“To put it simply, I wanted to help people,” says Clinical Research Associate (CRA) Manager Cody McClanahan, RN, BSN. Today, Cody is a CRA Manager at Medpace, but he actually began his career as a nurse caring for patients at a hospital. It wasn’t until he learned that clinical research could broaden his reach to patients all around the world that he began to explore such paths.
As a bedside nurse, Cody wasn’t aware a path existed for nurses in clinical research. He was first introduced to Contract Research Organizations (CROs) by a coworker, but what really piqued his interest was the scope of patients he could reach through clinical research. “…I was making a positive impact on the lives of four to five patients I interacted with each day.” Cody shares that, at the time, he was working with patients recovering from various urologic procedures on the Urology floor. “However, the thought of joining Medpace and playing a part in the development of safe and effective therapeutics that could improve the lives of millions was compelling.”
When considering having a hand in impacting the lives of people around the world, Cody found himself unable to pass up the opportunity. Ready to make a change, he applied to Medpace and accepted a role as a CRA. As he waited to begin his first day as a CRA, Cody initially anticipated that his time would be filled with administrative tasks and that his arsenal of nursing knowledge might be underutilized. However, he discovered this to be far from the truth: he routinely worked with physicians, pharmacists, fellow nurses, and many other healthcare professionals. Cross-departmental collaboration is essential to develop comprehensive care plans for participating patients to ensure their safety. Following his first week on the job, he “realized it was the perfect fit for me and never looked back.”
“Playing a part in the development of safe and effective therapeutics that could improve the lives of millions was compelling.”
In his previous role as a CRA, Cody monitored clinical research sites and worked to certify that the collected data was accurate. Now as a CRA Manager, Cody manages a broader range of responsibilities. Among team management, cross-functional collaboration, and assuring patient safety throughout the trial process, he also works much closer with his CRA team. Cody provides guidance and training to his team, and he ensures studies are conducted within local regulations and company policies.
Cody was two years into his nursing career before he learned about the vast opportunities open to nurses, and he wants to change this for the next generation of nurses. Both new and seasoned nurses should “note that even if the first position you come across doesn’t seem like the right fit, there are still many more options to explore…It’s about finding the right fit for you.” Career paths aren’t a ‘one size fits all,’ and Cody encourages those considering careers as nurses in clinical research to “dive in headfirst.”
While he no longer plays a hands-on role in patient care as he did at the hospital, Cody is still able to interact with patients and “witness firsthand the positive impact our investigational products are having on their daily lives and activities.” Cody joined the field of clinical research with the same goal that drove him to become a nurse: to help people. And each day at Medpace he does just that.
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