Nursing v.s HIM

[Mr.X68]

I'm currently finishing up my prereqs for an ADN program here in Mississippi, but I see I have enough to get into the Health Information Management program at the university. I was actually considering the HIM after I got my ADN but if I don't get into the ADN program for the spring would it be worth it to try again next fall or just go HIM and get into nursing later? I know HIM deals mainly with billing and coding but can it be as diverse as nursing can be? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Terry

[HealthyRN]

These are two very different career paths, so I think that it would be best if you clarified your career goals before choosing a program. You mentioned that you were planning on going into the HIM program after getting the ADN. Were you planning to practice as a nurse first? What are your specific career goals and how do you plan on combining and using these two degrees?

I would recommend that you shadow people in nursing and HIM before you actually decide.

[Mijourney]

HIM can be as diverse as nursing. The following domains related to a work survey taken from the AHIMA website will give you an idea.

Tasks:

Health Data Management

Health Statistics, Biomedical Research, and Quality Management

Health Services Organization and Delivery

Information Technology and Systems

Organization and Management

Knowledge:

Biomedical Sciences

Health Data Management

Health Statistics, Biomedical Research, and Quality Management

Health Services Organization and Delivery

Information Technology and Systems

Organization and Management

I don't think you can go wrong if you choose both occupations. Get your certification in HIM too as well as your RN license. In my opinion, HIM gives you the financial and business aspects of patient care in addition to clinical knowledge. Check out http://www.ahima.org if you haven't already. Best wishes.