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

What is a research nurse and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Kara Sump MSN, CNE,

Michael Brown

Contrary to popular belief, research nurses do not work the night shift and don't have to work 12-hour shifts like the other nurses. Their working hours are the regular 40 hours per week, usually from 8 AM to 5 PM. A research nurse can make an average of $55,973 in one year. The minimum education requirement for the position of a research nurse is a bachelor's degree with most majors being in nursing science and healthcare administration. Skills required to succeed in the research nurse field include knowledge of study protocol procedures (training is mostly offered before beginning the job), knowledge of proper data collection and documentation, and the ability to incorporate institutional guidelines and protocol policies while demonstrating clinical competence.

A research nurse's primary role is to conduct scientific research and studies for medical development and healthcare. They work for learning institutions, medical facilities, government agencies, and private clinics. Roles include coordinating with other experts to join ideas, gathering and analyzing samples through scientific methods, developing treatment, and making healthcare plans to improve patient outcomes and services.

What general advice would you give to a research nurse?

Kara Sump MSN, CNE

Assistant Professor of Nursing, George Fox University

Some of this is driven already by practice location, specialty, and unions (if entering a unionized position). I would do your research about what to expect and come with an expectation that you should be able to negotiate a pay rate if you have some background such as previous practice as a CNA, Medication aide, LPN, or another medically related field that is translatable to the nursing practice role. You might consider what relevant job shadows or volunteer work you could do should you not have any of the above. Or perhaps, what previous experience do you have that speaks to teamwork, delegation, managing others, communications, or other essential functions of nursing and being able to articulate how this should afford you a higher wage. Other helpful things- being flexible with shift- nights/weekends, speaking another language and being able to get certified as an interpreter.

ScoreResearch NurseUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $53,463

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 8.41%

Black or African American 2.58%

Hispanic or Latino 15.25%

Unknown 7.59%

White 65.65%

Gender

female 90.75%

male 9.25%

Age - 43.5

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 - 43.5

Stress level

5.6

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a research nurse

Explore research nurse education requirements

Most common research nurse degrees

Bachelor's

55.7 %

Associate

23.1 %

Master's

12.6 %

Start to develop specific research nurse skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	17.86%
Informed Consent	10.98%
Data Collection	5.47%
IRB	4.97%
Oncology	4.31%

Complete relevant research nurse training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New 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 research nurse based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real research nurse resumes.

Gain additional research nurse certifications

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 research nurse certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for research nurses include Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) and Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN).

More About Certifications

Research research nurse duties and responsibilities

Collect, manage and analyze preliminary data using SPSS statistical software.
Adhere to local and country specific GCP and ICH guidelines.
Ensure coordinator and investigator compliance with GCP and ICH guidelines.
Assure compliance with good clinical practice (GCP) guidelines and FDA regulations.

Prepare your research nurse resume

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

Build a professional 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 research nurse resume.