The nurse's changing role in clinical research

The possibility of systematically sharing clinical data more quickly and effectively has increased its potential to be used in research and, as a result of changes in policy over the last decade, all nurses can now be involved in clinical research. To do this, they must think actively about the quality of data they gather, as it becomes increasingly visible to more users and can be used many times for multiple purposes. This article outlines how the research environment has changed and the implications for clinical practice.