BACKGROUND Clinical research is increasing across the United Kingdom. Within the context of a shortage of nurses, trusts have struggled to maintain research capacity. In order to meet staffing demands, trusts have increasingly turned to Clinical Research Practitioners (CRPs) to assist in the delivery of clinical research. Initially an ad hoc workforce, the CRP role is being formalised and professionalised. This study is a close examination of the clinical research delivery workforce at one research-intensive acute trust in the United Kingdom, with a focus on the emerging CRP staff group. METHODS The study was conducted in a large inner-city teaching hospital (acute trust) in London, United Kingdom. Data were collected between September and December 2017. Twenty-five staff were interviewed across 11 different directorates. Interviews were semi-structured with an overall focus on research staff backgrounds and roles, as well as their perceptions and experiences of careers in research. The data were managed using NVivo 11 software and analysed thematically. RESULTS CRPs are drawn from a wider pool of educational and employment backgrounds than their nurse colleagues, and actively seek out work in health research. CRPs receive on-the-job training to acquire the competencies that are necessary for them to carry out their work. The CRP role, which began in an ad hoc manner, has become regularised, yet remains to be well defined, which can be a source of frustration for CRPs and those who work with them. CONCLUSIONS The professionalisation of the CRP workforce represents an opportunity for the health research system to employ research workers who possess a range of in-demand skills and to shore up research capacity in the context of the shortage of nurses.

中文翻译：

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“像护士，而不是护士”：临床研究从业人员以及NHS中临床研究提供人员的发展情况。

背景技术整个英国的临床研究正在增加。在护士短缺的情况下，信托机构一直在努力维持研究能力。为了满足人员需求，越来越多的信任转向临床研究从业人员（CRP），以协助进行临床研究。最初是临时工，CRP的角色正在正规化和专业化。这项研究是对英国一个研究密集型急性信任组织的临床研究交付人员的仔细检查，重点是新兴的CRP工作人员群体。方法该研究在英国伦敦的一家大型市中心教学医院（急性信任）中进行。在2017年9月至2017年12月之间收集了数据。在11个不同的理事会中对25名员工进行了采访。访谈是半结构化的，总体上侧重于研究人员的背景和角色，以及他们对研究职业的看法和经验。使用NVivo 11软件管理数据并进行专题分析。结果CRP来自比其护士同事更广泛的教育和就业背景，并积极寻找健康研究方面的工作。CRP接受在职培训以获得其开展工作所必需的能力。以特殊方式开始的CRP角色已经规范化，但仍有待明确定义，这可能会使CRP及其合作者感到沮丧。