¶ … Nursing Research Benefits Our Nursing Practice One of the most critical strategic challenges currently facing hospitals now and for the foreseeable future is the national nursing shortage. (Corning, 2002). The current nursing shortage is causing great concern and is expected to peak between the years 2010, and 2015 (Woods, & Cardin, 2002). According to Woods and Cardin 2002, "Unlike prior shortages, this one is not cyclical in nature and the solutions will require different and innovative approaches to avert a national public health crisis" (p.326). A great deal of attention has been paid to the root causes of the current and future nursing shortage; aging baby boomers, alternative professional opportunities for women (Woods, & Cardin, 2002), intense assignments, extra shifts, burn out, and little job satisfaction (Inglis, 2004). In order to fully appreciate this situation one must understand that the nursing shortage is, in part, also related to the trend toward greater specialization within the profession of nursing. The purpose of this paper is two-fold; (1) to demonstrate that clinical research nursing has evolved into a specialty in its own right, and (2) to provide a strategic plan for ensuring the retention and future development of research nurses as leaders.

There are a variety of roles that nurses perform in support of clinical trials with the most three common...

The research nurse possesses the same innate basic nursing characteristics as all nurses such as; a desire to help other people; and demonstrate a caring spirit. However, additionally, a research nurse must also have core competencies skills in order to perform the role safely and effectively and have a sound knowledge base of federal, state, and institutional regulations, policies and procedures, a high level of autonomy. In addition, being able to set daily priorities, possess exceptional organizational skills, possesses enhanced psychological assessment skills, meticulous attention to details are essential as well and there must be honed critical thinking skills. A research nurse may function as a direct care provider, coordinator of care, educator, patient advocate, and data manager or may fulfill many of these roles simultaneously. Although, the research nurse must wear many hats and perform a wide range of duties and responsibilities that can vary from trial to trial, the level of core competencies skills are the same (Grofsik, & Sauers, 1997). The research nurse is involved in the daily "hands-on" tasks of conducting the research for a physician, while the physician's role is the principal investigator, who is ultimately responsible for overseeing the management of the study at site…