Job Description

Staff - Non Union

Job Category Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile Non Union Hourly - Research Assistant /Technician 2

Job Title Research Assistant

Department Moe Laboratory Research Support | Department of Emergency Medicine | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range $23.24 - $27.70 CAD Hourly

Posting End Date March 7, 2023

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date Mar 30, 2024

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

Job Summary

The Research Assistant will provide support to a study at the Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and St. Paul\xe2\x80\x99s Hospital (SPH) Emergency Departments (ED) to screen patients for harmful opioid use and to offer eligible patients buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone). The study is trialing two methods of Suboxone dosing in our take-home packages (standard dosing and microdosing, a novel approach). The incumbent will be involved in a full range of research activities including screening, consenting and enrolling study participants, conducting follow-up procedures, and data entry.

Organizational Status

The vision of the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine is to be a provincially integrated Department committed to clinical, academic, and health care delivery leadership, founded in the creation and exchange of knowledge to improve emergency care. Our faculty members across the province have an impressive record of research and discovery related to prevention of emergencies, improving clinical care, and system improvements. Our Royal College residency training program, distributed across four program sites, is the largest in the country providing high-quality emergency training. The Department of Emergency Medicine has also played a leadership role in the development and implementation of the BC Emergency Medicine Network which integrates and translates knowledge and experiences to support emergency practitioners across the province.

The research program has four years of Health Canada and Canadian Institutes of Health Research funding and is of interest to numerous provincial and national stakeholders. Substance and opioid use research is one of the key strategic initiatives of the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine. The research will focus on emergency department screening for patients with substance and opioid use disorders, identification of risk factors among these patients (including patterns and frequency of visits), treatment of overdose (e.g., naloxone and resuscitation approaches), and optimizing management approaches including provision of buprenorphine/naloxone (standard dosing and microdosing) to emergency department patients at risk for overdose.

This position reports directly to the Principal Investigator (PI), but the nature of the work requires independent action. The incumbent has frequent interaction and collaboration with other research team members and with external collaborators including policy makers, data custodians, patient advocates, people with lived experience with substance use, medical students, residents and healthcare professionals both within and outside the Department of Emergency Medicine to plan and conduct research, manage data, and analyze results.

Work Performed

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  Identifies eligible research study participants.
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  Receives consent and enrolls eligible patients into the study.
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  Communicates with emergency physicians, nurses, pharmacists and social workers about patient needs.
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  Collects basic patient data at time of enrollment.
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  Surveys patients and healthcare providers about their experiences in the ED during their ED visit.
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  Assists with study data entry.
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  Assists with follow-up procedures, e.g. faxing forms to primary care providers and pharmacy.
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  Assists with patient follow-up procedures.
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  Any other duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Working closely with other members of the research team, the Research Assistant ensures that study procedures are performed consistent with the study protocol, applicable hospital procedures, ethical guidelines and regulatory policies. The Research Assistant is expected to work in a professional manner exercising poise and discretion especially when dealing with vulnerable patients and their families, and with sensitive medical information. Inappropriate disclosure of research participants personal information would contravene privacy legislation and could result in legal action. Errors in data, reference materials or publications if detected, would result in delays, requiring additional resources to obtain or validate data. Establishing effective working relationships within the team and with other program stakeholders is essential in the success of the research program. Inability to establish and foster effective working relationships may affect the integrity of the program and the successful and timely completion of research projects. This could compromise the Department s ability to secure funding for future projects, or to engage in multi-stakeholder projects in the future.

Supervision Received

Works under general supervision in carrying out familiar phases of duties and responsibilities; receives instructions during orientation and on subsequent new assignments or changes in procedures.

Supervision Given

None.

Minimum Qualifications

High school graduation, some additional training in a related field and a minimum two years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Education: High School graduation. An undergraduate degree in Life Science or relevant discipline is preferred.

Experience: Minimum of 2 years of related experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience working with vulnerable populations an asset.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

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  Ability to exercise appropriate tact, discretion and confidentiality in all matters.
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  Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.
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  Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
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  Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
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  Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.
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  Ability to work respectfully and efficiently in a high paced emergency department environment
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  Ability to deal with a diversity of people in a courteous, and effective manner.
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  Ability to effectively use computer software, such as MS Word and MS Excel.
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  Ability to learn new software, research methods, and work routines.
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  Ability to work a flexible schedule that will include evenings and weekends.
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  Demonstrates empathy, compassion, and respect when working with vulnerable populations.