Nurse Researcher
Job Description
Unlike registered nurses or nurse educators, nurse researchers are scientists devoted to the study of the many different aspects of health care.
The goal of the nurse researcher is to use the information they have acquired through their studies to improve the delivery of health care to patients.
In addition to research pertaining directly to nursing, these researchers also study disease, health in general, and the outcome of health care post medical treatment.
Responsibilities
Grants are one of the tools that nurse researchers employ in order to carry out their work, and grant writing is one of the skills that these researchers require in order to get the funding needed.
Many nurse researchers work in colleges, universities, and hospitals and often combine their research with teaching.
The results of the nurse researcher’s efforts are published in professional journals pertaining to nursing or medicine.
Those who become nurse researchers often begin their professional life as research assistants, clinical research monitors, or clinical data coordinators.
The studies and research carried on by nurse researchers has direct bearing on a number of aspects of health care: how to more efficiently provide health care services, assuring patient safety and comfort, dealing with end of life issues with patients, helping patients with chronic health problems, and encouraging patients to engage in a healthier lifestyle.
Nurse researchers provide information on improving prenatal care, cancer treatment, pain management, and recovery from surgery.
Skills
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Management |
Must manage time, job duties, people, and personal life efficiently. This is a super important skill to have because people will look to you for answers and direction, so you must be able to management the people under you and divide your time between the many facets of your life. |
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Teaching |
Must be able to teach and show others how to do what you know how to do. Part of your commitment to advancing science is to teach others how to do the same. If you're a professor or not, you must be able to teach. |
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Integrity |
You have to uphold the public's trust in you as a Nurse and a Researcher to deliver the best care and develop the best treatments and advances. You have people's lives in your hands, so you cannot mishandle that trust and responsibility. |
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Commitment to Advancing Science and Medicine |
Must be focused on advancing medicine, improving procedures, and finding solutions to problems regarding specific illnesses or treatment regimine. |
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Service-Oriented |
Must be dedicated to helping people. Basically everything you do is for the care and benefit of others, so if you don't like people, you probably would have a hard time doing this job. Plus, if your motivation is helping people, you could use that motivation to innovate medicine. |
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Empathy |
In your duties as a care provider, you will have to empathize and understand your patients. It will help you understand motivations and reasoning behind why certain things happen and help in determining directions for your research. |
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Commitment to Continuing Education |
Must constantly be learning more and engaging in the scientific and medical community to stay current on and progress medical science. Many Nurse-Researchers have PhDs along with their medical credentials. You will be involved in academia so you will always be involved with learning. |
Working Conditions
Not necessarily confined to one workplace setting, nurse researchers often find employment at hospitals, universities, laboratories, or research facilities.
In many cases, a project will be self-limiting, especially if a grant has been provided for it. While some nurse researchers may have a permanent appointment, many nurse researchers travel from one project to the next.
This is why competent grant writing should be looked on as a prerequisite for any nurse researcher.
Becoming a nurse researcher is the perfect career for those who enjoy delving through facts and data to arrive at a solution to a problem or a template for improved health care.
Writing skills are needed for this career and the nurse researcher will not only provide articles and the results of studies to professional journals, but will also be called upon to address meetings and conferences.
Nurse researchers are among the most highly compensated in the nursing field, and often supplement their research income by contributing to textbooks, writing books of their own, or writing for medical, nursing, or healthcare publications.
Salary Outlook
| Estimated Annual Salary | Average Hourly Wage | Positions Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| $64,692.00 | $31.10 | 13,000 |