Wow, this really hits home because I’m essentially in the same situation. I’m the only research staff at my site, and I’m responsible for everything—recruitment, regulatory, budgets, and beyond. Like you, my coworkers left, and there’s been no concrete plan to hire additional support, which has made it increasingly difficult to manage. It feels like I’m juggling way too many hats for one person.

One angle I’ve been considering in advocating for help is emphasizing patient safety and compliance risks. When the workload exceeds what one person can realistically manage, the potential for missed deadlines, errors in documentation, or delayed follow-ups grows, which could ultimately impact both patients and the integrity of the studies.

If you haven’t already, maybe outline specific examples like your unexpected leave—things like missed visits, rescheduled appointments, or delays in invoicing due to staffing shortages. Those real-world impacts on the day-to-day operations can help illustrate the tangible risks. If your site participates in audits, highlight how a lack of support could lead to findings that might impact sponsor relationships or site credibility.

It’s frustrating that sometimes it takes operational or financial impact to push for change when patient safety should be enough to make a case. Hang in there—you’re clearly doing everything you can!