It is common nursing teams not to be very much involved in clinical trials selection and set up. Usually there is 1 or 2 nurses who are supporting the set up but often the whole nursing team is not kept up to date with new studies. However, this approach could cause serious issues after the study is set up when the nursing team is supposed to support the study.

Why are nursing teams important in clinical trial selection and set up process?

  • Nurses are primary contact for lots of patients and they have very good overview on potential patient population. They can give realistic figures for recruitment.
  • Experienced research nurses can identify potential issues even at site selection stage.
  • Nurses are in constant contact with different departments and have very important information regarding workload, potential issues, etc.
  • Nurses can provide information on potential referrals from other departments.
  • Nurses are aware of logistic challenges.

Although considering the high workload of nursing teams it is understandable why they do not get involved at initial set p phase, however it will still be very beneficial new studies to be discussed during department meeting or Site Evaluation Visits.

What are the benefits of involving nursing teams in clinical trials set up?

  • Smooth study set up – nurses will be already aware of the study and potential challenges before the start.
  • Better workload management – they will be aware about the required time they have to dedicate to the study and make internal arrangements to assure the clinical trial is covered appropriately.
  • Better recruitment planning – nurses will be aware of recruitment challenges and be able to plan better support for the study.
  • Better logistics – nurses will be able to arrange better logistics once they know what challenges to expect.

Author: Olga Peycheva

Olga is a clinical research professional who has been working in clinical research since 2005. She has extensive experience in clinical research in Eastern and Western Europe. 

Originally published on 19 May 2015