Clinical Research Practitioner/ Clinical Research Nurse Practitioner

North West Borough Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Warrington; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Clinical Research (Nurse) Practitioner to deliver a portfolio of clinical studies across the Trust footprint. The post holder will work closely with the Research and Development Manager, study Principal Investigators and other members of the research team to assist with recruitment, data collection and study delivery.

Applicants will have experience in research/clinical trials, strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work

Qualifications

• Professional nursing degree or equivalent and registration with the NMC or relevant body.
• Experience in clinical research or trials with good interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Knowledge of clinical research regulations (ICH-GCP) and NHS policies.

Responsibilities

• Identify and recruit service users into clinical studies and explain participation aspects.
• Ensure eligibility criteria are met and informed consent is understood by participants.
• Maintain and ensure ethical practice and adherence to study protocols.
• Provide direct patient care within study protocol and collect data per protocol.
• Coordinate with investigators, sponsors and research staff to support study delivery.
• Document accurately in care records and study CRFs; report adverse events as required.
• Assist with study visits, setup, and close of studies and monitor recruitment targets.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and prepare for audits and inspections.

Skills

Communication skills

Time management

Autonomy

Initiative

Motivation

Travel

Education

NMC registered nurse or allied health/health sciences degree

Tools

MS Word

MS Excel

PowerPoint

REDCap

EDGE

Job description

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us. We encourage all applicants to share their equality information with us.

Using AI to support your application

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For tips and guidance, please refer to our applicant guidance.

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Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a Clinical Research (Nurse) Practitioner at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. The post holder will be responsible for the delivery of a portfolio of clinical research studies delivered across the Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust footprint. The post holder will work collaboratively with the Research and Development Manager, Study Principal Investigators and other members of the research team, to assist with the achievement of local and national targets in relation to research delivery and maintain key working relationships with the NIHR Clinical Research Network and research sponsors.

Applicants will have experience of working with research/ clinical trials, possess good interpersonal and communication skills and be able to work independently and as part of a team.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work with the Senior Research Lead, Research and Development Manager, study Principal Investigators, NIHR Clinical Research Network and Trust research department colleagues in order to develop and maintain the research infrastructure which supports the recruitment of participants to both commercial and non-commercial studies, coordination of participants in studies and the collection of research data.

Working for our organisation

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Identify and recruit service users into clinical studies, acting as a source of information and support to service users and their relatives by explaining practical aspects of participating in clinical research
• Ensure that each person fulfils the relevant study criteria and understands the implication of participation when taking informed consent
• Demonstrate knowledge of the ethical principles for clinical research and its impact on current practice
• Ensure ethical and clinical safe practice at all times
• Ensure that each study is conducted in accordance with the study protocol, Trust Standard Operating Procedures and relevant research legislation and guidance
• Provide direct patient care within the scope of the study protocol, including (but not limited to) physical observations, ECGs and phlebotomy where required
• Process and ship blood and other samples as required in the study protocol, ensuring save and appropriate storage and handling of specimens in line with Trust policy and IATA guidelines
• Provide appropriate information and support concerning research, care and treatment of individuals participating in research studies to any nursing and/or support staff involved in the participant's care
• Liaise with Principal Investigators, support services (e.g. pharmacy, radiology, laboratories), study sponsors, clinical research associates and other members of the study team, to ensure smooth running of the study
• Provide research information to medical, nursing staff, service users, General Practitioners, community services and other staff where appropriate
• Take a proactive role to increase Trust participation in portfolio research and recruitment rates in individual studies
• Responsible for timely, accurate and complete documentation in the participants care record and the study case report form (CRF) in accordance with Trust policy and regulations
• Record and report adverse events, serious adverse events and suspected, unexpected, serious adverse reactions (SUSARs) that may occur during the course of the study, to relevant personnel and act as defined within the study protocol and according to Trust policy and ICH-GCP recommendations
• Assist with the coordination of study visits, in line with protocol window requirements
• Assist with the set-up, undertaking, and close of each research study as required
• Assist with the identification of strategies to recruit participants into research studies
• Assist with identifying barriers to recruitment and ensure that the R&D Manager and Principal Investigators are aware where this has the potential to impact on study delivery targets
• Ensure that all research documentation, including screening, recruitment and regulatory records are complete and accurately maintained
• Provide information to allow for invoices to be raised for payment where appropriate
• Comply with organisational policy on documenting critical incidents and near misses and assist with root cause analysis and the implementation of changes in practice to reduce risk
• Prepare for and participate in internal audits and inspections, evaluations and benchmarking exercises
• Prepare and make available study documentation for monitoring audits and inspections as required by the Trust and associated regulatory bodies
• Ensure the requirements of other agencies such as the National Institute for Health Research and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency are followed in order to meet research governance targets, improve clinical outcomes and ensure compliance with all legislation or standards expected for research services

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Professional knowledge acquired through degree or equivalent (e.g. NMC registered nurse or registered Allied Health Professional or a degree in life science or health related discipline)

Desirable criteria

• ICH Good Clinical Practice certificate

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of working with service users and carers
• Experience of giving presentations to healthcare professionals
• Experience of collaborating with other agencies

Desirable criteria

• Experience of recruiting research participants to NIHR portfolio adopted research studies
• Ability to undertake research and development and audit projects

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Working knowledge of legislation and guidelines relevant to clinical research (including the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research, Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) (amendment) Regulations 2025,and ICH GCP)
• Knowledge of issues relevant to the Mental Capacity Act, vulnerable adult procedures and child protection
• Knowledge of medical terminology

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Regional Research Delivery Networks, their purpose and objectives
• Knowledge of terminology relating to research

Skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to manage own time and workload effectively
• Computer literacy, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and databases utilised in clinical research (e.g., EDGE, REDCAP)
• Meticulous and accurate data collection ability
• Ability to take initiative and work autonomously to strict deadlines
• Highly motivated and able to motivate others
• Ability to travel across the Trust footprint