Question to research nurses out there.

anc33 · Sep 5, 2010

Ok, I recently started working on a Progressive Care Unit. I really do not think it is my cup of tea but I just learned about reseach nursing. This sounds like something that would be perfect for me! I was wondering what all you do as a research nurse? How Do I get involved in this career path, do you need previous experience, and how is the pay compared to bedside nursing. Also, do you need any certifications for this type of nursing career? any info you have will be great! Thank you!

I don't mean to sound snide but why do you think this job may be perfect for you if you don't know much about the field? Research is an area that is known to chew up and spit nurses out. This is usually for one of two reasons; the person not being a good fit for the job (confident, independent, extremely detail oriented, etc) or having no orientation or mentor to learn from. When we are looking to hire new staff we prefer people with some kind of research background as that piece is much harder to learn than the clinical piece. Please look into some old threads to get some more details. I would implore you to shadow a coordinator for a few days to get better insight into the field. I have had multiple students tag along on my day and I always ask if the experience matched their expectations. I have never once heard a "yes" come out of their mouths.

ResearchNurseRNCCRC, MSN · Oct 4, 2010

I started out in oncology research in 2000. I work on vaccine trials and disease specific trials now. I love being a coordinator...the common title for a research nurse. I love the mix of clinical and desk work. My first research job was entry level. They do exist, I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time! :)