How do nurses get into clinical research?

Nurses can get into clinical research by developing their education and work experience toward research. Typically a person who wants to become a clinical research nurse needs to have a bachelor's of science in nursing (BSN).

How long does it take to become a clinical research nurse?

It takes approximately two to five years to become a clinical research nurse. The time it takes an individual depends on where they are in their nursing education or career. Typically a person who wants to become a clinical research nurse needs to have a bachelor's of science in nursing (BSN). While a person can become a resident nurse (RN) with only an associate's degree in nursing (ADN), it is much harder to make the jump to higher levels of the field without a BSN.

How To Become A Clinical Research Nurse: What It Is and Career Path

What is a clinical research nurse and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.,

Kim Raines

Working toward developing existent medical procedures, clinical research nurses are at the forefront of the improvement of patient care. They help to invent new drugs and treatments by proposing, managing, and concluding clinical research, collecting data, and creating reports summarizing their findings.

According to a survey, 77% of people would consider participating in a clinical research study. Clinical research nurses support patients participating in clinical trials and are responsible for their safety during these processes. They create regulations and documentation for these trials and have an in-depth understanding of the procedures and terminology of their research.

Research nurses are highly organized and have excellent communication skills, apart from having education in medical and pharmaceutical sciences. They closely collaborate with other researchers in a multidisciplinary team to carry out their work successfully.

What general advice would you give to a Clinical Research Nurse?

Lisa Rebeschi Ph.D.

Associate Dean of the School of Nursing Professor of Nursing, Quinnipiac University

One of the suggestions for new graduates is the importance of self-care. We have long known of the demanding nature of the nursing practice. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the nursing role's critical importance and the unique contributions made by nursing professionals. As the healthcare environment is extremely complex and challenging, nurses must remember to advocate for themselves and prioritize self-care.

ScoreClinical Research NurseUS Average

Salary

4.7

Avg. Salary $60,347

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

10.0

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 9.71%

Black or African American 11.75%

Hispanic or Latino 8.66%

Unknown 4.23%

White 65.21%

Gender

female 89.08%

male 10.92%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress Level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.1

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.8

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Clinical Research Nurse in Ashburn, VA

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Key steps to become a clinical research nurse

Explore clinical research nurse education requirements

Most common clinical research nurse degrees

Bachelor's

54.8 %

Associate

26.9 %

Master's

9.5 %

Start to develop specific clinical research nurse skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	27.53%
BLS	9.97%
Acute Care	4.59%
Acls	3.06%
Surgery	2.97%

Complete relevant clinical research nurse training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New clinical research nurses learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a clinical research nurse based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real clinical research nurse resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed clinical research nurse usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed clinical research nurse in most of states. 43 states require clinical research nurses to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License Url
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
Colorado	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse

Gain additional clinical research nurse certifications

Clinical research nurse certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific clinical research nurse certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for clinical research nurses include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Family Nurse Practitioner.

More About Certifications

Research clinical research nurse duties and responsibilities

Maintain accountability and compassion while providing care, administering medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies.
Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies
Command of CPR team until a doctor arrives; defibrillate and assess patients' condition.
Administer pain medication through intravenous, oral or subcutaneous injection to recovering patients in the immediate post-operative period of surgery.

Prepare your clinical research nurse resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your clinical research nurse resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a clinical research nurse resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Clinical Research Nurse Resume templates

Build a professional Clinical Research Nurse resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Clinical Research Nurse resume.