Diana Veronica Avila, RN, Ph.D., BCMAS

Can you give a short description of your nursing career? 

I graduated from nursing school in 2020 and had the opportunity to work as a medical-surgical (med-surg) nurse. As a med-surg nurse, I acquired different types of skills that I still used in my current role. Presently, I work as a research nurse supervisor, where I can use two different educational backgrounds, my scientific and clinical background.

How did you get involved in nursing research? 

I have been involved in the basic sciences for a long time. I am a scientist by training, with a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Louisville. When I enrolled in nursing school, I enrolled intending to become a research nurse/research nurse manager. After having my basic training as a nurse, decided to get back into the research world.

What makes you passionate about research? 

I am passionate about research because there is always a new pharmaceutical agent or a new medical device, that is being developed to improve people’s lives. These discoveries can either treat or identify medical conditions at different stages of a disease process or health disorder. This is a very exciting career because every day there is always new development and strategies on how to prevent and treat different types of medical conditions.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining clinical trials or research work? 

My advice would be, first get some experience as a nurse and then understand the role of a research nurse. Depending on the employer, a research nurse might be the nurse that assesses the patients before and after the treatment, delivers/provides the IV/ oral medication, and collects the blood specimens. Additionally, there is also the role of the research nurse manager which involves the understanding of the regulatory processes of starting a clinical trial and what it entails.