Job Abstract

o you have a passion for the highest quality and patient happiness? Then please respond to this dynamic opportunity available with one of the best places to work in Southern California! We would be happy to hear from you.

The CTRC supports innovative, patient-oriented research, offers clinical research training and recognition programs and provides researchers an environment for seeing patients when they take part in clinical research studies. The CTRC at Cedars-Sinai was established in 1994 by the National Institutes of Health and funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. To learn more, please visit Clinical & Translational Research Center (CTRC) | Cedars-Sinai.

The CTRC Research Nurse I provides hands-on treatment, monitoring and follow-up clinical analysis of patients participating in clinical trials. Ensures adherence to federal and regulatory requirements in providing direct patient nursing care within the context of supporting clinical trial study implementation. Works collaboratively with the Prinical Investigator, physicians and other research staff in providing hands-on care in triaging, documenting vitals, administering investigational drugs or interventions, and providing clinical educational services to participants and their families. May assist with coordinating aspects of research, including interactions with research staff and study participants, data compilation, and patient recruitment/logistics.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides direct patient nursing care to research participants. Interacts with research participants to provide nursing care, administration of research interventions and specimen collection.
• Provides clinical education services to research participants and family regarding study participation, participant's current clinical condition, and or disease process.
• Monitors research participant and reports potential adverse events to a member of the research team.
• Records research data (vital signs, research compound administered, participant responses) in approved source document (medical record, data collection sheet).
• Triages patient by phone and provides clinical information to the patient. May also coordinate patient visit to follow up on clinical issues and provide necessary care.
• Assists with recruitment and logistics of study participants.
• Completes and documents study participant enrollment, assessment/reassessment, education, and follow-up activities.
• Performs and coordinates study participant interventions as required.
• Serves as a liaison between study participant and PI or other research staff.
• Prepares data spreadsheets for Investigator and/or department.
• Completes Case Report Forms.
• Assists with data compilation and documentation
• May assist with the training staff.
• May process, ship, track or otherwise handle research specimens.

Department Specific Responsibilities:

• Trained in Human Subjects Protections and oversee research subject compliance requirements per research protocols and according to Cedars-Sinai Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements.
• Provides clinical research nursing support and patient care in an outpatient or inpatient setting per research protocol requirements performing vitals, clinical assessments, EKG, infusions, sample collection, etc.
• Acts as a liaison with Principal Investigators, pharmaceutical company representatives or other project funding organizations to monitor and update project progress.
• Acts as a liaison with patients’ families and physicians, other project participants, and other research personnel.
• Coordinates and participates in patient screening, recruitment and scheduling, initiating research patient records, administration of questionnaires, maintaining database Excel spreadsheets, completion of CRF's performing data edits with PI’s, research staff, pharmaceutical company monitors, etc.
• Demonstrate clinical competence and technical skills necessary to function in the research environment, as such lab skills, blood sample processing, and tissue collection.
• Demonstrate adequate IV and phlebotomy skills. May provide mobile nurse visits for research purposes to other sites on Cedars-Sinai campus, or surrounding area
• Assists with clinical procedures, providing related patient care when required during data collection process.
• Coordinates and performs daily “interventional” work scheduled for the outpatient facility (CTRC).
• Provides nursing care and supervision required by any research subject on inpatient service.
• Coordinates sample recovery from surgical, surgical pathology, from other clinics, from in-house patients and from outside hospitals and clinics.
• Collects patient data for PI and other research personnel by taking blood or tissue samples such as phlebotomy, pathological tissues, etc.
• Process samples including spinning, triaging, etc, or other technical or interactive procedures. May collate data, assist in data analysis or otherwise participate in organizing and determining project findings.
• Provides back-up for the CTRC Research Nurses in the outpatient duties.
• Shares evening and weekend on-call responsibilities with the staff of the CTRC.
• Shares responsibilities of transporting samples, both in-house and offsite.
• Establishes system for monitoring and maintenance of patient data records.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or required.
• Prepares and updates investigation binder and completes CRFs (Case Report Forms).
• May need to work on weekends or after hours, as needed.

Education:

• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN)/College Diploma Nursing, required. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), preferred.

License/Certification/Registration Requirements:

• Valid California RN license and current BLS certification, required.
• CCRC/CCRP, preferred.

Experience and Skills:

• One (1) year minimum of nursing experience required, additional previous research nursing experience is preferred.
• Ability to convey and/or receive written/verbal information to/from various audiences in different formats.
• Ability to use discretion and maintain privacy, confidentiality or anonymity.
• Ability to interpret and apply knowledge of State, Federal and Agency standards and regulations.
• Demonstrated commitment to quality service & care, teamwork, and CSMC goals.
• Thorough knowledge of nursing techniques in area of research specialization.
• Ability to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide patient care based on physical/social, education, safety, and related criteria appropriate to the age of the patients served in the CTRC.
• Strong interpersonal skills to work effectively with patients, their physicians and/or families; pharmaceutical company representatives, and other project personnel.
• Must demonstrate excellent communication skills, written and verbal, and have the ability to be consistently accurate, timely and with legibility.
• Strong organizational skills to execute all aspects of clinical research, including maintaining patient files, creating database spreadsheets, case report forms, to be performed in an accurate and timely manner.
• Proficient in the establishment and maintenance of intravenous access.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high volume environment with frequent interruptions and multiple demands.