The research department at Queen Victoria Hospital has an exciting opportunity for a one year fixed term secondment in its rapidly expanding research programme. We are looking for a part-time Band 6 Nurse to join our busy, friendly team.

You will be a registered nurse with experience of working in research, or a clear expression of interest in the research process. You will need to be adaptable, confident and able to prioritise a combination of diverse demands on your time. You will also need to be able to work autonomously within a multi-disciplinary team, with leadership and guidance from the Lead Research Nurse.

You will be responsible for the day-to-day co-ordination and management of clinical research studies, from recruitment through to follow-up. Currently we run studies in Anaesthetics, Maxillo-facial, Corneoplastic, and Plastics (Burns, Hands, Breast), and our team work across different specialities. A familiarity with any of these areas would be an advantage, but is not specifically required for the job - instead we are looking for an ability to get to grips with new patient pathways.

Applicants should be RGN qualified. Excellent interpersonal skills, good attention to detail, high levels of consideration for patients, and a commitment to research quality are also required. GCP certification would be an advantage.

Main duties of the job

• Responsible for assessing and managing the care pathways for patients participating in clinical trials. Responsible for recruiting, educating and monitoring trial participants, and will collect and document accurate data in trial records and databases. Provide specialist advice to clinicians to enable them to consider trials protocols appropriate to their disease speciality, with particular note to feasibility.
• Required to identify potential trial participants either by attendance at clinics and/or at multidisciplinary meetings.
• Provide complex clinical trials information to participants, ensuring they are fully briefed on all aspects of the research study, understand what is involved, and have had their questions answered. Responsible for taking informed consent.
• Responsible for entering trial recruitment onto the National Portfolio monthly database of patients entered into clinical trials, as well as maintaining QVH Edge database, in order to provide an accurate record to key stakeholders.
• To work with the research team and principle investigators in setting up new trials. This will involve providing the local information required to process research applications for new trials, and liaison with internal and external service providers to arrange protocol-related investigations.

Research studies might be across several clinical areas.

About us

Rated GOOD overall with outstanding care by the CQC. A specialist NHS hospital providing life-changing reconstructive surgery, burns care and rehabilitation services across the South of England and beyond.

We specialise in conditions of the eyes (corneoplastics), hands, head and neck cancer and skin cancer, reconstructive breast surgery, maxillofacial surgery and prosthetics, providing regional and national services in these areas of clinical expertise.Our world-leading clinical teams also treat more common conditions of the eyes, hands, skin, and teeth for the people of East Grinstead and the surrounding areas. In addition, QVH provides a minor injuries unit, expert therapies, a sleep service, and a growing portfolio of community-based services.Patients consistently rate QVH amongst the top hospitals in the country for quality of care.

Our success is underpinned by the skills and enthusiasm of our staff and a strong culture of partnership. We are fully committed to training and development of the workforce with support for continuing education and learning.

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Be responsible for taking informed consent.
• Provide highly complex information to patients and carers about all aspects of the disease process (diagnosis, prognosis, symptom management and when treatment fails).
• Give patients / carers highly complex information about all aspects of clinical trials, i.e. randomisation and different treatment options using the highest level of communication and interpersonal skills and ensuring that the information is relayed in understandable language.
• Demonstrate highly developed skills when providing reassurance and support.
• Be highly skilled at empathising and communicating bad news with sensitivity.
• Act as primary liaison with clinical trials units to organise trial set-up meetings
• To act as the primary contact point for the clinical trial patient providing advice and instruction as needed.
• Liaise with other departments and wards to promote integration of research

Clinical

• Collect blood or tissue samples required as part of the clinical trial and ensure safe and appropriate storage and delivery of specimens to trial centres.
• Monitor treatment toxicity/side effects and initiate changes to treatment as required by the protocol in discussion with Principal Investigator.
• Refer to other health professionals as required in order to provide optimal patient care.
• Provide ongoing and follow up care whilst patient is in the clinical trial.
• Be responsible for recording and reporting adverse events which occur whilst patient is in the clinical trial to the relevant personnel and act as required within 24 hours.

Organisation and Planning

• Coordinate the research-related care of a caseload of clinical trial patients
• Identify and attend the most appropriate forum to screen and recruit new patients (MDT / clinic), and advise members of the MDT and clinic staff.
• Ensure that trial-specific investigations and sampling are undertaken as required by the research protocol in order to establish eligibility and safety to enter the trial.
• Be responsible for accurate and timely completion of case report forms (CRFs)
• To be responsible for forwarding trial data in a timely manner to the trial co-ordinating centre, and liaise with clinical trial personnel external to QVH as necessary (for example, the Cancer Network, or the CRN)
• Ensure that clinical trials documentation is effectively archived as required.
• Supply data as required to the Lead Research Nurse or R& D Manager regarding progress of clinical trials.
• Register and randomise patients into trials via trials units and maintain accurate follow up, accordingly to strictly defined and monitored protocols.
• Attend meetings in order to keep clinicians, surgeons and other professional groups informed on current and future clinical trials.

Information Resources

• Maintain accurate documentation of patient events in medical notes, to the standards required under the EU Directive on Clinical Trials
• Accurately document data collected onto the case report forms (CRF) whilst adhering to the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998.
• Ensure accurate and updated information is available to clinicians and other professionals in order to promote high recruitment to clinical trial.

Policy and Procedures

• To ensure that the clinical trial protocols are adhered to within the framework of local Trust policies.
• To be familiar with, and work according to, the Clinical Trials legislation and the standards laid down in the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research.
• To facilitate the informed consent process ensuring the following are accounted for:
  • The patient and carer fully understand the nature of the clinical trial.
  • The patient is aware that entry into the trial is voluntary and they can withdraw at any point without prejudice.
  • The patient is aware of any extra procedures required by the trial.
  • The consent form is completed accurately and filed as required.

Research

• To be responsible for an identified portfolio of clinical trials. These may be in any speciality across the Trust.
• To identify patients eligible to enter clinical trials by screening notes, operating lists, attending clinics and attending multidisciplinary meetings.
• To identify barriers to recruitment to trials and raise these with the Lead Research Nurse. To support/action plans to improve recruitment as required.
• To provide trials support for clinical trial colleagues in their absence, including travelling to different hospitals throughout the network, if required.
• To attend meetings relevant to the nature of the job and feedback to other members of the network team. These may be at other NHS sites.

Management

• To be responsible for the setting up of new clinical trials. To complete feasibility studies, identifying resource implications, and communicate with all relevant professionals and departments, for example, histopathology, radiology, pharmacy, surgical and other departments, providing specialist advice as required.

Financial

• Provide accurate data on trial recruitment to enable invoices to be raised for payments where necessary.

Education and Training

• Act as a resource for colleagues in relation to an awareness of clinical trials.
• Assist in the education and support of health care professionals to enable them to care for clinical trial patients.
• To maintain an up to date knowledge of research related articles in relevant fields, particularly related to clinical trials.

Professional and Personal Development

• Participate in the Trusts annual appraisal system designed to identify objectives and personal development opportunities.
• Participate in the Trusts annual pay progression review (if applicable).
• Ensure that all mandatory training is up to date
• The post holder will be responsible for continually maintaining their working knowledge of local practices, policies and procedures and highlight ongoing training and development needs to their manager.

Person Specification

Professional clinical qualification

Essential

• Registration/ years experience
• good communication skills

Desirable

• GCP training
• evidence of working in clinical research
• imformed consent training

good communication kills

Essential

• good computer skills

Employer details

Employer name

Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Queen Victoria Hospital

Holtye road

East Grinstead

RH19 3DZ

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

276-5638687-SM