Nursing informatics is a new and rapidly growing specialty within the healthcare industry which integrates nursing, computer, and information science to support the practice of nursing and to ensure high-quality healthcare delivery. Informatics nurses incorporate both clinical nursing skills and technical knowledge to generate systems which can vastly improve the quality of patient care. This is generally accomplished via the employment of information structures, information processes, and information technology. Using data science allows the informatics nurse to monitor for reoccurring and consistent errors, to analyze trends, and to implement new and more efficient systems.
What Are Some Informatics Nursing Duties?
Some common tasks that are carried out by informatics nurses include the following:
Project management
Analyzing clinical statistics
Creating, implementing, and assessing new information solutions such as electronic health records or communication tools
Educating nurses on how to set up and use new healthcare software and hardware
Designing systems
Troubleshooting new technology
Acting as a go-between for healthcare staff and IT experts
Making sure organizations meet federal health care laws
Assisting healthcare staff when an organization transitions from one system's technology to another
Working to optimize system performance
Policy writing
Tracking the success of quality initiatives
Developing organizational standards and ensuring they're adhered to
Serving as a resource for healthcare staff members
Researching various IT topics that will affect medical care providers and patients
Developing methods to ensure better patient data security and confidentiality
Where Do Informatics Nurses Work?
While they can be found in a variety of medical settings, informatics nurses are most commonly employed in the following:
IT companies
Healthcare clinics
Hospitals
Nursing schools & universities
Healthcare consulting firms
Long-term care clinics
How to Become an Informatics Nurse
Informatics nursing is a relatively new specialty which requires individuals to possess a unique set of skills and qualifications. If you're interested in this career, you'll need to earn, at the least, a BSN degree and gain some experience as an RN. An interest in IT and data systems is a must for this career type as well.
Step 1: Educational Requirements
Those seriously considering a career as a nurse informaticist should be prepared to spend a few years earning their BSN degree. When an accredited nursing program has been completed and licensure secured, you'll then need to acquire some experience in the nursing field and undergo some additional continuing education courses in the nursing informatics discipline. Additionally, some students will opt to complete graduate degrees (i.e. MSNs or DNPs) in nursing informatics. Students who choose this route will often enjoy a wider range of employment opportunities and have greater opportunities for career advancement than those who only possess a bachelor's degree. After the above requirements have been met, you will then be permitted to apply for various certifications which are offered by both the ANCC and the HIMSS.
Do Informatics Nurses Need an RN Degree?
Informatics nurses will need to hold an unencumbered RN license and have some experience in the field in order to obtain the American Nursing Credentialing Center's Informatics Nursing Certification (RN-BC). Nurse informaticists are considered high-level nurses, so this role is suited for RNs who hold a graduate degree in nursing.
The ANCC's Informatics Nursing Certification (RN-BC) is the most commonly held credential for informatics nurses, and is the most likely certification that employers will want potential employees to have. To be eligible for this certification individuals will need to have fulfilled the following requirements:
Possess a bachelor's degree or higher
Possess an active, unencumbered RN license
Have at least 2 years of full-time experience as an RN
Have undergone at least 30 hours of continuing education in the discipline of nursing informatics within the previous three years
Have fulfilled one of the following requirements:
Have at least 2,000 hours of clinical practice in nursing informatics within the previous three years
Have at least 1,000 hours of clinical practice in nursing informatics within the last three years and have finished at least 12 hours of semester units in nursing informatics courses
Have finished a graduate degree in nursing informatics with at least 200 hours of supervised training
The HIMSS offers two certifications in informatics nursing: the entry-level Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CAHIMS) and the advanced-level Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS).
Possess a BSN from an accredited university or college
Have 5 years of experience in information and management systems with 3 of those years being in a healthcare setting
OR
Possess an MSN or DNP in nursing informatics from an accredited university or college
Have 3 years of experience in information and management systems with 2 of those years being in a healthcare setting
Informatics Nursing Jobs, Salary & Employment
Informatics nursing is a relatively new field that's still only in its infancy stage. As the role of information technology becomes increasingly vital to the healthcare field, the specialty discipline of nursing informatics will continue to grow in importance. Nursing, computer, and information science are some of the most applicable and marketable skills in today's modern economy. Because of this, the field of informatics nursing and positions within it will only grow in scope as time moves forward.
Job Description & Information
Essential Skills Needed - Problem-solving ability, ability to manage time and people, teaching skills, organizational skills, strong technical ability, innovative thinking, strong interpersonal communication abilities, leadership, clinical experience, analytical thinking, the ability to work under considerable stress
Job Outlook - The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that employment rates for RNs will rise by 16% between 2014 and 2024. Due to the rapid advances in information technology, computer science, and nursing science combined with an aging population, the informatics nursing field is quite likely to grow at this rate.
What Is the Average Salary of an Informatics Nurse?
PayScale reports that the median annual salary for informatics nurses lands at $77,414. Undoubtedly, however, the exact figure will depend on factors like educational credentials, years of experience in the field, city and state of employment, and place of employment. Although similar factors will contribute to the contents of employee benefit packages informatics nurses receive, most full-time informatics nurses can expect to receive medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage, along with some paid time off annually.
