Oncology Clinical Research Nurse

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Clinical Research Nurse

Job Description

The Clinical Research Nurse supports either the Thoracic or Hematology/Stem Cell Transplant research team within a comprehensive cancer program. This role focuses on direct patient-facing clinical research activities rather than administrative tasks, including patient identification, consent support, treatment plan coordination, and close collaboration with physicians, pharmacists, coordinators, and inpatient teams. The nurse plays a key role in ensuring safe, high-quality delivery of research-related care for patients with complex oncology and blood diseases while contributing to the growth and continuous improvement of the research program.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Thoracic or Hematology/Stem Cell Transplant research team to support clinical trials and research protocols.
• Attend tumor boards and work with the care team to help identify potential research participants.
• Assist with the informed consent process, ensuring patients understand study requirements and procedures.
• Help develop and implement treatment plans aligned with research protocols and clinical standards.
• For new protocols, partner with the pharmacy team and provider/principal investigator to support final approval and implementation.
• See patients during clinic visits and provide research-related clinical care and monitoring.
• For oral (pill) outpatient treatments, perform all required follow-up blood draws and pharmacokinetic (PK) draws while the patient is in the clinic.
• For infusion-based treatments, collaborate closely with infusion nurses to ensure all follow-up labs, blood draws, and protocol-required assessments are completed accurately and on time.
• Access and, with experience, deaccess patient ports safely and competently for research-related procedures.
• Perform electrocardiograms (ECGs/EKGs) as needed when not completed by coordinators.
• Work closely with the inpatient care team to provide training, guidance documents, and protocol instructions for research participants who are hospitalized.
• Coordinate with data and regulatory teams, providing clinical information and support while not performing data entry or regulatory documentation directly.
• Follow protocol-specific schedules, assessment tools, and treatment plans, adapting to the complexity and variety of oncology and blood diseases, particularly on the Hematology team.
• On the Thoracic team, manage patients requiring frequent vital sign monitoring, ECGs, and lab draws, maintaining close observation as required by study protocols.
• Flex work hours to meet patient and protocol needs, including occasionally staying past standard clinic hours to support late patient visits or extended infusion schedules.
• Participate in ongoing process improvement, training, and collaboration efforts to enhance research workflows and patient care within the program.

Essential Skills

• Active Registered Nurse (RN) licensure.
• At least 2 years of RN experience in oncology, critical care, or emergency department settings.
• Clinical research or oncology experience in a direct patient care environment.
• Strong clinical assessment skills and comfort managing patients with complex oncology and blood diseases.
• Ability to safely access and, with training, deaccess implanted ports and similar vascular access devices.
• Competence in performing and interpreting basic vital signs and supporting ECG/EKG procedures.
• Ability to follow detailed research protocols, schedules, and treatment plans accurately.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with physicians, pharmacists, coordinators, and inpatient teams.
• Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time effectively, and adapt to changing patient and protocol needs.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced clinical research environment with occasionally extended days.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Oncology clinical research experience, particularly within hematology, stem cell transplant, or blood diseases.
• Experience working in bone marrow transplant (BMT) or with a broad range of blood disorders.
• Experience caring for patients with lung cancer or thoracic malignancies.
• Familiarity with pharmacokinetic (PK) sampling and research-related lab workflows.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams in an academic or large health system setting.
• Interest in contributing to process improvement, training, and the growth of a research program.
• Ability to adapt to a wide variety of assessment tools, disease types, and treatment plans, especially on the Hematology team.

Work Environment

The position is based at a large, growing research-focused health system. The environment is highly collaborative, with dedicated support from research coordinators, data and regulatory teams, pharmacy, and inpatient staff, allowing nurses to focus primarily on direct patient care and protocol execution rather than administrative tasks. The schedule offers a flexible start time, typically between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM, with the ability to adjust hours based on patient and study needs. Patient visits and certain studies may require extended days with the opportunity to flex time later in the week when feasible. Over time and after successful completion of an orientation period (approximately 90 days), limited scheduling flexibility may be available, such as one remote workday per week or an alternative schedule (for example, four 10-hour shifts), depending on team needs and role responsibilities. The culture emphasizes growth in research, investment in leadership and support infrastructure, and continuous improvement of processes, training, and workflows. As a consultant, the nurse is eligible to accrue up to four weeks of vacation in the first year, reflecting a commitment to work-life balance within a demanding but rewarding clinical research setting.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Detroit, MI.

The pay range for this position is $38.00 - $48.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in Detroit,MI.

This position is anticipated to close on May 15, 2026.

At Actalent, diversity and inclusion are a bridge towards the equity and success of our people. DE&I is embedded into our culture through:

• Hiring diverse talent
• Maintaining an inclusive environment through persistent self-reflection
• Building a culture of care, engagement, and recognition with clear outcomes
• Ensuring growth opportunities for our people

Actalent is an equal opportunity employer.

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