Clinical Research Nurse - Cancer Research

Clinical Research Nurse 1

Job Summary:

The Clinical Research Nurse 1 (CRN
1) is a licensed nurse who delivers clinical care to research participants while supporting the conduct of clinical studies under the direction of a Principal Investigator (PI). Working as part of a multidisciplinary research team, this role assists with participant recruitment, eligibility screening, informed consent, and protocol adherence. The CRN 1 monitors participants for changes in health status, manages adverse event reporting, and administers study medications when applicable.

The nurse educates physicians and staff on study procedures and keeps the clinical team informed about protocol updates and participant status changes. This entry-level research nursing role requires strong foundational nursing skills, a willingness to learn clinical research regulations, and the ability to communicate with diverse participants and care teams. Exemplifies the Rush mission, vision and values and acts in accordance with Rush policies and procedures.

Required

Job Qualifications:

• Education:
  
  Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) OR Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
• Experience:
  
  Two years of clinical nursing practice experience required
• Licenses:
  Current State of Illinois Registered Nurse Licensure
• Certifications:
  
  Current Basic Life Support certification for Healthcare Professionals

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities:

• Regulatory Compliance Awareness – Able to demonstrate introductory knowledge of Good Clinical Practices and/or Good Documentation Practices, human subjects protections, institutional, local, state and federal guidelines and regulations related to clinical research
• Communication Skills – Ability to communicate complex clinical and regulatory concepts in easy-to-understand language.
• Participant Engagement – Ability to build rapport with diverse participants and peers
• Judgment & Escalation – Demonstrated problem-solving, critical decision making, and professional judgment Time Management – Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Teamwork & Collaboration – Ability to work successfully both independently and in team settings.
• Flexibility – Flexible work hours and travel may be required

Preferred

Job Qualifications:

• Experience:
  
  Two years of experience in clinical research as appropriate to study population.
• Certifications:
  
  Clinical specialty certification appropriate to study population

Responsibilities:

• Delivers protocol-required nursing care to research participants, including monitoring of health status and documentation
• Follows participant care plans based on protocol requirements and participant needs
• Assesses participant status and communicates follow-up needs to the PI or interdisciplinary care team in alignment with protocol
• Communicates study details and updates to participants, families, and interdisciplinary care team members
• Educates interdisciplinary care teams on protocol requirements
• Notifies the PI and care team of changes in participant health status.
• Performs protocol-defined procedures including medication administration, clinical assessments, and sample collection under supervision.
• Ensure accurate documentation of tasks performed
• Schedules study visits and prepares materials and source documentation per protocol.
• Reminds participants of required tests or procedures
• Reviews and enters data into study systems accurately and on time
• Coordinates specimen handling and shipping; ensures compliance with sponsor and federal safety requirements
• Recognizes and reports unexpected events, documentation errors, or potential deviations to appropriate staff.
• Reports protocol deviations and serious adverse events to the study sponsor and IRB as applicable
• Maintains current knowledge of disease-specific conditions and research trends relevant to assigned studies.
• Completes all required protocol-specific and system trainings
• Applies ALCOA principles to ensure high-quality documentation and data entry across systems
• Navigates multiple systems (including OnCore, REDCap, Epic) to manage participant data, schedule visits and support workflow accuracy
• Reviews patient charts and study eligibility criteria; seeks additional information…