Clinical Paediatric Research Nurse – Children’s Health Ireland at Connolly Hospital – Full Time

This position is based in Children’s Health Ireland at Connolly Hospital, under the guidance of Principal Investigator, Professor Jonathan Hourihane. The appointee will work as part of an established multidisciplinary paediatric research team based in RCSI, conducting the FLORAL project. This project, funded by Science Foundation Ireland’s Frontiers for the Future Programme to run from 2024 to 2028 has 2 arms: to review at 5 years of age, 360 CORAL study children who were born in the first COVID-19 lockdown in March-May 2020 and to recruit 1000 infants in 3 Dublin maternity hospitals and, to replicate CORAL, examine their gut microbiome and allergy and neurodevelopmental outcomes to 2 years of age.

The successful candidate will have responsibility to conduct all aspects of the clinical study at Children’s Health Ireland at Connolly Hospital. Conducting patient visits, biobanking, processing of biomaterial, data collection and management, and attendance to relevant meetings, will be the central role. Training onto the study protocols will be provided. Dynamic, flexible applicants with a strong clinical skill-set are invited to apply for this position.

Specific Duties

• Assist in participant recruitment

• To coordinate and track participant follow-up visits

• Ensure parents and participants (as appropriate) are fully informed of all details pertaining to the research study

• Collection and processing of blood and stool samples

• Conduct allergy skin prick testing and food challenges

• Data management, including data entry and self-audit

• Develop relationships with key paediatric and neurological teams, and clinical allergy services

• Attend relevant meetings (including weekly research team meetings)

• Conduct all aspects of the clinical study under ICH GCP and GDPR standards

• Work within standard operating procedures and research protocols associated with the study

• Arrange sample transfer to team members or collaborators

• Review research protocols and provide input to site study feasibility

• Carry out other duties as appropriate to the post that may be assigned by the Principal Investigator

Qualifications/ Experience (Essential):

• BSc Degree in Nursing

• Experience in Paediatric Nursing

• Nurses should hold a current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland

Required skills

• The ability to work within in a safe manner, ensuring professional accountability and adherence to hospital ethics, policies and protocol

• Excellent phlebotomy skills

• Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft Office, Excel

• Have excellent oral and written communication skills

• Have excellent organisational skills and meticulous record keeping

• Have the interpersonal skills required to integrate as part of a diverse research team

• The ability to work independently under self-direction

Desirable

• Certificate in Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP)

• Microsoft Access database experience

• Proven clinical research experience, including recruitment, phlebotomy and patient data management