The nursing service of the Clinical Research Center at BIDMC is composed of registered nurses, medical assistants for research, and a certified sleep technician. CRC nurses implement the research study protocol, manage nursing care, and coordinate services throughout the research participant’s stay. Nurses are supported in their work by medical assistants for research and sleep technicians. The nursing service of the CRC offers expertise in a wide variety of clinical disciplines. Special skills include:
- Expertise in the care of research volunteers spanning the wellness continuum from healthy volunteers to those with serious acute and chronic illness.
- Ability to conduct complex overnight and outpatient studies within a broad range of medical specialties in a variety of settings.
- Accurate data collection including precise collection of timed specimens.
- Extensive experience with Phase I trials.
- 24/7 availability to accommodate inpatient or outpatient activity, either on the unit or elsewhere in the medical center.
CRC Nurse Liaison Role
The CRC nursing staff is actively involved in research protocols from the beginning of each study. This is assured through the role of CRC Nurse Liaison, who is responsible for working with the investigator team to coordinate the implementation of each study. The CRC Nurse Liaison translates the investigator's proposal into a practical research protocol that is able to be conducted by any CRC staff member. Specific nursing responsibilities regarding protocols and testing procedures are delineated through the development of a nursing protocol for each study. This protocol includes a review of the purpose of the study, nursing preparation and responsibilities for testing, data collections, flow sheets, and any specific guidelines for research participant safety.
Together the nurse and investigator review this plan to ensure consistent and effective management of the research study visit and accurate data collection. Nursing staff work collaboratively with investigators to develop study flow sheets, sample-processing instructions, and any nursing specific educational materials. The Nurse Liaison works collaboratively with other CRC groups and ancillary hospital services to ensure that all data points are collected per protocol. Prior to the start of a study the investigator team provides an in-service which is shared with all staff to ensure appropriate training for the study, promoting close adherence to the protocol plan.