Each year before the formal program of the Clinical Trials Network Strategic Research Workshop, the ARCN Sub-Committee hosts a networking event which provides opportunities for anaesthesia research co-ordinators to meet with their peers and regional representatives ahead of the workshop.
The 2024 ARCN networking event will be held on Thursday 1st August, 2024 in Coogee, NSW.
Members of the ARCN Sub-committee serve as representatives for research co-ordinators residing in their jurisdictions or within their special interest group. The aim of the representatives is to provide guidance to research co-ordinators about trial conduct relevant to their region or speciality. ARCN representatives also provide opportunities for research co-ordinators to meet in person or via teleconference to connect research co-ordinators with each other and to share knowledge and resources. If you would like more information about the program or to be put in contact with your represenative, contact Gillian Ormond.
The ARCN representatives are as follows:
| Ms Margie McKellow |
New Zeland South Island |
| Mr Jonothan Termaat |
New Zealand North Island |
| Ms Dhiraj Bhatia Dwivedi and Ms Samantha Bates |
Victoria |
| Ms Louise Cope and Ms Kaitlin Kramer |
New South Wales / Australian Capital Territory |
| Ms Louise de Prinse |
South Australia / Northern Territory |
| Ms Natalie Hird |
Western Australia |
| Ms Robyn Seale |
Tasmania |
| Ms Tara Williams |
Paediatric |
| Ms Tracy Hess |
Rural and regional |
| Ms Allison Kearney |
Queensland |
The aims of the CTN educational sessions are to discuss various research topics relevant to trial conduct and design, and to provide educational and networking opportunities for fellows, trainees and research co-ordinators.
The program features presentations from CTN members and guest speakers and includes group discussions on topics of interest to emerging researchers, research coordinators and research teams.
The program will run in 2024. For information about the program and upcoming sessions, visit here.
The ARCN has developed educational content and resources for research coordinators and research teams. If you would like to watch the recordings for any of the following sessions, please contact Gillian Ormond.
Clinical Research Nurse Professional Standards
Presenters: Ms Nicola Straiton and Ms Samantha Bates (December 2022)
Consumer engagement in clincial trials
Presenters: Dr Aine Sommerfield and Ms Sophie Wallace (April 2022)
Managing Difficult Conversations
Dr Liz Crowe (Oct 2021)
The challenge and necessity of enrolling from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations
Dr Tuong Phan and Ms Anna Parker (July 2021)
It’s all good in da hood –
Lessons learned from conducting a device trial in the middle of a pandemic by Ms Samantha Bates, Research Manager at Western Health and ARCN Sub-committee member (May 2021).
Clinical Trial Budgets
Ms Carolyn Stewart, Business and Operations Manager of Melbourne Children's Trial Centre (April 2021)
Real life research scenarios
Presented by a panel of our research coordinators (February 2021)
Operating Theatre Do’s and Dont’s
Members of the ARCN presented on theatre do’s and dont’s from different perspectives (November 2020).
Real Life Research Scenarios
The ARCN Sub-Committee presented on a series of real life research scenarios they had come accross during their research careers (September 2020).
Contracts and Special Conditions Schedule
What you need to Clinical Trial Research Agreements and what is important to know as a research coordinator (August 2020).
On Boarding and Upskilling for new research team members
The steps to take to ensure new research coordinators are competently trained up in their new role (July 2020).
Working from Home: Challenges and Opportunities
The challenges and opportunities of working from home as a research coordinator with reflections on COVID-19 (May 2020).
The results of the Enablers to effective And efficient Research in the Anaesthesia Research Coordinator Network
The BEAR Study (April 2020).
COVID-19 Challenges and Opportunities
Discussions around what is happening with each trial and sites across Australia and New Zealand due to the pandemic. ARCN pandemic guide was also discussed at this session (March 2020).
How to do a feasibility assessment for a trial at your site
February 2020.
Research 101 Investigator-initiated randomised control trials
what you need to know from protocol to trial set up, running and close out (November 2019).
Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders, Frailty and The ROCKet Trial Cognitive Outcomes Post-op Delirium and Cognition and the ROCKet Trial sub-study.
October 2019.
Development and validation of the Surgical Outcome Risk Tool.
July 2019.
Further education opportunities in Australia and New Zealand
Presented by Gillian Ormond and Helen Houston (Middlemore and Manukau). Guest presenter Dr Glenn Eastwood, from Austin Health and past chair of the Intensive Care Research Coordinators Special Interest Group (IRCIG) (June 2019).
Engagement with supporting departments
Facilitator: Ms Samantha Bates (Western Health) May 2019.
Multidisciplinary team communication and operations.
ARCN members discussed how their teams communicate and operate (April 2019).
Ethics and governance processes across jurisdictions in Australia and New Zealand (March 2019)
Adult and paediatric consent and recruitment in CTN trials
(February 2019)
The ARCN Sub-committee has helped create resources as part of a college-wide initiative to support research. They can be accessed on the Research Support Toolkit.
Members of the ARCN may opt to be included in a phone messaging group to be able to instantly connect with other members to seek advice and support from their peers. This chat group is governed by a terms of reference. If you would like to join, please contact Gillian Ormond.
Contact Gillian Ormond to join the Clinical Trials Network and the Anaesthesia Research Co-ordinators Network mailing list to receive regular information on events, opportunities and news.