Hello all,

I am interested in how one might make the transition from an IT career (software engineering more specifically) to Nursing Informatics. It seems that the typical career path begins with one first earning some type of nursing credentials, such as their RN, and then gain at least a couple of years of clinical experience before transitioning into nursing informatics.

I have a Bachelors degree in Education and Computer Science. For the past four years I have been working in the software development field.

With my IT background in mind, can anyone recommend an ideal approach I should take to start a transition into nursing informatics?

Thank you

Neil

The ideal way --- First get a nursing degree, probably a BS at least if you can do that. You can either go the traditional BS program or try the specialized MSN programs that take students with BS in other fields. If you get a BSN or MSN, it allows you to get into the MS nursing informatics or the Post Master Nursing informatics certificate programs if you want at a later time. Get some clinical experience - an must. With the BS in CS you probably can jump into nursing informatics at that point. Harder way - An Associate degree in nursing is faster, but may give you a disadvantage down the road. First, to get any MS or higher level nursing degree, you would need the BS anyway and would need to go to a BS program. Also, there is a trend in nursing to want nurses to have a BS or MS degree when they are in these project mgmt/specialist roles. Good luck

Hi Neil,

My first question to you would be why do you want to transition into Nursing Informatics?

What exactly is it you want to do in NI that you can not or are not doing now in software engineering?

I'm sure that many of the credits from your current Bachelors degree will transfer into a nursing program but I am extremly curious as to why you are considering this change in your career .......

Angela

Hello all,

I am interested in how one might make the transition from an IT career (software engineering more specifically) to Nursing Informatics. It seems that the typical career path begins with one first earning some type of nursing credentials, such as their RN, and then gain at least a couple of years of clinical experience before transitioning into nursing informatics.

I have a Bachelors degree in Education and Computer Science. For the past four years I have been working in the software development field.

With my IT background in mind, can anyone recommend an ideal approach I should take to start a transition into nursing informatics?

Thank you

Neil