Second edition of ‘Competency Framework for Clinical Research Nurses’ published

Posted on Oct 6, 2011 by Leslie Gelling in Research

Since 2007 it has been my considerable privilege and pleasure to Chair the Competency Framework Working Group. The Working Group was made up of very experienced Clinical Research Nurses. They have put considerable time and effort into developing a useful framework to describe the competences required by Clinical Research Nurses in the real world of clinical research. The first edition of the Framework was published in December 2008 and was well received and widely used across the UK and overseas. With considerable support from the NIHR and RCN, the Working Group has now undertaken a review of the first edition of the Framework. This review has been done with considerable input from those who have been using it in practice, and the second edition of the ‘Competency Framework for Clinical Research Nurses’ is now available.

The planning, undertaking, closure and reporting of high quality clinical research is dependent upon the knowledge, skills and competence of the many individuals involved in making research possible. These attributes are developed through formal training, through supervision and mentorship, through ongoing personal development and through experience gained in practice. Together these contribute to the development of research practitioners who possess the competences required to help to guard against poor research practice and promote participant safety and the collection of quality data. This second edition of the Framework offers the large and growing number of Clinical Research Nurses an improved framework which could help in the development of the skills, behaviours, knowledge and understanding required to support clinical research and to develop a career in research.

The initial preparation and subsequent revision of this Framework has highlighted the fact that Clinical Research Nurses in various clinical and geographical settings are involved in different aspects of clinical research in different ways, taking different levels of responsibility and focusing their efforts on different parts of the research endeavour. For these reasons it has not been possible to present an off-the-shelf set of competences that would be relevant and meaningful to all Clinical Research Nurses. Rather, it is hoped that this document might offer a useful starting point for those developing local Competency Frameworks. This is why the Framework has been made available as a full version, with background information, guidance and information resources, and a Word document which can be adapted for local use.

Why not have a look at the Framework and see if it has anything to offer you and your colleagues?

You can access the Framework by clicking on the following link – http://tinyurl.com/aoc59m