Clinical Research Office. A partnership between Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Sheffield

Research Nurses

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (STH) Research Nurse Framework (RNF) was implemented in 2006 following changes in research legislation and governance, which resulted in a growth in the numbers of clinical research nurses employed within the NHS. The RNF was established to provide a framework for the management, training and education of this growing workforce.

The STH RNF was a flagship model that recognised the important contribution of the role of clinical research nurses to the NHS research agenda. The model for the appointment and management of skilled, well-trained clinical research nurses through the RNF and overseen by the Lead Nurse Research and Development has been acknowledged as a model of good practice by the Health Service Journal and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

The success of the framework has been extended in collaboration with the NIHR Clinical Research Network: Yorkshire and Humber, through the Clinical Research Network (CRN) research nurse cohort.  The research nurse cohort provides trained and competent clinical research nurses who assist in clinical research delivery across the NHS organisations of local areas. This flexible workforce has had a significant impact, allowing the CRN, including STH, to increase the number of trials open and recruiting, thus growing the opportunity for the local population to take part in high quality clinical research which may be of benefit to them.

Please see below the current STH Research Nurse Framework Strategy:

 Research Nurse Framework Strategy Document 2019-2022

 

 

Roles

The RNF supports clinical research nurses to meet the research needs of the local population. Some are employed directly in the NIHR Sheffield Clinical Research Facility, some within the directorates of STH supporting disease specific research and others across the CRN. There are also a number of nurses employed through the University of Sheffield based either in the Cancer Clinical Trials Centre or Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), as well other University employed research nurses.

All research nurses whether employed on NHS contracts or working in the Trust on Research Honorary Contracts or Letters of Access have professional responsibility to the Lead Nurse Research and Development. There are a range of roles contributing to research delivery and management – research nurses (band 6), senior research nurses (band 7), as well as support workers and opportunities for band 5 nurses interested in gaining experience in clinical research. These roles are supported by research link nurses as well as research champions, who aim to actively promote research in their clinical area.

Contact

For general enquiries and research nurse registrations, please contact:

STH.ResearchAdministration@nhs.net

Useful Links

For more information on the role of the Clinical Research Nurse, please click on the Youtube video below:

 The Role of the Clinical Research Nurse - A lecture presented by Alison Mortimer

Useful Documents

Clinical Research Registration Form