2011 - NIH Clinical Center - National Institutes of Health

THE ROAD AHEAD FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH NURSINGClinical research nurses from more than 20 statesand four countries discussed the “Road Ahead”during the Second Annual InternationalAssociation of Clinical Research Nurses (IACRN)Conference co-hosted by Clinical Center Nursingand Patient Care in November 2010.Dr. Christine Grady, acting chief of the CCBioethics Department, delivered the conference’skeynote,“Clinical Research Nursing: EthicalFoundations and Challenges on the Road Ahead.”Grady described some of the central ethical tensionsexperienced by nurses in a clinical researchsetting and encouraged nurses to be active, vocalmembers of the research team.“Each of the diverse nursing roles has its ownabsolute critical function in the conduct of clinicalresearch, and all of us are committed to qualityresearch practices, high ethical standards, regulatorycompliance, and human subjects protection,” shesaid.“In order to accomplish those goals, we needto be familiar with the ethical challenges that weface—the principles, regulations, and other guidancefor the ethical conduct of clinical research.”According to Grady, clinical research nurses orresearch nurse coordinators often find themselvesin a position where they are advocates for threecompeting components of research: the individualas patient, the individual as study participant, andthe research.“All of us, I think, can recognize times when thereis a tension between a data point that needs to betaken care of and a patient who might be upset orasleep,” she said.“We wake them up, we calm themdown, but the tension that we feel in that process isreal.There are struggles between what we believeis important for the comfort and interest of thepatient, and the need to collect and reportaccurate data.”DEFINING CLINICAL RESEARCHNURSINGDiscover a better nursing career for a better world.So said a video played at the beginning of theClinical Research Nursing 2010: Nursing Practiceat America’s Research Hospital pre-conferenceNovember 17, 2010.Clinical Center Nursing and Patient Care Serviceshosted the event, which was held the day beforethe International Association of Clinical ResearchNurses conference.The pre-conference reviewedthe department’s four-year initiative to define thespecialty.“Clinical research nursing encompassesthe care that is required because of the conditionthe patient has and any work that is necessary forthe clinical research study,” said Dr. Clare Hastings,chief nurse officer.“If the person has diabetes, aclinical research nurse takes care of the diabetes.There is also serial sampling, blood draws, andother procedures that are part of the protocol.”The CRN2010 initiative was launched in 2007following a review that encouraged nursing toshare the specialized nature of its practice.A team of nurses worked to define the domain ofpractice through interviews, review ofCC Chief Nursing OfficerDr. Clare Hastings (left)accepted the IACRNDistinguished ClinicalResearch Nurse Awardfrom the association’s pastpresidentMargaret McCabe(center) and current presidentNicole Mullen (right).Acting chief of the CCBioethics DepartmentDr. Christine Grady deliveredthe IACRN conference keynoteon ethical foundations andchallenges of clinical researchnursing.ANNUAL REPORT 2011• 17