Nurse researcher careers require a significant time investment. It takes at least six years of education to earn an MSN and seven years for a doctorate. In addition, most MSN and doctoral programs require at least two years of experience as an RN.
Nurse researcher jobs offer an excellent option for nurses who enjoy analyzing information and making new discoveries. Nurse researchers add to nursing professional knowledge and bring about better healthcare outcomes.
Nurse researcher jobs involve designing and carrying out research studies, either through new data that they create or from existing research. The following is a list of nurse researcher responsibilities:
Image: JGI/Tom Grill / Getty Images
Nurse researchers work in academic medical centers, government agencies, and other healthcare providers.
Nurse researchers in academic medical centers conduct research, publish results, and teach undergraduate or graduate students.
In government agencies, these professionals perform research, share findings, and publish results internally or externally.
Nurse researchers working in publishing select articles for publication, review methodology and validity, and edit articles in collaboration with authors.
Research nurse jobs add to professional knowledge and help nurses to do their jobs with evidence-based research, improving healthcare outcomes. Nursing research doesn’t include the same physical demands as clinical nursing and offers more predictable schedules. However, nurse research jobs typically do not pay as much as clinical nursing roles.
Becoming a nurse researcher requires developing skills in research methodology, informatics, statistics, and nursing itself.
The annual median research nurse salary is $81,500. Generally, nurse researchers with doctoral degrees earn more than those with master’s-level education. Some research nurse professionals in academia qualify for tenure. In general, clinical research associates earn a median salary of $66,930, while certified clinical research professionals earn an average salary of $72,430. However, because of the RN credential, nurse researchers with these certifications generally earn above the average or median for those positions.
Find State-Specific Salary Data HereNurse researcher careers require a significant time investment. It takes at least six years of education to earn an MSN and seven years for a doctorate. In addition, most MSN and doctoral programs require at least two years of experience as an RN.
Nursing research finds the most effective approaches to nursing and improves the outcomes for nurses, patients, and healthcare organizations. It builds the body of knowledge for nurse education.
Professional responsibilities include protecting human or animal subjects in their research, designing studies that produce valid results, accurately reporting results, and sharing findings through publishing.
Research nurse jobs offer opportunities for advancement in the academic or research field, such as becoming primary investigator on studies of increasing scope and importance, advancement in administration, or receiving tenure as a professor or college instructor.
IACRN improves nursing research, supports nurse researchers, and offers professional development. It also grants board certification to clinical research nurses by portfolio. Research nurses can be full members and RNs or equivalent who are not active researchers can become associate members.
This U.S. government agency, as part of the National Institutes of Health, conducts and supports research, offers training in research methodologies, and provides significant funding for nursing research.
ACRP is one of the most prominent certifying organizations for clinical researchers. It also offers educational resources, networking opportunities, and a job board. It has approximately 13,000 nurse researchers and other clinical researcher members around the globe.
SOCRA provides educational and professional development opportunities, publishes a journal, offers certification for clinical research professionals, features a job board with nursing research job listings, and hosts networking events. Membership is open to all clinical researchers.
Nicole Galan, RN, MSN is a registered nurse who started in a general medical/surgical care unit and then moved to infertility care where she worked for almost 10 years. She has also worked for over 13 years as a freelance writer specializing in consumer health sites and educational materials for nursing students. Galan currently works as a full-time freelancer and recently earned her master’s degree in nursing education from Capella University.
Feature Image: FatCamera / E+ / Getty Images
Whether you’re looking to get your pre-licensure degree or taking the next step in your career, the education you need could be more affordable than you think. Find the right nursing program for you.
Resources and articles written by professionals and other Nurses like you.
Show your appreciation during National Nurses Week (and whenever!) by giving your favorite nurse a thoughtful gift. Find a list of the best gifts for nurses here.
Want to impact policy on nursing and healthcare? Learn more about health policy nurse jobs, including how to become a health policy nurse and salary expectations.
Medical assistants enjoy strong job growth projections and satisfying work. This guide describes what they do and how to become a medical assistant.