Research Nursing
Clinical Research Nurses at the Rockefeller University Hospital have played an essential role in the implementation of clinical research since the founding of the institution in the early part of the 20th century. As one of the first hospitals in the country devoted exclusively to the conduct of medical research with human subjects, the Rockefeller University Hospital brings a rich tradition of clinical research nursing to bear as new paradigms for "bench to bedside" research emerge in the 21st century. Today, the Rockefeller University Hospital provides a dynamic and cutting edge environment where clinical research nursing continues to grow and expand, with Rockefeller University nurses leading the way at the national level.
A rigorous orientation and educational program serves to train experienced registered nurses for the highly specialized practice of clinical research nursing. The evaluation of clinical protocols for safety and feasibility, the development of clinical research pathways for implementation, and the protection of human subjects are among the many and diverse roles of the clinical research nurse at RUH. The clinical research nurse is an essential member of the clinical research team, providing leadership in the area of research subject advocacy. Provision of the highest standard of patient-centered care is not only at the core of our practice, but drives innovation in the field of clinical research nursing. Rockefeller University Hospital nursing has a long history of contribution of new techniques for specimen collection, the development of specialized equipment and procedures for clinical research, and enhancements in the care of patients enrolled in research studies.
Recognizing the importance of enhancing and more clearly defining the role of the clinical research nurse in clinical translational science as the field catapults into the 21st century, Rockefeller University Hospital nurses are providing leadership at the national level for the recognition of clinical research nursing as a specialty area and the development of a nationally recognized professional certification. The goals of such an endeavor include the assurance that all patients and volunteers in clinical research will be cared for by a nurse specially trained in the protection of human subjects, with knowledge of the safest and most effective methods of research specimen and data collection, and who will maintain the highest level of patient safety.
