Research-patientS and Clinical researcH Nurses: Exploring Their Experiences of tAking paRt in Clinical resEarch in the NHS
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observational
30
1 country
1
Brief Summary
This PhD explores the views of clinical research nurses (CRNs) and research-patients as they take part in clinical research within their respective roles, i.e., as a specialised staff member and as a patient volunteer. Clinical research is supported by NHS England as the best way to improve patient care by finding out whether a new treatment is better than what is available. CRNs are specialist nurses who manage and coordinate clinical research. CRNs are responsible for the safe running of research; they ensure the right information is collected for the research/trial to be successful. CRNs support the well-being of research-patients, by taking note of any new, or existing healthcare needs of research-patients while they take part in research. CRNs coordinate the activities that research requires, biological samples, scans, documentation. Balancing their responsibility towards research-patients, on the one hand, and research management, on the other, can bring unique challenges for the CRN. CRNs can feel conflicted between these two responsibilities, e.g., when they think that a drug trial, or the research activities in a study is at odds with the research-patient's best interest despite the research-patient's consent to take part in research. CRNs are tasked with maintaining/facilitating recruitment of research-patients, this can be a challenging aspect of their role especially if they feel pressured to approach patients to take part in research. Currently, we know little about how CRNs balance these two responsibilities, or what other problems CRNs have in their everyday role when balancing these responsibilities. Finding out more about these aspects of the CRN role is important because it may not only improve job experience but can also give a better understanding of what can be changed to improve how CRN perform their role which could ultimately improve research-patients' experience of taking part in research. To address this issue, this PhD will explore CRNs and research-patients' views about clinical research, the challenges CRNs face, how CRNs balance their responsibilities, and what role does the relationship between CRNs, and research-patients play overall in what they say about their experience of taking part in clinical research. The researcher will interview and shadow CRNs and research-patients at a central NHS Hospital. This is a LISS/ESRC funded PhD at King's College London and supported by Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at below P25 for all trials
Started Aug 2026
Typical duration for all trials
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
June 17, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
June 23, 2026
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
August 30, 2026
ExpectedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
December 30, 2028
Study Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
December 30, 2028
June 26, 2026
June 1, 2026
2.3 years
June 17, 2026
June 23, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Recruitment of CRNs and Research-Patients
Recruitment of up to 15 CRNs and up to 15 research-patients for interviews
End of recruitment date is 30 Dec 2028
Other Outcomes (1)
Addressing the Research Aims and Research Questions
3 years
Study Arms (2)
Clinical Research Nurses (CRN Group)
CRNs working in adult clinical research
Research-Patients
Research-patients currently participating or have previously participated in adult clinical research at the age of 18 (or over)
Interventions
Non-participant observations of clinical research visits
Eligibility Criteria
CRN, research-patients
You may qualify if:
- Research-patients aged above 18 years old.
- Research-patients currently participating or have previously participated in adult clinical research at the age of 18 (or over) at GSTT.
- Research-patients who are willing and able to provide informed consent.
- CRN willing and able to give consent.
You may not qualify if:
- Patients who showed an interest in taking part in research but were not recruited, e.g. due to screen failure, or ineligibility.
- Research-patients recruited to research via proxy consent, e.g., next of kin.
- Patients unable to provide informed consent, e.g., lacking mental capacity.
- Research-patients considered vulnerable or at risk of harm, by the research team
- Research-patients taking part in mental health or maternity trials or studies
- Research-patients not fluent in English or not able to converse well in English
- Clinical research midwives and clinical research nurses working in mental health, maternity, and paediatric research are excluded from this study.
- CRNs not willing or unable to give consent.
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trustlead
- King's College Londoncollaborator
Study Sites (1)
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
London, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
Interventions
Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Design
- Study Type
- observational
- Observational Model
- OTHER
- Time Perspective
- OTHER
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
June 17, 2026
First Posted
June 23, 2026
Study Start (Estimated)
August 30, 2026
Primary Completion (Estimated)
December 30, 2028
Study Completion (Estimated)
December 30, 2028
Last Updated
June 26, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-06