The Beginning

The warning signs for Clinical Research Associates (CRA) started in the fall of 2008. There was no work. There were no new projects. If new projects were starting, the projects were across the country and CRA services on the East Coast of the United States were not needed. Many of the new projects were going to India, Brazil, and Mexico. We whispered among ourselves.  How can the company stay afloat with no new contracts? How long could we fly under the radar? Corporate or someone had to be reviewing our monthly billable time tracking reports. Surely the company would keep the experienced CRAs. After all, a sponsor company would not want to award contract work to a CRO who could not provide a percentage of quality monitors. Surely the company would keep some of the new CRAs as the new CRA would be cheaper to employ. Many of the new CRA included former nurses, and Clinical Site Coordinators. The medical knowledge must be valued by the company.
 

By early 2009, I was canvassing everyone in my department and other departments for work. I was willing to do any task.  I am sole bread winner and could not afford to be unemployed. I worked on many different projects and made sure I always had billable work on my time tracking report. By the spring of 2009, our pay was reduced by reducing the number of hours we were allowed to work. I do not know many who worked a 40 hour week. Most people I knew were salary and worked 60 hours a week or more. Projects were ending. This meant many of us were busy with Closeout Visits, Project Review and Trail Master File Review. I managed to volunteer myself for many of the projects.  Still there were no new work contracts coming to my part of the world. The first of the layoffs started. People were given two weeks’ notice and were gone. Those left behind picked up the slack by doing their own work plus the work of the people who left. As the projects winded down, more people were let go.
 

I had been applying for new jobs since January with no luck.  Although I had over 10 years experience in the research industry, I just did not have enough experience in the CRA role. There were another three rounds of layoffs. Because I was an RN, I was selected for training in the regulatory department and thought I would be safe for another couple of months. The company was expecting a large project. The project fell through. The work could be managed in Mexico more cheaply. Three more weeks with no work and I was swept up in the fourth layoff. I filed for unemployment on 01 AUG 2009.
 

I was laid off with about 15 other nurses. Some had many years of CRA experience. I kept in contact with many of the people. We supported each other with phone calls and email. Unfortunately other CROs were experiencing the same financial markets. The other CROs and many Pharmaceutical companies were also downsizing. Unemployment was now at 12% in my state. By September I started exploring a nursing career. Nursing was my first love and I was good at it. It would be like going home.