Research nurses share experience of rapid transition to COVID-19 studies

Clinical research nurses Barbara Campbell and Jill Deane have described the swift shift in hospital operations following the arrival of COVID-19. Before the pandemic, the team focused on long-term studies involving gastrointestinal health and screening pathways.

When the pandemic emerged, the research department faced an immediate transition. While initial plans had been made for staff to potentially support front-line clinical roles, the focus shifted toward delivering urgent public health research. The team began prioritising clinical trials aimed at identifying treatments for the virus.

Operating from the Middlefield Centre, the staff integrated into a dedicated COVID-19 research team. This involved daily briefings to manage rapidly changing research priorities while ensuring that existing studies were safely paused and documented.

The team noted that even when research findings do not lead to new innovations, providing evidence to support existing practices remains a critical part of their work in improving patient outcomes.

Archive source: This story is based on reporting originally published by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust on 2020-10-04. The original source image has been retained and credited.