principal investigator?

also, are there any NPs out there who split their time between participating in research and seeing patients? if so, how exactly do you divide your time and is it difficult to find a job where this is acceptable? what specialization would be most beneficial for someone who wanted to do this? (clinical research nurse vs. NP etc)

thanks for the help!

[llg, PhD, RN]

It's certainly "allowable" for a nurse to be a PI. However, the problem is that most employers don't hire nurses for the purpose of conducting their own research. When an employer hires a nurse, the purpose is generally to see patients and/or teach. There aren't many jobs out there that include a focus on developing your own research program.

Here are a few possibilities I can think of to move in that direction. These are just a few ideas off the top of my head (as someone with a PhD who works in a hospital.)

1. Look for a job with an academic component -- teaching for a university. Those jobs often include a research component.

2. Work in an academic medical center where other nurses are involved in research projects and/or work with faculty from local schools on nursing research. You'll want a climate that already includes nursing research to get the support and cultural acceptance.

3. Look for a job where the physicians are doing research that appeals to you. By helping them with their research (which they will be grateful for), you may be able to "spin off your own project" on a related topic that will get their support.

4. Start small. If what you want to do is a new and different role than what other people have been doing where you work, don't bite off more than you can chew on your own. As you have a couple of small successes, you can build on that towards bigger projects.

5. Try to tie in your work (or desired projects) to existing nursing initiatives -- such as the pursuit of Magnet status -- to help draw support from your colleagues.

6. Be prepared to do some of the work on your own time at first.

Anybody else want to add suggestions?

[anc33]

What type of research did you have in mind? Drug, clinical practice, etc? It really depends on the type of research involved.

[2lroberts]

llg, thanks for the quick and thorough response! sounds like the type of research and my degree of involvement will vary depending on where i choose to work. it's nice to know the option is there!

anc33, i’m not sure what kind of research i'd like to do yet. my background is in molecular neuroscience but i think i would find something that is more directly beneficial to people more exciting. being involved in both drug development and clinical trials interest me. what are you opinions/advice regarding these? thanks!

[anc33]

I can say as far as drug trials go I have never seen a NP as PI. I have seen them frequently as Sub-I. There is even a research certification for non-MD investigators, CCTI. Being a Sub I, you could be less or even more involved than the PI on a trial. Often our Sub Is are the ones that see the patients, update the AEs, write the progress notes, order the chemo, etc. The PI is basically just the one who is responsible for the trial. Sometimes we just hunt them down for signatures and they often have little to do with the day to day operations of a trial.

[2lroberts]

that's great to know. i'm not so much concerned about the title of my position, more just my level of involvement so being a sub-I might acutally be better! thanks for the info!

[ResearchNurseRNCCRC, MSN]

This is part of my career plan; NP and acting as a sub-I.