Patient Care

Clinical Nursing

The Mount Sinai General Clinical Research Center is a patient friendly 12-bed unit. Eight beds are private and 4 semi-private beds are located within 2 ambulatory/infusion rooms. The unit has a fully equipped examination room, a consultation room, a conference room and its own bionutrition kitchen.

The GCRC is designed to facilitate clinical research by Mount Sinai's faculty and is funded by a grant from the National Center for Research (NCRR) of the National Institute of Health (NIH).

The Principal Investigator or Co-Investigators of each research protocol serve as the referring physicians. Each investigator is on the Faculty of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and is a member of the medical staff of The Mount Sinai Hospital. The principal investigator, or his/her designated physician associate, is responsible for explaining the study design and protocol procedures, as well as obtaining written Informed Consent from each patient using an IRB approved form specific for the particular research protocol. A signed Consent form is necessary prior to admission to the GCRC and for the initiation of the research protocol. All IRB policies are strictly adhered to for all patients on the GCRC.

Research Fellows, House Officers and Nurse Practitioners working with the PI's collaborate in the daily medical care and management of the patients but the PI or designee has the ultimate responsibility for the patient. The PI or designee is available at all times for emergency situations. Senior Medical Residents are also available through the hospital page system in the event that the covering PI or designee is not in the hospital.

The GCRC is staffed with a team of three Family Nurse Practitioners (F.N.P.'s) and eleven Registered Nurses (R.N.'s). These nurses are specially trained to provide investigators with expert research nursing services required to conduct clinical research and FDA approved clinical trials. The GCRC nursing staff utilizes the Primary Protocol Nursing Model in which a specific nurse is assigned to a protocol as primary research nurse. This model ensures continuity of care for participants and overall satisfaction among investigators.

The N.P. staff on the GCRC are responsible for:

• Completion of history and physical exam for medical screenings, inpatient admissions, and episodic assessments.
• In collaboration with the Principal Investigators, diagnosis and treatment of actual/potential complications related to the initiation and completion of research protocols.
• Advanced Practice clinical support to the GCRC nurses on issues related to research protocols, actual and potential complications, and clinical practice.

The R.N. staff on the GCRC are responsible for:

• Initiation of study protocols and monitoring of participants throughout the course of research studies.
• Provision of appropriate clinical care activities such as, infusions, phlebotomy. EKG's, specimen processing, adverse event monitoring, and pertinent documentation as indicated.
• Provision of Patient Education for health promotion and disease prevention, in collaboration with the N.P.'s.

All the nursing staff on the GCRC is qualified to provide emergency health care. Each N.P. and R.N. is certified in Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).

For additional information please contact

Margaret A. Garrett-Herry M.S.N., F.N.P.
Nurse Manager
Tel: (212) 241-1515