Research is essential for the implementation of evidence-based practice and can lead to improvements and innovations in care delivery. Although ultimately beneficial for patients and staff, the data collection involved in research often presents challenges, particularly in the emergency department (ED) setting.

This article describes the challenges of undertaking a feasibility trial in a city centre ED. The target research population were adult patients who presented to the ED with an issue related to opioid misuse, for example opioid overdose, injection site wounds and/or abscess, or injury sustained during opioid intoxication. Challenges experienced during this trial included a demanding work environment, ED attendees not being suitable for recruitment into research, and suspension of the trial during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The author details the strategies introduced to ensure effective patient recruitment to the trial, including nurse secondment onto the research team, offering incentives, raising awareness of the trial among ED staff and implementing flexible training. These strategies continued to be effective after a period of suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.