Career Exploration Beyond the Bedside

December 2025

Welcome to this edition of The Nontraditional Nurse Newsletter!

The Nontraditional Nurse spotlight

After starting her career at the bedside, Teri Crumb stepped into the world of clinical research — and never looked back. Over the last 20+ years, she’s helped lead groundbreaking studies, supported countless families through clinical trials, and now runs her own consulting business. In this interview, she breaks down the realities of research nursing, from daily responsibilities and ethical oversight to career entry points and remote work potential.

Key Takeaways

Research nursing can still use real clinical skills, just in a different way.

Throughout her research work, Teri has assessed patients, started IVs, educated families, and collaborated with providers. You’re still a nurse, even if your scrubs get swapped for business casual.
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​Fulfillment doesn’t have to come from the bedside.

Clinical research offers purpose-driven work by helping bring new treatments to patients and pushing science forward, especially rewarding for those who value long-term impact.
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​Strong Communication and documentation are essential.

From writing protocols to educating families to handling audits, clear documentation and collaborative skills are core to the job.
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​Nurses play a key role in ethical oversight.

With a foundation in patient advocacy, research nurses ensure that studies are safe, ethical, and centered on the well-being of participants.
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​Strong communication and documentation are essential.

From writing protocols to educating families to handling audits, clear documentation and collaborative skills are core to the job.

Career Deep Dive

Clinical Research Nursing

A clinical research nurse plays a critical role in the development of new treatments, devices, and care approaches by coordinating and managing clinical trials involving human participants. They act as the liaison between patients, healthcare teams, and research sponsors — making sure that studies are conducted ethically, safely, and in full compliance with regulatory standards.

Unlike bedside nurses who focus on direct treatment, clinical research nurses ensure that study protocols are followed, participants are well-informed and protected, and data is collected accurately. They may help write or refine protocols, monitor for adverse events, and support patients from screening through post-study follow-up. The role combines nursing judgment, attention to detail, and patient advocacy with scientific curiosity and operational savvy.
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“ ​ I truly use nursing skills every day — I just use them in a different way. — Teri Crumb

Perks

• Continued Learning: Every study is different. You are constantly learning about new diseases, treatments, and innovations.
• Meaningful patient impact: You help bring cutting-edge therapies to patients who may have exhausted other options.
• Diverse day-to-day: Some days might be spent in scrubs drawing labs; others in meetings or managing logistics behind the scenes.
• Work-life balance: Many roles are Monday–Friday, with no weekends or holidays. Remote opportunities exist, especially with experience.
• Professional growth: Research experience can also open doors to roles in pharma, biotech, project management, education, and more.
• Transferrable skills: You’ll sharpen your assessment, education, documentation, and collaboration skills in new ways.

Challenges

• Misunderstood role: Many people (even inside hospitals) don’t know what research nurses do, which can lead to confusion, pushback, or lack of support.
• Navigating red tape: Research is highly regulated. Documentation is intense, and audits (especially FDA ones) can be high-stakes.
• Constant advocacy: You may need to repeatedly advocate for your role, your patients, and your right to operate within clinical spaces.
• Systems-level barriers: Organizational decisions often overlook research teams, making workflow changes harder to navigate.
• Steep learning curve: The research world comes with its own language, ethics, protocols, and expectations that take time to master.
• Remote work can feel isolating: While flexible, fully remote roles may lack the camaraderie and collaboration nurses are used to.

Work-life balance

One of the biggest perks of clinical research nursing is the schedule. A lot of these roles are Monday through Friday, daytime hours, with no weekends, holidays, or night shifts. For anyone coming from the chaos of bedside schedules, that kind of consistency can be a game changer.

Most research roles do start out in person, especially if you’re new to the field, but there are remote options too. Things like monitoring, education, or even consulting can become realistic once you’ve got some experience under your belt and feel confident in the regulatory side of things. Just remember that remote roles may require travel.

The day-to-day can really vary. Some days are more hands-on with patients and study visits, and others are more behind the scenes, like documentation and team meetings. That mix can keep things interesting. If you’re someone who enjoys learning and wants a role that still feels meaningful but more manageable, this path can offer really great balance long-term.

Nursing Skills that Translate

It’s important to note that not all clinical research coordinator roles require you to be a nurse, but nurses are uniquely positioned to be a huge asset in this space. If you’re considering a transition, here are several nursing skills you already have that can make you stand out.

These are also great to speak to in an interview:

Patient Advocacy​
Nurses are trained to prioritize safety, autonomy, and communication which are all essential when navigating informed consent and ensuring ethical research practices.

Thorough Documentation​
Bedside charting builds a strong foundation. In research, meticulous documentation is everything, especially if your study is ever audited by the FDA.

Education and Teaching​
Whether you’re explaining study protocols, medication side effects, or how to give an injection, patient and family education remains a core part of the role.

Assessment Skills​
Clinical trials require frequent patient assessments and monitoring. Your ability to notice subtle changes in condition is a valuable asset.

Collaboration & coordination
​Nurses know how to keep a care plan moving. In research, you’ll coordinate across sponsors, providers, ethics boards, and participants to keep the study on track.

Adaptability​
Protocols change, timelines shift, and no two studies are the same. Your ability to think on your feet and adjust to new workflows will serve you well here.

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How Much Experience Do you Need?

You don’t need prior research experience to land an entry-level clinical research nursing role. Many hospitals, academic medical centers, and research sites are open to hiring nurses with strong clinical backgrounds and a willingness to learn. If you have at least a year or two of bedside experience and can show strong communication, documentation, and patient advocacy skills, you’re already a competitive candidate. Networking, shadowing, or showing familiarity with research terminology can help you stand out even more.

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Getting Started:

Thinking about making the leap into clinical research? Here are a few practical ways to get started.

Shadow or connect with someone in the field
​Ask to observe a shift or set up an informational interview. Getting a behind-the-scenes look can help you decide if the role is a fit — and build your network at the same time.

Explore free resources
Start by browsing educational content from national professional organizations. The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) and the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) both offer articles, webinars, and videos to help you understand the field. SOCRA tends to have more resources tailored to nurses, but both are great places to begin learning the language and expectations of clinical research.

Learn the language of research
​As you explore free resources, be intentional about picking up the terminology used in clinical trials. Understanding phrases like protocol deviation, informed consent, and adverse event, will help you feel more confident and show potential employers that you’re serious about stepping into the field. You don’t need to master everything upfront, but getting familiar with the language will go a long way.

Start with an onsite role.
​While you may be able to land a remote role in certain circumstances, working onsite helps you build a strong foundation in research processes and lets you work directly with patients, investigators, and study teams. This experience not only sharpens your skills but also makes you a stronger candidate for remote or consulting roles down the road.

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Salary

The average salary for a Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator in the United States is approximately $92,000 per year (about $44/hour), with a typical range from $80,000 to $99,000 depending on experience, employer, and location (Data from salary.com.)

For more experienced roles — especially in major institutions, pharmaceutical research, or consulting — many coordinators earn well over $100,000, reflecting higher responsibility, specialized skills, or leadership roles.

Here’s how compensation tends to break out depending on setting and experience:

• Entry‑to‑mid level roles (hospital, academic center, outpatient research clinics) typically fall in the $75,000–$95,000 range.
• Senior roles, lead coordinators, or those working with large trials/pharma may reach $100,000–$130,000+, especially when factoring in bonuses, overtime, or differential pay.
• If you transition into consulting or contract work, earnings vary widely with scope and hours, but seasoned research nurses with strong skill sets tend to command competitive rates or consultant-level pay.

What influences pay: location, employer type (academic vs. industry vs. hospital), specialization (oncology, pediatrics, rare disease, etc.), years of experience, regulatory and documentation expertise, and whether the role includes supervisory, project‑management, or consulting duties.

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What to search for when job hunting.

When searching job boards, keep in mind that not all clinical research roles require an RN — and not all use the same title. Be sure to search for both Clinical Research Nurse and Clinical Research Coordinator to catch the full range of opportunities.

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Scholarship opportunity!

Scholarship opportunities

If you’re interested in pursuing clinical research but feel like cost is a barrier, check out the ACRP Scholarships and Grants.​

The ACRP offers multiple scholarships for underrepresented groups, career changers, and those pursuing certification or education in clinical research.

Thanks for reading!

If this resonated with you, consider forwarding it to a friend, a manager, or that one nurse who always asks why things are done a certain way. They might be just one research protocol away from discovering a whole new path in nursing.

We’d love to hear from you

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Appreciate you being here.

Ellie