Questioning My Boss's Practices

[psych.nurse]

I recently took a job with a private research company, where I am in charge of running a few clinical trials testing psychotropic medications. My background is in psychiatric nursing, and I was recruited because of my psych experience.

I am having an issue with the ways in which my boss is pressuring me to recruit study participants. She is always standing over me, asking me to call people again (even if I just called), asking me to double-book, and be more aggressive with getting people into the studies. She has just started pushing me to call around to shelters to try to recruit people that way (for one particular study, there may be a good number of people who would meet the study qualifications). I feel a little uncomfortable with this. Many of the potential participants I talk to are very vulnerable (i.e. depressed, anxious, unemployed, traumatized), and as much as I want to find participants, I feel very strongly that it's important to be sensitive to the needs of patients with mental illness, and that they should be comfortable with what they're doing. I can tell that this makes her impatient. She recently pressured me to recruit someone at a time that I thought was inappropriate

for the patient (who was at the office for another reason).

I have been leaving work feeling angry, resentful, and distressed. How can I deal with this? Am I in the wrong workplace? I like what I do; I just don't like some of the practices that I'm being asked to use.

I'd appreciate any feedback.

[ResearchNurseRNCCRC, MSN]

It sounds like you should walk, not run, away from this position. Your boss is likely being pressured to meet recruitment numbers and drawing you into it. You should feel good about what you do. If you are giving your all, and it's not enough, it's time to consider a different research job. There is a right and wrong way to do psych trials. This doesn't sound right. Mentally ill people have rights, too.