Paper
Sunday, November 4, 2007
253
The Role of the Research Coordinator in Promoting the Responsible Conduct of Research
Megan A. Hoffmann, BSN, RN, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA and Marie Nolan, PhD, RN, School of Nursing, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| Learning Objective #1: demonstrate knowledge of the essential role of the research coordinator in promoting the responsible conduct of research (RCR). |
| Learning Objective #2: describe how opportunities within the research coordinator’s role can be used to launch a career as a nurse scientist. |
This paper describes an essential role in ensuring the responsible conduct of research (RCR) that is often filled by nurses. The revelation of fabrication of evidence in a 2005 paper published on stem-cell research authored by investigators in South Korea and the United States (US) has been labeled as one of the greatest scientific scandals in recent history (Check & Cyranoski, 2005). In the U.S., the Federal Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has reported 110 cases of research misconduct between 1992 and 2001. While the responsible conduct of science is promoted nationally by the ORI and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and institutionally through educational programs and ongoing monitoring, little attention has been paid to the crucial role of the research coordinator in promoting the responsible conduct of research at the level of the individual research study. Nurses with strong clinical, research, management, and communication skills often hold this research leadership position. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the role of the research coordinator in promoting the responsible conduct of research. Research coordinator management responsibilities such as the creation of operations manuals and organizational tools, the maintenance of data integrity, and the promotion of valid informed consent will be explored. Using a case study approach, the role of the research coordinator in an NIH-funded study of living kidney donors will be presented. Issues of research ethics, human subjects protection, research team communication, and study management will be discussed. The ideal educational preparation and experience for the research coordinator role will be recommended. Also, the potential for this role to serve to launch the research career of a nurse scientist will be discussed. Finally, recommendations for research regarding the impact of the research coordinator on the responsible conduct of research will be made.