Clinical Research Nurse | Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Are you an experienced research nurse who's keen to transition into working in a mental health & community setting? Or are you an experienced mental health researcher who would thrive using your clinical expertise in a research delivery setting? We are seeking a Clinical Research Nurse to lead on the delivery of our complex and commercial clinical trials, delivering new clinical interventions to service users in mental health, dementia, neurology and physical health/community research.

The role will be based jointly between Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (based at Regis Road, Kentish Town), and West London NHS Trust (based at St Bernard's Hospital, Ealing). The role will require regular travel throughout the week to community services and home visits across North West London as a part of delivering research.

This role will be based in the Research Delivery Team, working across both Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust and West London NHS Trust, to ensure people with mental health, dementia, learning disabilities, neurodegenerative and neurology problems, and those receiving community care have access to research opportunities. The appointed candidate will be expected to undertake patient-facing duties as part of this role.

The postholder will provide support and supervision to the Clinical Research Assistants and Research Delivery Interns, as well as working closely with the Clinical Research Practitioners/Nurses, and Research Delivery Managers, carrying out a range of duties to ensure we effectively deliver research, including complex and commercial clinical trials, across the organisations.

The day-to-day of the role will involve coordinating our complex and commercial clinical trials, working closely with PIs, trial teams, clinical teams and wider delivery team to identify eligible participants. The postholder will be responsible for completing screening/baseline visits to clinical research trials, including completing psychometric measures and collecting biological samples, as well as supporting with intervention delivery such as dispensing trial medications or other clinical interventions where trained.

The Research Delivery Service is a diverse, social and outgoing team. As part of your role, you'll have the opportunity to try out new ideas in response to challenges that arise, with the support of your manager and wider team. We believe in succeeding together, not despite one another.

The role will also bring opportunities to develop your research and clinical knowledge into a career in research. For example, previous research interns have now gone on to become research assistants, data managers and research facilitators. We also work with other Research Delivery Services in London under Noclor which provides opportunities for shared learning and creative thinking.

In addition, we are an outgoing and social team who encourage, motivate and support one another. The Research Delivery Service works with a diverse population in North West London and it is important to us that we reflect this. Our diverse team and leadership team are examples of how we embrace, celebrate and learn from each other's cultures which helps to shape our clinical practices when interacting with our clients. Furthermore, it is key that team members uphold our values and work together for our clients with respect, dignity and compassion.

This job description provides an outline of some of the duties the post holder will be required to perform, however these duties may be changed or expanded in line with the needs of the Research & Development Office.

• Patient recruitment and retention in studies
• To attend multidisciplinary team meetings regularly to aid identification of appropriate Trusts for recruitment of participants to the portfolio of NIHR research with a focus on complex and commercial trials.
• To recruit participants to NIHR adopted studies according to specific protocols and guidelines, and assist clinicians to obtain informed consent from those participants.
• To provide verbal and written information and support to research participants and their carers for the duration of their involvement in the research project and to assist participants with the completion of questionnaires as necessary.
• To co-ordinate treatment, assessment and follow-up as necessary in accordance with research protocol, taking the lead on complex interventional research studies.
• To deliver clinical interventions such as IMP dispensing, collecting biological samples and other clinical duties as required for the delivery of trials.
• To provide support and supervision to junior research staff.
• To identify areas of low patient recruitment and liaise with the Research Delivery Manager and to identify mechanisms for improving.
• To work at all times according to Good Clinical Practice, Research Governance and Trust guidelines, including supporting monitoring and auditing visits.
• To establish local SOPs, maintain site files, trial master logs and other relevant documentation in relation to the delivery of clinical trials.
• To ensure that any data collection is conducted according to specific research protocols and adheres to the Data Protection Act 1998 and according to ICH Good Clinical Practice guidelines.
• To facilitate the recording of patient recruitment on RRDN Data Entry System.
• To provide information/report on recruitment when requested by the Research Delivery Manager to provide support to research teams for assessments and follow-up of study participants.
• With appropriate training, take clinical samples for studies; coordinate tissue sample collection and dispatch to relevant departments or research centres.
• To provide support to research teams for assessments and follow-up of study participants.

Communication:

• To attend, contribute and lead in project management group meetings for specific research projects.
• To liaise with other Clinical Research Delivery staff to ensure the needs of the service are met.
• To provide information and education on research projects adopted by NIHR to interested parties such as clinicians, service users and carers.
• To disseminate information about Noclor, the NIHR research portfolio and other relevant information to a range of audiences in a variety of formats.
• To maintain a working knowledge of relevant practice and to disseminate up to date information, protocol amendments etc. to personnel working on research projects.
• To liaise with academic staff, the wider Trust personnel, and external contacts as required for delivering clinical research.
• To maintain position of integrity, appreciating the need for confidentiality when dealing with staff and issues pertaining to this position.
• To offer advice and support to research active staff, patients and carers as appropriate.

Training:

• To keep up to date with relevant training and develop skills and knowledge to be able to complete your delegated duties.
• To participate positively in regular supervision and appraisals.
• Comply with the Trust’s infection control policies and procedures and undertake the necessary training in Infection Prevention and Control as identified by the Trust.

Policy:

• To undertake all duties in accordance with the policies, procedures and practices of the Trust and the RRDN/NIHR. It is the postholder’s responsibility to ensure they keep up to date with these policies and other policy documents.
• To support the Trust Research Governance Lead to ensure and monitor adherence to current National and Trust research governance policy of NIHR adopted studies running within the trust.

Management of Resources:

• To assist and support the Research Delivery Service in the establishment of an efficient working environment, making the most effective and efficient use of staff, supplies and services.
• To utilise all available resources to the maximum benefit of the service, being aware of resource implications specific to the service.

Research and Development:

• To assist with the creation and delivery of relevant training packages.
• To contribute to the development of the research capacity of service user and carer interests and organisations.
• To support the development of clinical service mapping and provision of high-quality information to the service.
• To work with R&D staff, Trust and academic partners to coordinate existing information into a comprehensive overview of the services and service user support services across the North West London region.
• To develop, catalogue and maintain the appropriate filing systems and other office management systems to record that information.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme.

About Disability Confident: Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.