Clinical Trial Nurse

Lupus Foundation of America•Washington, DC

5h•$0 - $87•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. (LFA) is seeking an exceptionally compassionate, culturally competent Registered Nurse to serve as the Lupus Clinical Trial Navigator. This role supports a bi-directional partnership between the LFA and academic medical centers conducting lupus clinical trials. The contractor will be a member of the research team and report directly to the VP of Research. This grant-funded role is central to advancing health equity and improving the lives of people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by improving access to clinical research opportunities. The Navigator will be the primary liaison between the Research Accelerated by You (RAY) Lupus Patient Registry and active lupus clinical trials. Working at the intersection of clinical care, patient advocacy, and research operations, this individual will guide registry participants through the education, screening, and enrollment stages of the clinical trial process. This is a mission-driven opportunity to directly impact clinical research diversity while building relationships with patients from underrepresented communities disproportionately affected by lupus. The nurse-navigator must maintain a great work ethic and display productivity, working both independently and as part of a team in a hybrid and/or remote environment. The individual will work in cooperation with the research team to facilitate collaboration across academic partners and people living with lupus. This individual must also be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and managing protected health information (PHI) in accordance with HIPAA.

Requirements

Active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state(s) of practice.
Minimum 5 years of clinical nursing experience.
Demonstrated experience working with underrepresented communities in healthcare settings with knowledge related to navigating healthcare access complexities due to social determinants of health.
Strong knowledge of clinical trial processes, including informed consent, eligibility screening, and Good Clinical Practice principles along with Institutional Review Board requirements.
Exceptional interpersonal communication skills with the ability to build trust with patients navigating complex healthcare systems.
Experience partnering with academic medical centers and clinical trial teams to coordinate referrals, support enrollment workflows, and manage ongoing stakeholder communication related to clinical research participation.
Comfort working independently in a remote or hybrid environment with minimal day-to-day supervision.
Proficiency with electronic health systems, registry databases, CRM platforms, and maintaining HIPAA compliance while collecting/managing PHI.

Nice To Haves

Rheumatology, immunology, oncology, or research experience strongly preferred.
Prior experience as a patient navigator, research nurse, or clinical research coordinator (CRC).
Bilingual fluency in Spanish, or another language representative of the served community.
Familiarity with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) clinical presentation, treatment landscape, and patient experience data.
Knowledge of NIH inclusion policies and FDA guidance on diversity in clinical trials.
OCR Certification or completion of ACRP/SOCRA credentialing.
Experience contributing to grant reporting, complex data capture and academic publications.
Preferred location in the South Atlantic region, DMV or South Carolina.

Responsibilities

Conduct structured intake consultations with new RAY registry participants interested in clinical trials to assess disease history, medication profile, research readiness, and participation barriers.
Maintain ongoing, longitudinal relationships with registry participants through regular outreach via phone, video, or secure messaging during screening and enrollment periods.
Provide culturally sensitive education about clinical trials, informed consent, and participants’ rights in plain, accessible language using curated educational materials.
Address common barriers to participation including transportation, scheduling, language access, childcare/caregiver responsibilities, and historical medical mistrust.
Maintain current, detailed knowledge of eligibility criteria for active lupus clinical trials at selected academic institutions.
Systematically review registry participants against trial eligibility criteria and flag potential matches.
Conduct pre-screening interviews and coordinate baseline assessments as appropriate.
Prepare warm, informed hand-offs to academic medical center research coordinators with relevant clinical summaries and participant consent.
Maintain contact with enrolled participants throughout trial duration to support adherence and address concerns.
Serve as a trusted first point of contact for non-medical questions, triaging and communicating with the research site as appropriate.
Document participant-reported barriers and solutions to inform ongoing program improvement.
Participate in monthly touchpoint meetings with academic medical center research coordinators to review referral pipeline, enrollment status, and protocol updates.
Maintain accurate records in alignment with the RAY Registry database and document all navigator interactions.
Contribute data and narrative content to quarterly and annual grant progress reports and organizational board reports.
Assist in preparation of IRB submissions, data use agreements, and partnership documentation as needed.