The importance of nurses goes beyond seeing patients in clinics

Each year, important healthcare providers are recognized for their work during Nurses Week, May 6 – 12. When many people think of nurses, they often imagine the ones they encounter in an outpatient doctor’s office or in a hospital. At Baylor College of Medicine, there are many different types of nurses, all contributing to the advancement of health and science. Keep reading to learn more about two types of nurses that many people may be less familiar with.

Research nurse

A research nurse is a healthcare professional who combines nursing expertise with research skills to participate in clinical trials and studies, working with other researchers to develop and implement new treatments and procedures. They play a vital role in ensuring the safety and well-being of participants while contributing to the advancement of medical knowledge.

Dawn Smith, B.S.N., R.N., is a research nurse at Baylor in the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center where she works in the hematology/oncology unit at Harris Health’s Smith Clinic. In her role, her responsibilities include screening, enrolling and evaluating patients who participate in a research study. She coordinates study visits, treatments, labs, diagnostic procedures, specimen collection and patient follow-up.

She explains the gratifying teamwork that occurs behind the scenes to make sure patients are well informed and prepared to participate in a clinical trial. It includes coordinating with people in regulatory and finance roles as well as other research coordinators and principal investigators. “A lot of preparation has to occur prior to seeing a patient so that the experience is as smooth and seamless as possible for our patients,” Smith said. “They are fighting for their lives, so we must make sure that they are comfortable and have a thorough understanding of the research study. “

The best part of her position? That’s easy – seeing patients with a successful outcome.

“As a research nurse I have gained valuable insight into the intricacies of cancer research, and the best part is witnessing a patient on a clinical trial find success that they could not achieve with traditional standard of care treatment. That is when you get to tell yourself, ‘It was all worth it.’”

IT nurse

Technology today plays a significant part in people’s lives, so it should be no surprise that nursing, too, has evolved to encompass technology. At Baylor, Anna Newman, R.N., is lead clinical information systems analyst in the Office of Information Technology. She was working at Baylor as a clinical nurse during implementation of Epic, the electronic health record system widely used by healthcare organizations to manage patient information and clinical operations.

A nurse at Baylor for 19 years, she has been in IT for the last 10 years, during which time she has earned important Epic certifications. Having experience in the clinic and in IT helps her to better understand the challenges and needs of Epic users and how to use system tools to make improvements. “The improvements we make in Epic can trickle down to create a more positive experience for our Baylor patients, so I still feel like I’m helping patients with the work I’m doing in IT.”

For Newman, having the flexibility to choose different paths has been the best thing about nursing, and about Baylor.

“I love that Baylor supports different roles for nurses. It’s because of the opportunities that Baylor provides that I have the best of both worlds professionally. I get to partner with remarkable people on the clinical side to help improve the experience of our providers, support staff and patients. I also have the privilege of working with and learning from the absolute best and brightest people that make up BCM IT.”

By Dana Benson