Celebrating the value and impact of research nurses on #NursesDay 2025

International Nurses Day is a celebration of the skill, dedication and impact of nursing in a vast variety of settings, from GP surgeries to hospitals, care homes and prisons. 

Today, 12 May, research nurses from across Wales have come together to celebrate the profession, sharing their thoughts on what makes research so rewarding, the important role they play in delivering new studies and trials – and some things about their role you may not know! 

We asked Rebecca Weston-Thomas, Cancer Research UK Lead Nurse for Wales at Health and Care Research Wales what she was most proud of about research nursing. 

She said: “My current role as the CRUK Lead Nurse for Wales started following my career as a Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma specialist nurse. Both diseases have a very poor outcome. Due to my experiences as a specialist nurse, I learnt how important research is to improve patient outcomes.   

Now that I have moved into research , I can influence the availability and accessibility of trials across Wales. I want to be part of a system where patients have access to clinical trials no matter their location, social status, gender, ethnicity, or any other factors. I also want to show that research is for everyone, not just the select few. Everyone can play their part in research and be a part of improving the future for all.” 

Jayne Goodwin, National Head of Research Delivery NMAHPs at Health and Care Research Wales and co-lead of the PRIORITY project, said that research nurses had play a crucial role in setting up clinical trials due to the relationships they have with their patients. 

She added: “Clinical research nursing has become a globally-recognised community and specialism with increasing emphasis and value placed on research delivery in policy and practice.  

Research nurses are crucial to the assessment of whether trials are suitable in particular clinical settings and communities as they have expert knowledge of how clinical services and pathways operate.  

They are also crucial in identifying participants for trials. They have the clinical expertise to assess whether patients might be eligible for trials, and through their relationships with patients they can fully discuss treatment options so that the patient makes informed decisions about taking part in research that suits them as an individual.” 

Jade Cole is Critical Care Research and Development Lead at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Health and Care Research Wales’ Specialty Lead for Critical Care. She said she was proud of research nurses’ ability to improving outcomes on a global scale – and wanted to challenge a common misconception about the role. 

Jade said, “Research nurses are fundamental to good quality research taking place. Through research we can improve treatments and outcomes for patients all over the world, from any specialty. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, research nurses were pivotal in working tirelessly to help find effective treatments that improved patient outcomes worldwide. 

“There’s a common misconception that research nurses spend the majority of their time collecting data and don’t get to work with patients. It’s actually a very clinical and patient-facing role where you get to expand your knowledge and skills as each new trial comes along.” 

Jayne Goodwin agreed, saying, “Research nurses are not just there to read literature and gather data. We are embedded in patient care, advocacy, and decision-making.  

Behind every trial result, there is a team of research nurses ensuring that those patients are treated as individuals and their voices are heard.”