Clinical research nursing: a critical resource in the national research enterprise.

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.

Nurses in clinical trials: perceptions of impact on the research enterprise.

Background: Clinical Research Nurses practice across a wide spectrum of roles and settings within the global research enterprise. Clinical Research Nurses working with clinical trials face a dual fidelity in their role, balancing integrity of the protocol and quality care for participants. Aims: The purpose of this study was to describe Clinical Research Nurses' experiences in clinical trials, educational preparation, and career pathways, to gain a deeper understanding of clinical research nursing contributions to the clinical research enterprise. Methods: An internet-based survey was conducted to collect demographic data and free text responses to four open-ended queries related to the experience of nurses working in clinical trials research, educational preparation, and role pathways. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze free text responses. The study was guided by the Clinical Research Nursing Domain of Practice and Duffy's Quality Caring Model of relationship centered professional encounters. Results: Forty clinical research nurses responded to the open-ended questions with themes related to dual fidelity to study participants and protocols, relationships and nursing care, interdisciplinary team membership and contributing to science, emerging from the data. Gaps in educational preparation and professional pathways were identified. Conclusion: This study provides insights to unique clinical research nurse practice contributions in the clinical trial research enterprise within a context of Duffy's Quality Caring Model.

A thematic analysis of theoretical models for translational science in nursing: mapping the field.

The quantity and diversity of conceptual models in translational science may complicate rather than advance the use of theory. This paper offers a comparative thematic analysis of the models available to inform knowledge development, transfer, and utilization. Literature searches identified 47 models for knowledge translation. Four thematic areas emerged: (1) evidence-based practice and knowledge transformation processes, (2) strategic change to promote adoption of new knowledge, (3) knowledge exchange and synthesis for application and inquiry, and (4) designing and interpreting dissemination research. This analysis distinguishes the contributions made by leaders and researchers at each phase in the process of discovery, development, and service delivery. It also informs the selection of models to guide activities in knowledge translation. A flexible theoretical stance is essential to simultaneously develop new knowledge and accelerate the translation of that knowledge into practice behaviors and programs of care that support optimal patient outcomes.

Improving Efficiency Using a Hybrid Approach: Revising an Intravenous/Blood Workshop in a Clinical Research Environment.

Orienting to a new job can be overwhelming, especially if the nurse is required to develop or refine new skills, such as intravenous (IV) therapy or blood administration. At the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Nursing Department, a group of nurse educators redesigned their IV/Blood Workshop to prepare nurses with skills needed when caring for patients on protocol in a research intensive environment. Innovative teaching strategies and a hybrid instructional approach were used along with a preworkshop activity, skills lab practice, and follow-up skill validation at the unit level to provide a comprehensive curriculum while decreasing resource utilization.