HIV infection. Clinical research. Considerations for prospective participants.

Many HIV-positive patients are involved in clinical trials. While working with the HIV-positive patient, the nurse is confronted with the challenge of a rapidly changing environment of collective knowledge. The nurse may meet a patient at any stage of drug or biologic development; therefore, it is very important to understand the process of clinical research. This article describes the purpose and process of clinical research, the patient perspective, ethical considerations, and the role of the nurse in biomedical research.