Post job
zippia ai icon

Automatically apply for jobs with Zippia

Upload your resume to get started.

Clinical research assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted experts
Emma Trentman Ph.D.,
Shelly Lesher
Clinical research assistant example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical clinical research assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for clinical research assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.0% of clinical research assistant resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a clinical research assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 clinical research assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how clinical research assistants use patients:
  • Conducted follow-up visits on all clinical trial participants, monitoring and data recording of patients information into defined databases.
  • Developed protocol-specific documents for ease of tracking patients and regulatory documents, to ensure regulatory and protocol compliance.

3. Data Collection

Data collection means to analyze and collect all the necessary information. It helps in carrying out research and in storing important and necessary information. The most important goal of data collection is to gather the information that is rich and accurate for statistical analysis.

Here's how clinical research assistants use data collection:
  • Tracked/coordinated/facilitated follow-up visits & data collection.
  • Presented necessary clinical updates to Principal Investigators and research coordinators in order to identify any data collection or recruitment procedure gaps.

4. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how clinical research assistants use data entry:
  • Trained departmental supervisors and employees on implementation techniques involving personnel training and data entry guidelines vital to computer conversion target dates.
  • Provided precise documentation of study-related issues and ensured proper data entry into laboratory and research databases.

5. IRB

An institutional review board (IRB), is a form of committee that applies research ethics by vetting research procedures to ensure they are ethical. In order to decide whether or not research can be undertaken, they often perform a kind of risk-benefit analysis. The IRB's function is to ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to protect the interests and health of humans who are participants of a research sample.

Here's how clinical research assistants use irb:
  • Obtained clinical information using IRB protocol standards and consulted with the principal investigator regarding the study.
  • Submitted regulatory documents to internal regulatory affairs including IRB information and 1572 forms.

6. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how clinical research assistants use patient care:
  • Gathered information and proper history of patients; conduct physical examination and learned proper patient care.
  • Assisted with in-patient care including taking medical history, performing problem-focused and full examinations.

Choose from 10+ customizable clinical research assistant resume templates

Build a professional clinical research assistant resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your clinical research assistant resume.

7. Research Projects

Here's how clinical research assistants use research projects:
  • Assisted with the administration of clinical research projects, recruiting investigators, collecting investigator documentation and site management.
  • Collected and entered data for existing research projects and assisted in the implementation of future opportunities.

8. Clinical Trials

Here's how clinical research assistants use clinical trials:
  • Supported the Directors of Respiratory & Clinical Trial Management with PowerPoint presentations used at Speakers Bureaus, symposiums and medical conventions.
  • Provide excellent management, planning, and supervision skills to administer up to 10 cardiovascular and diabetic clinical trials simultaneously.

9. Research Data

Here's how clinical research assistants use research data:
  • Managed MFT clinic administration conducting in-take assessments, observing and coding therapy sessions and logging research data.
  • Gathered research data and participated in conference calls with University of Virginia psychological department staff

10. Data Management

The administrative process that involves collecting and keeping the data safely and cost-effectively is called data management. Data management is a growing field as companies rely on it to store their intangible assets securely to create value. Efficient data management helps a company use the data to make better business decisions.

Here's how clinical research assistants use data management:
  • Analyzed imaging and spectroscopy data and performed data management using different computer platforms and statistical packages including SPSS and SAS.
  • Worked with outside diagnostic team in data management and bi-annual information auditing process as dictated by study protocols.

11. Clinical Research Studies

Here's how clinical research assistants use clinical research studies:
  • Monitored anti-microbial clinical research studies, carried out site visits verifying data recorded for patients and recorded outcomes.
  • Conducted clinical research studies, reviewed study files, tracked and managed case report forms and responded to queries.

12. Excellent Organizational

Here's how clinical research assistants use excellent organizational:
  • Demonstrated excellent organizational skills by tracking all project activities in databases to accurately report clinical trial progress.
  • Provided excellent organizational, communication, and planning skills in responding to requested information.

13. Coordinators

Here's how clinical research assistants use coordinators:
  • Assisted oncology clinical research coordinators by copying medical records of research subjects per institutional protocols.
  • Meet with Principal Investigators and Study Coordinators to ensure adherence to Clinical Trial Protocol.

14. Institutional Review

Here's how clinical research assistants use institutional review:
  • Reviewed regulatory documents received from sites prior to submission to Institutional Review Boards.
  • Process all Institutional Review Board documentation received upon arrival.

15. HIPAA

Here's how clinical research assistants use hipaa:
  • Monitored compliance of research protocols across departments; ensured patient confidentiality under HIPAA regulations.
  • Protected customer and patient confidentiality by following all HIPAA standards.
top-skills

What skills help Clinical Research Assistants find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on clinical research assistant resumes?

Emma Trentman Ph.D.Emma Trentman Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor of Arabic, The University of New Mexico

Communication (especially in multilingual settings), innovation, and flexibility--these are often hard to commodify as skills, so it is important for employers and prospective employees to understand the many ways in which they can be demonstrated.

What technical skills for a clinical research assistant stand out to employers?

Employers value our graduates for their ability to independently solve complex problems, whether in or out of the lab. This skill has not and will not change regardless of instructional mode.

What soft skills should all clinical research assistants possess?

Dr. Ionut FlorescuDr. Ionut Florescu LinkedIn profile

Research Professor Financial Engineering, Director Hanlon Laboratories, Director Financial Analytics program, Stevens Institute of Technology

I believe in terms of soft skills, every graduate should be able to explain the results of their complex models to someone who isn't technically sound. So, presentation skills are extremely important. Then the capability of approaching a presenter at a conference or workshop and ask pertinent questions about what they just presented is really important. We require all our students to not only make presentations but also ask questions during other teams' presentations. I believe the most important thing as a teacher in the course is to criticize them when their presentation is not crisp or when the question isn't clear or appropriate.

What hard/technical skills are most important for clinical research assistants?

Harriet Phinney Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Seattle University

Empirical data collection: Research skills for collecting original data, analyzing the data, writing up the information collected, and presenting it in a professional manner.

List of clinical research assistant skills to add to your resume

Clinical research assistant skills

The most important skills for a clinical research assistant resume and required skills for a clinical research assistant to have include:

  • Patients
  • Informed Consent
  • Data Collection
  • Data Entry
  • IRB
  • Patient Care
  • Research Projects
  • Clinical Trials
  • Research Data
  • Data Management
  • Clinical Research Studies
  • Excellent Organizational
  • Coordinators
  • Institutional Review
  • HIPAA
  • Phlebotomy
  • Excellent Interpersonal
  • GCP
  • Vital Signs
  • Literature Searches
  • FDA
  • Human Subjects
  • Data Analysis
  • Patient Data
  • Consent Forms
  • Oncology
  • EKG
  • Clinical Data
  • Study Procedures
  • Phone Calls
  • SPSS
  • CRA
  • Study Subjects
  • Research Assistants
  • Literature Reviews
  • NIH
  • MRI
  • SAS
  • Regulatory Binders
  • ICH
  • EMR
  • Consent Process
  • IV
  • Patient Recruitment
  • Patient Charts
  • Clinical Practice
  • Blood Draws
  • Medical History
  • Research Subjects

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse executive management jobs