The nursing informatics degree is becoming a popular choice among students who would like to specialize a career in nursing and Information Technology. If you already work as a Registered Nurse or you are transitioning into the field, it is important to find out just how an informatics degree can be used.
While many assume that nursing informatics is an all-encompassing title, in actuality there are several career options that you can choose in the field. Here are some of your career options when you possess a degree in nursing informatics.
What Is Nursing Informatics?
While it is still a fairly new specialty within the field of nursing, informatics is one that is only projected to grow. According to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Nursing Informatics is a nursing subset that integrates nursing science with information technology and management. Also referred to a NI, nursing informatics helps professionals within the team of healthcare communicate and store data. This data is then used to help nurses, doctors, medical personnel and patients make better decisions as they deliver healthcare services or receive them.
Jobs as a Clinical Specialist
One of the most common career options that a nursing informatics graduate will choose is nursing informatics clinical specialist. A clinical specialist works in a hospital, doctor office, or another medical setting where there is a strong reliance on electronic computer systems. It is the clinical specialist’s role to design and implement new systems for documenting or storing information in a patient’s Electronic Medical Record.
It is also common for a clinical nursing informatics specialist to play a part in software development for programs that will be used primarily by nursing professionals. If the specialist is a part of software design or implementation, they may help train the team how to use programs.
Jobs in Education
Clinical nurse informatics specialists may be involved in educating the team, but informatics educators are solely responsible for it. As an NI educator, you are in charge of constructing education materials complete with steps and practices so that current professionals and new hires know how to use electronic health record and coding systems. If faculty members in the nursing team need more advanced digital skill, it could be your job to train them.
NI educators can be found in clinical settings but are more commonly found in colleges and universities. At a college level, educators with a Ph.D. in the field educate nursing students on the theory and practice behind this nursing specialty. If you would like to do what your professor does, you would pursue this title.
Jobs in Consulting
If you would prefer to move from setting to setting so that each day is different, you may fare well as a NI consultant. A consultant works independently and travels from facility to facility to spot weaknesses in the department’s computer systems and software. They will look for new healthcare protocols that have not been implemented and other electronic solutions that should be considered. This is a highly competitive job and requires years of experience.
A nursing informaticist earns an average of $100,717 per year. With a very good job outlook, this could be the perfect field to enter into while the iron in hot. Choose which career option sounds best for you and start to compare Nursing Informatics degree programs so that you can make a change.
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