MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The Registered Nurse must be knowledgeable of standard research and oncology care practices.  The Registered Nurse advocates for patient safety and protocol integrity, adheres to patient care standards, and communicates effectively to ensure effective conduct of clinical trials and quality patient care.

• Current BLS
• Current Texas Registered Nursing License for RNs
• Oncology experience preferred
• Clinical trial experience preferred

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include but are not limited to the following:

PROTOCOL COMPLIANCE

• Adheres to applicable federal, state, and institutional regulations, policies, and procedures related to clinical research
• Complies with NEXT Oncology SOPs
• Participates in providing timely, informative, and accurate communication with the interdisciplinary team to ensure protocol compliance and timeliness of protocol-related procedures
• Collaborates with the PI, pharmacy, and other appropriate personnel to ensure proper use of and accountability for study drugs

INFORMED CONSENT

• Identifies and intervenes to address barriers to effective informed consent discussions and decision making (e.g., literacy, capacity, language, distress, lack of time, therapeutic misconception)
• Describes and abides by institutional policy and processes for informed consent
• Assesses patient’s understanding of the information provided during the informed consent process
• Ensures timely re-consenting as needed by the physician investigator
• Confirms informed consent is obtained prior to performing any study specific tasks

MANAGEMENT OF CLINICAL TRIAL PATIENTS

• Provides complete patient assessment, including vital signs and pre-examination procedures
• Gathers and assesses objective and subjective data from the patient
• Documents data and assessments accurately in the patient record
• Assists the providers in all aspects of the consultation, treatment, procedures, and follow-up care.
• Records medical history and symptoms, completing documentation in the medical record.
• Coordinates patient care, acting as a liaison with other departments and organizations.
• Provides patient education before and after procedures, use of medical devices and equipment, and prescriptions.
• Triage of calls for urgent appointments, referrals for patient consults and testing, insurance pre-certification, and documentation
• Educates the patient and family regarding clinical condition, and/or disease process. 
• Ensures timely completion of protocol-required events and other requirements (e.g., pharmacokinetics or –dynamics, scans, study visits, QOL,)
• Assesses individual patients for physical, psychosocial, and financial factors that could impact adherence with study requirements and implement interventions as necessary
• Evaluates patient’s adherence to and documentation of self-administered protocol agents and the return of such agents
• Collaborates with the investigator to determine disease response as defined by the protocol and communicates findings to the study team and other care providers
• Evaluates patient’s adherence to and documentation of self-administered protocol agents and return of such agents
• Collaborates with the investigator to determine if any treatment schedule or drug dose modification is necessary and communicates findings to the study team and other care providers
• Ensures appropriate communication between clinical and research staff related to patient-specific care needs
• Ensures evidence-based symptom management as permitted by the protocol
• Patient health counseling and instruction, including meeting with families and caregivers.
• Medication reconciliation, management, patient compliance, inventory, education.
• Ensures regulatory compliance with OSHA guidelines, CLIA regulations, HIPAA medical privacy guidelines.

DOCUMENTATION AND DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

• Documents all patient encounters in the legal medical record per licensure and institutional requirements
• Obtains documents from outside providers or laboratories that are needed
• Assesses documentation or discrepancies and ensures that inaccurate or discrepant documentation is addressed in the medical record or other source documents
• Maintains the privacy and confidentiality of patients’ source documents

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Requires full range of body motion including assisting patients, manual and finger dexterity, and eye-hand coordination.
• Requires standing and walking for extensive periods of time.
• Occasionally lifts and carries items weighing up to 40 lbs.
• Requires corrected vision and hearing to normal range.

SUPERVISION

The Registered Nurse reports to the Vice President of Clinical Operations.