IACRN
BOSTON-NE CHAPTER
Newsletter May 2023 -
BNE 10th anniversary edition
President's Message
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Happy spring! I hope that you all had a chance to take some time to participate in nurse’s week celebrations – I am always in awe of the accomplishments and talent of all of the great people in our profession including all of the amazing folks in our specialty area. Speaking of this, I hope that many of you were able to participate in our first regional conference, “Clinical Research Nurse Symposium: Ethical Dilemmas in Clinical Research”, that we co-sponsored with our colleagues from the MGH Research Nurse Collaborative, the New York City Chapter of IACRN, and The Rockefeller University Hospital Heilbrunn Family Center for Research Nursing. We were thrilled to have such an accomplished group of speakers and an impressive turnout of over 150 attendees from across the US. There was a lot of great information shared by our panelists followed by some engaging conversation. If you weren’t able to make it, we are working on posting the recording and slides, so more to follow about this.
Our June Chapter meeting is fast approaching and will be held the evening of June 8th. We will have a presentation: Alzheimer’s Disease: Drug Trials Targeting Amyloid Plaques and the Research Nurse’s Role”. Chapter updates will follow. For those who attend the presentation, contact hours will be available. Further details about the meeting can be found in this newsletter and on our website.
I’d be remiss if I did not shout out a HUGE thank you to our Education Committee for leading the charge to make sure that we can offer CEs for this and for future events.
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As many of you are aware, this week we kicked off our first Certification Portfolio Accountability Group. This group of peers will meet regularly to tackle the certification portfolio in a paced manner. I am confident that we will have a group of well-prepared portfolios being submitted this fall due to this effort. I am also confident that the success of this group will inspire us and our members to continue to come together to support each other by continuing this effort.
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Looking ahead, we will continue to offer programming that will include CEs including an offering this Fall (date TBD) and at our final Chapter meeting of the year scheduled for November 9th at 5 PM. Please feel free to reach out if you have ideas for presentations or have something that you would like to share.
This Chapter is for all of you – a place where we can come together to share our experience, provide opportunities for collaboration, and a place to network. Thanks to all of you for the work that you do – we look forward to seeing you at next month’s meeting!
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any suggestions or questions or if you’d like to get more involved in the Chapter. You can find me at aconnor@bidmc.harvard.edu .
Best wishes,
Ann
Celebrating 10 years of
Boston-New England IACRN!
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the BNE chapter, we are featuring a Founding Member Spotlight in our 2023 newsletters!
Read on to see how our founders reflect on their journey as a CRN and their involvement with IACRN.
Catherine Griffith PhD, RN
Why/how did you choose a role in Clinical Research Nursing?
Looking back, I think Clinical Research Nursing chose me. My background is critical care. In every ICU that I worked in, patients participated in research, either for investigative new devices, new medications, or new surgical procedures. I posed endless questions to each of the study teams related to the “what for” and whys” of the different studies. Eventually one of the RN coordinators encouraged me to follow him around. After observing “routine” days of the different study team role groups, I made the transition to clinical research nursing, and a new world opened up for me.
What advice do you have for someone who is new to the CRN role?
Here are my Seven Steps for new CRNs to take in becoming highly effective in their new role:
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1) Join IACRN and get involved.
2) Attend the annual conference and get a seat at the “new member” table (register for Early bird to get the discount).
3) Look at the IACRN website and find a committee to join; then volunteer for something.
4) Join the local IACRN chapter in your area. If there is no local chapter, then either start one, or go to the IACRN website and ask one of the Chapters if you can attend by Zoom.
5) Join the IACRN Leadership Program. It is never too early or too late to learn leadership skills.
6) Answer the “Call for IACRN Conference Abstract Reviewers.” But, you say you don’t know how to review abstracts? That is not a barrier because the Abstract Subcommittee will teach you!
7) Have fun and flourish in your new nursing Specialty.
Mary Larkin, MS, RN, CRN-BC
Why was founding IACRN important to you personally and professionally?
Having been a CRN for many years prior to having a professional association, I always felt like something was missing in my professional atmosphere. Connecting with other CRNs was challenging since many of us work alone or in small units. IACRN has met a need in terms of building a practice community and a place where CRNs can connect and learn from one another. This is important not only for social and professional reasons but to be able to advance the profession and heighten visibility of CRNs in the research world.
What IACRN project are you most proud of participating in?
I have served in many positions with IACRN. I’m very proud of having been elected as President and being able to shape and grow the organization. Being able to connect with and learn from CRNs throughout the world is very powerful.
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How has the CRN specialty changed in the past 10 years?
There have been immense changes! The voice and reach of CRNs has expanded and been heard. CRNs are natural leaders and have an impactful role in bringing new treatments to the clinical arena. Much of this is due to having a professional organization that represents our specialty.
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What is your hope for IACRN in the next 10 years?
IACRN has strong leadership and representation from around the world. Using technology and virtual connectivity and encouraging collaboration will advance the specialty for all. My hope is that every CRN chooses IACRN as a place to share their expertise and passion.
Thank you Catherine and Mary!
Read our upcoming August issue for more Founding Member Spotlights!
Save the Date
Boston-New England
Chapter Meeting
June 8, 2023
It May Be Time to Renew your Boston-NE Chapter Membership!
