Clinical Research Nursing Conference– Understanding the role that nurses play in Clinical Research and Empowering them to become leaders in the field

We here at SOCRA are very excited for the relaunch of the Clinical Research Nursing Conference which will be offered virtually this November. The course faculty includes very experienced clinical research nursing professionals who will be bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the conference attendees. Take a look below for our Course Chair’s personal perspectives on Clinical Research Nursing – how she became a nurse, then clinical research professional and why she’s not only excited for this course, but also where the field is headed. As you’ll see below – this is an exciting time. This conference presents the opportunity to highlight the role that nurses play in Clinical Research, to celebrate this role, and to empower them to become leaders in the field.

Jennifer Goldfarb, MSN, RN, CCRP

I became a nurse in 1994 and immediately started working as a floor nurse in a large pediatric hospital, a pretty typical entry in nursing practice. After several years of working in a few inpatient and outpatient clinical settings I saw an opening for a Clinical Research Nurse position. I honestly had no idea what that was at the time but it piqued my curiosity and I pursued it. I remember the early days, working with a new investigator, and “winging” it. It was challenging, and sometimes felt downright uncomfortable, as I didn’t have the knowledge or understanding of the boundaries of my role. It wasn’t just the regulations that perplexed me, but the very nature of my role day-to-day in support of the clinical research process. My nursing program certainly had not prepared me for this role and I felt that there were very few options to obtain additional knowledge at the time.

I was fortunate to find SOCRA and have been actively involved since 2001, attending and speaking at various educational conferences. I was elected to the SOCRA Board of Directors in 2016 and am a frequent speaker and session moderator at the Annual Conference. As my career in clinical research developed over the past two decades I served in multiple leadership roles in academic settings and the sponsor side of operations. I have frequently witnessed colleagues struggle with their transition to and ongoing development in the practice of clinical research nursing.

Despite a significant growth in the number of available educational conferences, and even degree programs for clinical research, clinical research nurses are still searching for a targeted educational program. One that can help define their role and empower them to most effectively advocate for their patients, while serving as a leader and facilitator in the clinical research process. Clinical Research Nurses are truly positioned to promote the safe and ethical conduct of research. These beliefs, along with the release of the ANA/IACRN Scope and Standards of Practice guidelines in 2016, led me to create a specialty conference for clinical research nurses.

The goal of this program is to provide valuable information to any professional who is interested in learning about the role of the clinical research nurse, leveraging the ANA/IACRN Scope and Standards of Practice as a foundation for this practice. This conference allows clinical research nurses, and those aspiring to be a clinical research nurse, the ability to gain a deeper understanding of this role, share knowledge, network, and be empowered to serve as needed leaders in clinical research.

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SOCRA’s Clinical Research Nursing conference will be held virtually November 9 to 11, 2022. Click here for more information.