Clinical Research Nurse

At Houston Methodist, the Clinical Research Nurse II (CRN II) position is responsible for, with minimal supervision, supporting, facilitating and coordinating the daily clinical trial activities and plays a critical role in the conduct of the study. This position is a licensed clinician functioning at the Competent level according to Benner's model of clinical practice. The CRN II position provides direct patient care effectively and efficiently to research patients under the supervision of the Clinical Trials Manager and Principal Investigator. This position implements clinical research patient care via the research protocol. This position serves as a liaison between physicians, patients, staff and sponsors. The CRN II position delivers exceptional patient care and adheres to standards and guidelines established by regulatory agencies and Houston Methodist to ensure optimal patient safety and customer service. This position provides professional nursing care to a diverse patient population, conducts nursing assessments, assists with exams and treatment, patient education, and maintenance of medical records. The CRN II position provides direct patient care effectively and efficiently, which may include patients with varied and complex needs. This position communicates and collaborates with the physicians and interprofessional health care team to facilitate, coordinate and maintain compassionate, efficient, quality care and achievement of desired treatment outcomes. The CRN II position demonstrates clinical competence when providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies, acting as a patient and family advocate in order to monitor and maintain patient rights.

FLSA STATUS
Exempt

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited school of Nursing

EXPERIENCE

• One-year of registered nurse experience in acute care.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure - Texas Board of Nursing_PSV Compact Licensure – Must obtain permanent Texas license within 60 days (if establishing Texas residency) and
• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
• Strong assessment, organizational and problem-solving skills as evidenced by capacity to prioritize multiple tasks and role components
• Ability to function independently and effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
• Demonstrates clinical problem solving and critical thinking using an analytical approach
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
• Adapts to multiple ongoing priorities with minimal supervision including organizing workflow and actively participating in problem-solving
• Exhibits strong interpersonal and team player skills with all levels of the healthcare team and assures delivery of excellent customer service to all patients, visitors, physicians and co-workers
• Uses critical thinking skills and clinical judgment to work autonomously as defined by the Nurse Practice Act
• Demonstrates proficient time management skills
• Maintains level of professional contributions as defined in Clinical Career Path program guide
• Possesses basic computer knowledge; operates multiple computer systems to include, Hospital Information Systems and Office software to maintain patient and exam documents
• Works with the QA department, sponsor, and institution to support and provide guidance on the administration of the GCP compliance, financial and other related aspects of the research study

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Provides patient education regarding disease process and involves patient and family in decision-making processes. Consistently evaluates the patient’s comprehension and adapts teaching methods accordingly. Uses therapeutic communication, which includes active listening and teaching, to provide research interventions care to clinical research patients and coordinates with interprofessional team as written in the research protocol.
• Contributes to teamwork by consistently responding positively to requests for assistance and by awareness of assigned research studies. Seeks guidance from and offers guidance to interprofessional health care team, when appropriate, and applies feedback to improve patient outcomes.
• Facilitates onboarding and orientation process for new staff in conjunction with Clinical Trials Manager. Precepts new clinical research staff in clinical setting. Implements staff education specifically to research studies and department processes. Uses peer-to-peer accountability towards improvement for employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Follows the patient and family-centered care standards, as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. Conducts nursing assessments, assists with exams and treatment, and maintenance of medical records. Advocates on patient/family’s behalf to identify and resolve clinical and ethical concerns, utilizing appropriate resources.
• Coordinates pre-site and site initiation visits; trains hospital and clinic nurses/physicians on scientific aspects and protocol requirements of research studies. Attends off-site investigator meetings.
• Demonstrates ability to manage multiple projects at different stages of the clinical research process (Phase 1-Phase). Helps drive improvement of department score for patient satisfaction, through peer-to-peer accountability to service standards.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Develops, coordinates, implements and evaluates activities associated with all phases of clinical research projects. Monitors safety of all research subjects and reports adverse events. Follows the clinical research protocol and nursing process and modifies care based on continuous evaluation of the research patient’s condition. Performs nursing functions independently and in collaboration with Principal Investigator as approved by Hospital administration for the conduct of clinical research.
• Collects, processes and ships protocol-required lab specimens; maintains supply and equipment inventory; maintains appropriate laboratory certification as well as perform study closeout procedures including post-study documentation, return of study materials to the sponsor and data archiving.
• Collaborates and prepares with Principal Investigator, Institutional Review Board (IRB) and regulatory documents for submission, assuring compliance with local and federal regulatory standards as appropriate and required by the research protocol. Follows International Council for Harmonization/Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines.
• Follows the standards related to regulatory/GCP requirements and professional practice as outlined in the Houston Methodist Professional Nursing Practice document. Identifies areas of practice improvements with research-based evidence to achieve Good Clinical Practice, supported by accurate documentation.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assists financial analyst/CTM in development of calendar and Medicare Cost Analysis, standard of care procedures vs. research and approving study calendars for Clinical Trials Management System.
• Identifies, recruits, and consents clinical research subjects for participation in approved clinical trials; monitors enrollment goals and modifies enrollment strategies, as necessary. Enters study-related data into Clinical Trials Management System (CTMS) in accordance with Houston Methodist Research Institute policy.
• Displays self-motivation to independently manage time effectively, timely document care and prioritize daily tasks. Provides input into the department resource utilization including unit capital and operational budget needs.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies and presents areas for innovation, efficiency, and improvement in patient care operations using evidence-based practice literature. Offers innovative solutions through evidence-based practice/performance improvement projects and activities.
• Maintains accountability for ongoing professional growth and development. Participates in unit activities. Completes and updates the Individual Development Plan (IDP) on an ongoing basis.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform: No
• Scrubs: Yes
• Business professional: Yes
• Other (department approved): Yes

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited school of Nursing

EXPERIENCE

• One-year of registered nurse experience in acute care.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure - Texas Board of Nursing_PSV Compact Licensure – Must obtain permanent Texas license within 60 days (if establishing Texas residency) and
• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association