title: Clinical research nursing: a critical resource in the national research enterprise.
abstract: Translational clinical research has emerged as an important priority for the national research enterprise, with a clearly stated mandate to more quickly deliver prevention strategies, treatments and cures based on scientific innovations to the public. Within this national effort, a lack of consensus persists concerning the need for clinical nurses with expertise and specialized training in study implementation and the delivery of care to research participants. This paper reviews efforts to define and document the role of practicing nurses in implementing studies and coordinating clinical research in a variety of clinical settings, and differentiates this clinical role from the role of nurses as scientists and principal investigators. We propose an agenda for building evidence that having nurses provide and coordinate study treatments and procedures can potentially improve research efficiency, participant safety, and the quality of research data. We also provide recommendations for the development of the emerging specialty of clinical research nursing.
authors.affiliation: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. chastings@cc.nih.gov
authors.forename: Clare E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hastings
authors.forename: Cheryl A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: McCabe
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brassil
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Offenhartz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Browning
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: DeCandia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duer-Hefele
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McClary
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mullen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ottosen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Britt
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Turbini
mesh_terms: D015400:Clinical Nursing Research / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005380:Financing, Government; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D024802:Nurse's Role; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D013041:Specialties, Nursing; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States