Cancer care and the research nurse

Abstract

While there have been notable advances in the treatments and prognoses of certain types of cancer over recent years, the need for research to identify effective therapies for more resistant forms remains paramount. Yvonne Willems and Lindsey Gumbrell outline the critical roles nurses perform in the design and execution of research trials, their particular emphasis being that the nurse's primary function is to ensure benefits for individual patients. They argue that nurses must remain aware of research in order to advise and inform patients appropriately.