Pressure and How to Hold the Line

Part of Research Assistant (ASSIST) Training: The Edge of Your Own Authority.

About 1 minutes. Free, in your language, no account needed.

The pressure is usually not deliberate

A clinic is running late. Someone senior asks you to do something quickly. A participant is waiting and everyone wants to get them home.

Nobody in that moment is trying to make you break a rule. It just becomes much harder to be the person who pauses.

What to say

"I am not signed off for that." "Can we check the window first?" "I will just confirm which version this is." Short, factual, no apology needed.

If you are asked to do something you believe is wrong, you can say you would rather check. Almost always the person will agree immediately, because they were moving fast rather than deciding to cut a corner.

If someone insists

Do it their way only if it is within what you are allowed to do. If it is not, say you cannot and offer to find the person who can.

If you are pressured into something and it happens anyway, report it the same day. You are not getting anyone into trouble; you are making sure the record is accurate, which protects the participant and you.

The situations worth rehearsing

Being asked to sign for something you did not witness. Being asked to do a procedure before consent is complete. Being asked to enter a value you are not sure of. Being asked to change a record.

Decide now what you would say, because deciding in the moment under pressure is much harder. All four have the same answer: not without checking.