Nursing

The GCRC nursing staff works as an integral part of the research team. Their primary responsibility is the implementation of protocol specific procedures while insuring the comfort and safety of study subjects. They are experts at managing diverse populations of subjects ranging from children to the elderly. Their clinical practice focuses on protocol requirements and the specialized skill sets needed to achieve successful outcomes in research. Scientific knowledge, standards of care and an established code of ethics guide the nursing practice in the GCRC.

The nursing staff of the GCRC is comprised of Registered Nurses (RNs) and Patient Care Associates (PCAs) whose experience in the GCRC ranges from 3 to 30 years. This provides a solid base of knowledge and expertise. The nurses and PCA staff support the Yale New Haven Hospital principle of Striving for Excellence and develop expertise in managing different aspects of studies. The nursing staff maintains communication with investigators to insure accuracy in performance of the studies.

The staff's educational development is comprised of competencies that meet the needs of each protocol. All nurses maintain excellent interviewing and assessment skills fundamental to collecting reliable data via a variety of tools. As protocol coordinators, they focus on issues pertaining to informed consent, clinical practice, resource management, staff education, quality assurance, customer satisfaction and the establishment of good relationships within the institution and the New Haven community.

Clinical Work requires expertise in:

In addition to routine skill sets, the present nursing staff has 4 RNs with chemotherapy certification, 4 RNs with Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification and 3 RNs with Pediatric Life Support (PALS) certifications. The GCRC nurses complete ongoing, mandatory annual competencies required of YNHH staff. They have enhanced their research education by completing the GCRC staff education modules created by the national GCRC Nurse Managers' organization and all participate in JCAHO, IRB and HIPAA training. As part of their continuing education, nurses receive special training in GCRC Guidelines, human subject protection, informed consent, protocol management and study techniques.

The ever changing environment demands flexibility and creativity in staff schedules allowing the GCRC to manage both inpatient and outpatient studies, some of which involve travel to offsite locations.

Several of the nurses are members of professional organizations while others participate in University and Hospital activities. This exposure to other clinical providers imparts a solid base of experience and enhances negotiations and teamwork within the institution.

Please contact Tahiry Sanchez, RN, Patient Services Manager, with any questions or concerns:
Phone: 688-7598        Location: 10-521c East Pavilion.