Research Nurse

Advert

Research Nurse
Division of Infection and Immunity
School of Medicine
College of Biomedical and Life Sciences
The Diabetes Research Group is inviting applications for a Research Nurse position to aid the recruitment and blood sample collection for Type 1 diabetes clinical research studies evaluating how blood immune cells change in the morning vs evening, and how this influences the success of therapy in adults. Candidates should have a nursing or equivalent postgraduate/professional qualification, good communication skills and experience in blood taking and clinical research/recruitment.

The post-holder will be a member of the expanding and vibrant Diabetes Research Group, within the Division of Infection and Immunity (based at Heath Park Campus), that includes research groups of Dr James Alexander Pearson, Professor F. Susan Wong and Professor Colin Dayan. They will work alongside a current Research Nurse and become a key team player within the group which also comprises clinician scientists, postdoctoral research fellows, a senior research technician and a technician/PhD student.

Dr Pearson’s laboratory is currently supported by a Medical Research Council Grant (MR/T010525/1).
Applicants should have a Nursing degree or equivalent Professional qualification/experience.

For further information candidates should contact Dr James Alexander Pearson ([email protected]).
This post is full time (35 hours per week), available from 08/01/2024 and fixed term for two years. Flexible working is required due to the nature of the research, and will require early (7-9am) and late (7-9pm) sample collection. Work pattern can be discussed and agreed at appointment.

Salary: £39,347 - £44,263 per annum (Grade 6). Appointments to roles at Cardiff University are usually made at bottom of scale unless in exceptional circumstances.

Date advert posted: Thursday, 30 November 2023

Closing date: Thursday, 4 January 2024

Cardiff University offers many excellent benefits, including 45 days annual leave (incl bank holidays), local pension scheme, a cycle to work scheme and other travel initiatives, annual increments within the pay scale, and more. It is an exciting and vibrant place to work, with many different challenges and is a proud Living Wage supporter.

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds.  We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at:  Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University

Job Description

Job Purpose

Support the University within the Cardiff Diabetes Research Group in recruitment of people with Type 1 diabetes for morning and evening blood sample collection for immune therapy studies, carrying out supporting work, providing advice, guidance and support, and leading projects within this area.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Duties

• To assist in the set up of, and recruitment of adults with newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes (<1 year post-diagnosis) or those with established type 1 diabetes (>1 year post-diagnosis) for Immune cell studies in Type 1 diabetes (IST1D).
• Provide professional advice and guidance on Cardiff Diabetes Research Group’s ongoing studies for study participant recruitment processes and procedures to internal and external customers, including patients, that will have institute wide impacts, using judgement and creativity to suggest the most appropriate course of action where appropriate, and ensuring complex and conceptual issues are understood.
• Take responsibility for resolving issues relevant to the specialist nurse research requirements of clinical studies and other studies where they fall within set role objectives.
• Investigate and analyse specific issues within Cardiff Diabetes Research Group’s participant recruitment, creating recommendation reports, supported by advances within clinical trials and other study designs.
• Ensure that the provision of Cardiff Diabetes Research Group’s clinical studies are delivered to the institution, proactively changing the delivery according to customer requirements.
• Establish working relationships with key contacts, developing appropriate communication links with the University’s Schools/Directorates and outside bodies as required.
• Create specific working groups from colleagues across the University to achieve Cardiff Diabetes Research Group objectives.
• Plan and deliver specific small scale projects, co-ordinating and supervising project teams created as needed.
• Develop and deliver training within clinical trials and other studies.
• Undertake a variety of administrative duties to support the department.
• Instruct and guide other employees across the University within the scope of research nursing within the Cardiff Diabetes Research Group.
• To keep up to date with Research Governance requirements and Good Clinical Practice training.

General Duties

• To effectively communicate and liaise with patients and research teams.
• Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties.
• Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity.
• Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Qualifications and Education

1.    Nursing degree or equivalent Professional qualification/experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

2.    Excellent phlebotomy skills.
3.    Experience of recruiting to clinical research studies including taking consent.
4.    Experience of clinical management of patients with diabetes, including type 1 diabetes and ability to demonstrate professional knowledge (including key advances) within type 1 diabetes to give advice and guidance to internal and external customers.
5.    Proven experience in developing new processes and procedures.

Customer Service, Communication and Team Working

6.    Ability to communicate conceptually detailed and complex information effectively and professionally with a wide range of people, which will include patients, researchers, research nurses and clinicians.
7.    Proven ability to develop networks in order to contribute to long term developments and evidence of ability to explore the needs of the Cardiff Diabetes Research Group, as well as study participants, and adapt the service accordingly to ensure a quality service is delivered.

Planning, Analysis and Problem solving

8.    Evidence of ability to solve expansive problems using initiative and creativity; identify and propose both practical and innovative solutions.
9.    Evidence of ability to undertake and deliver specific projects and supervise short term project teams.

Desirable Criteria 

10.    Experience of clinical research nursing working or within the Higher Education environment.
11.    Experience of working with patients soon after diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.
12.    Advanced training in diabetes clinical management.
13.    Fluency in Welsh, written and oral.

Additional Information

IMPORTANT: Evidencing Criteria
It is the School of Medicine's policy to use the person specification as a key tool for short-listing. Candidates should evidence that they meet ALL of the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable. As part of the application process you will be asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement.

Please ensure when submitting this document / attaching it to your application profile you name it with the vacancy reference number, in this instance for this post, 17729BR

If candidates do not provide written evidence of meeting all of the essential criteria then their application will not be progressed. The School of Medicine welcome the submission of CVs to accompany evidence of the job-based criteria.

Job Category

Academic - Research, Medical & Dental