When you work in nursing informatics, you will be responsible for integrating nursing information with communications technologies so that you can help promote the health of people within a specific facility or community. Since the field of nursing informatics is a hybrid of several different disciplines that have been integrated into one, you will need to pursue continuing education so that you can learn what you need to know before you start seeking out jobs. Read on, and find out about the training that you need and how to compete for jobs in the growing field.
Start By Becoming an RN
Becoming a Registered Nurse (RN) is the first requirement to working as a nurse informatics specialist. If you are starting fresh out of high school, you will need to start by attending a Bachelor’s degree program to earn your degree in nursing (BSN). The BSN degree will qualify you to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam so that you can earn your licensure. After passing the licensing exam test, you will need to then gain experience in a patient-facing role before you pursue a specialist position.
Find Out the Requirements to Get Certified
After working as an RN, it will take time to gain specialized knowledge in informatics and the information systems that are used specifically in the health care systems. Before you actually commit to a single degree program, you will need to learn what the requirements to earn your specialty Informatics Nursing Certification are through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
The ANCC program currently requires you to hold an active RN license and to have 2 years of recent experience. In addition to these requirements, you must hold a minimum of a Bachelor of Science degree (BS) and have 2,000 hours of informatics professional experience. If you have not yet worked in informatics, you can fulfill an alternative requirement where you complete 12 units of graduate-level academic courses.
Choose a Graduate-level Program to Qualify for Your Credential
Now that you know that earning your certification is crucial, the next step is to complete a graduate-level degree program. If you already possess your bachelor’s degree in nursing, you can go straight into a Master’s degree program in Health Administration or Health Informatics. If you, however, went a different route to earn your nursing license, you need to look for an RN-to-MSN program (please see: Cheapest Accredited Online Rn to BSN Programs to Most Expensive – A Complete List).
Some of the coursework that you will complete as you study for your Master’s will include: Health Promotion, Health Systems, Health Policy, Biostatistics, Healthcare Database Systems, IT Project Management, Systems Analysis, Systems Design, Technology Solutions in Healthcare and Human-Technology Interaction.
Look for Openings in Nurse Informatics
After you are certified, it will be much easier to find a position. This is because the larger facilities want RN’s who are also certified Informatics Nurses. Make sure to brush up your resume and search for job listings online and with your current employer so that you can focus on the interviewing process.
The demand for nurse informatics is projected to grow by 42% within a span of just 7 years. If you want to earn a sizable salary by managing nursing data and information technology, this could be the right field for you. Start by earning a nursing degree, advance your education and then work in nursing informatics.
