Beyond clinical trials: Extending the role of the clinical research nurse into social care and homeless research.

caring-recruiting dichotomy clinical research nurse hard to reach homelessness social care research study recruitment workforce development

Journal

Journal of clinical nursing
ISSN: 1365-2702
Titre abrégé: J Clin Nurs
Pays: England
ID NLM: 9207302

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
24 Jun 2021
Historique:
revised: 14 04 2021
received: 28 09 2020
accepted: 10 05 2021
entrez: 25 6 2021
pubmed: 26 6 2021
medline: 26 6 2021
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

Clinical research nurses work at the fulcrum of clinical trials with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. In England, the National Institute for Health Research (the main funder of health research) has broadened its scope to encompass social care research. The expectation is that clinical research nurses will expand their skill set to support these new studies, many of which will employ qualitative and mixed methods. This discussion paper explores the challenges of facilitating this clinical academic workforce development through a case study of a homeless health and social care research project. This was one of the first studies to engage clinical research nurses in this new and expanded role. Much of what is known about the research nurse workforce has been generated through studies of clinical trials in oncology. The 'caring-recruiting' dichotomy has been used as a heuristic device for identifying workforce issues that can impact on study delivery such as how intense pressure to recruit study participants leads to low job satisfaction. This case study reflects on the authors' experiences of employing a clinical research nurse in a social care research project concerned with the discharge of homeless people from hospital. The 'caring-recruiting' dichotomy is used to generate new information about the relationship between workforce development and the successful delivery of social care research. The case study illuminates how social care research can generate different pressures and ethical challenges for research nurses. The time and skill it took to recruit study participants identified as 'hard to reach' was suggestive of the need to move beyond performance measures that prioritise recruitment metrics. The need for different types of staff supervision and training was also warranted as supporting study participants who were homeless was often distressing, leading to professional boundary issues. This study highlights that performance management, training and supervisory arrangements must be tailored to the characteristics of each new study coming onto the portfolio to ensure research nurses are fully supported in this new and expanded role.

Sections du résumé

AIM OBJECTIVE
Clinical research nurses work at the fulcrum of clinical trials with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. In England, the National Institute for Health Research (the main funder of health research) has broadened its scope to encompass social care research. The expectation is that clinical research nurses will expand their skill set to support these new studies, many of which will employ qualitative and mixed methods. This discussion paper explores the challenges of facilitating this clinical academic workforce development through a case study of a homeless health and social care research project. This was one of the first studies to engage clinical research nurses in this new and expanded role.
BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Much of what is known about the research nurse workforce has been generated through studies of clinical trials in oncology. The 'caring-recruiting' dichotomy has been used as a heuristic device for identifying workforce issues that can impact on study delivery such as how intense pressure to recruit study participants leads to low job satisfaction.
DESIGN METHODS
This case study reflects on the authors' experiences of employing a clinical research nurse in a social care research project concerned with the discharge of homeless people from hospital. The 'caring-recruiting' dichotomy is used to generate new information about the relationship between workforce development and the successful delivery of social care research.
CONCLUSION CONCLUSIONS
The case study illuminates how social care research can generate different pressures and ethical challenges for research nurses. The time and skill it took to recruit study participants identified as 'hard to reach' was suggestive of the need to move beyond performance measures that prioritise recruitment metrics. The need for different types of staff supervision and training was also warranted as supporting study participants who were homeless was often distressing, leading to professional boundary issues.
RELEVANCE TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT UNASSIGNED
This study highlights that performance management, training and supervisory arrangements must be tailored to the characteristics of each new study coming onto the portfolio to ensure research nurses are fully supported in this new and expanded role.

Identifiants

pubmed: 34169596
doi: 10.1111/jocn.15911
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Subventions

Organisme : Health Services and Delivery Research Programme
ID : 13/156/10

Informations de copyright

© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Références

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Auteurs

Elizabeth Biswell R (E)

Health and Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK.

Michael Clark (M)

Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

Michela Tinelli (M)

Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

Gillian Manthorpe (G)

Health and Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK.

Joanne Neale (J)

National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.

Martin Whiteford (M)

Department of Nursing & Community Health, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK.

Michelle Cornes (M)

Health and Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King's College London, London, UK.

Classifications MeSH