Any LPN's in informatics?

Specialties Informatics

Updated:   Published

I just accepted a job in the medical informatics dept where I work. Just wondering what kind of experience I can expect. The job is at a state university if that makes a difference.

I need to know how to do this. What position did you apply for? I am worried that Epic only trains in Wisconsin and I live in Texas.

Epic does only train in Wisconsin. If the facility you are at wants you to get certified, they will send you there at their expense.

Specializes in retired from healthcare.
I would like to know how to get into the field. I am pursuing a computer science/networking and technologies associate degree. I plan on getting some programming and microsoft certifications. But if I can use my 15 years nursing experience and my computer science knowledge I feel I would enjoy it. I am sick of the politics in nursing and when I was recently trained to use an EMR at work, it further peaked this interest. From research over the net, I have found it to require a master's degree. How did you get the position and what background in IT do you have?

I want to know also about where you could find accredited programs for this.

@EMR*LPN

Hey, you seem very knowledgable about this field and I'm highly interested. I am eager to learn different type of technology and little bummed out that I didn't accept a research coordinator intern job a few months ago.... I plan on going to a private lvn school in los angeles and will network for any apprentice, shadow or interships in informatics :)

I will be taking the Nurse Informatics board certification this Summer. The CE boot camp I recently attended had one LPN working in the field. She worked at a critical access hospital in a rural area. Nursing Informatics jobs can be everything from supporting an existing EHR to monitoring Meaningful Use numbers to the actual selection and planning for a full EHR implementation.

I work in a 600 bed facility with 50+ associated ambulatory clinics. I was present for our full EHR implementation and now (2+ years later), I serve as a primary trainer of new hires as well as investigating/standardizing workflows through the organization. This is where I typically use the project manager portion of nurse informatics, which I have found to be really necessary in order to be successful long term.

Hope you find this post useful! :)

@aficklin I did!!! Thank you. And I wish you the best on your test. :)

Do you feel your pay is better with informatics vs bedside? I know the hours can vary depending on your role and when an update occurs with your EMR program.

The pay was certainly increased in my situation, but I would have made the change nonetheless. I have a computer-heavy background and had been looking for a way to blend the two. It is my understanding that some organizations still struggle with what is reasonable payroll for their NI staff and how the role is defined, not to mention through which department should it report (IT, Nursing or some separate EHR-focused department).

My guess is that a lot will depend on how much of the organization's operating budget goes to the EHR/IT and how focused the organizational vision is on becoming "wired". :)

@aficklin Thank you so much for sharing your experience. If you don't mind me askiing a few questions: 1. Are you a known as a EMR consultant?2. What is the avg yearly salary? 3. What you would recommend for a nurse student to get their foot in the door? (Ex intern, shadow etc) I'm highly interested and willing to work for free (intern) for a medical IT while in school.Thank you in advance :)

No problem. Here are some answers:

1. I don't carry the title of consultant and I am currently employed at an organization here in Omaha. I have met several consultants, however, and it seems if the hours and travel are conducive to your out-of-work lifestyle, it can be really rewarding.

2. I believe the average annual salary for our area is around 70K for experienced nurse informaticists. This is a bit below the national average, but Nebraska also has a lower standard of living, so that is common across all fields around here.

3. If you are interested in getting your foot in the door, definitely reach out to other informaticists. Job shadows are a great idea and many organizations encourage that sort of thing. The ANA has stated that informatics should be a part of all basic nursing curriculum, but it is new enough (still!) that many organizations may not be certain what to do with their informaticists.

If you are in nursing school, you will likely need training in the EHRs of all the hospitals/areas where you will do your rotations. This is a great opportunity to talk to the trainer 1:1 on a break -- in some organizations, the EHR trainers also build/customize the system, plan/train for each GoLive, serve on project teams and in some cases, they may even have been a part of the actual EHR selection process. You never know what knowledge that person has outside of the planned curriculum unless you ask! :)

Each organization has its own unique culture and process for how their NIs got involved. For some, it was a targeted decision to change careers into NI, for others, they may have been asked to work on a "temporary project" and found it never ended.

Good luck in your search!

Also, I thought this webpage was interesting. Not exactly a peer-reviewed journal article, but it has some interesting data on how our current NIs got into the field/what training and education they have had.

http://674711443289410500.weebly.com/education.html

No problem. Here are some answers:

1. I don't carry the title of consultant and I am currently employed at an organization here in Omaha. I have met several consultants, however, and it seems if the hours and travel are conducive to your out-of-work lifestyle, it can be really rewarding.

2. I believe the average annual salary for our area is around 70K for experienced nurse informaticists. This is a bit below the national average, but Nebraska also has a lower standard of living, so that is common across all fields around here.

3. If you are interested in getting your foot in the door, definitely reach out to other informaticists. Job shadows are a great idea and many organizations encourage that sort of thing. The ANA has stated that informatics should be a part of all basic nursing curriculum, but it is new enough (still!) that many organizations may not be certain what to do with their informaticists.

If you are in nursing school, you will likely need training in the EHRs of all the hospitals/areas where you will do your rotations. This is a great opportunity to talk to the trainer 1:1 on a break -- in some organizations, the EHR trainers also build/customize the system, plan/train for each GoLive, serve on project teams and in some cases, they may even have been a part of the actual EHR selection process. You never know what knowledge that person has outside of the planned curriculum unless you ask! :)

Each organization has its own unique culture and process for how their NIs got involved. For some, it was a targeted decision to change careers into NI, for others, they may have been asked to work on a "temporary project" and found it never ended.

Good luck in your search!

Thank you very much for giving me an insight about Nurse informatics!! I really would like to have EMR training under my belt to make a new grad marketable. First, I need to get into a LVN school which I'm having a debate between private vs community college.

You seem like you enjoy your job and love what you do. I appreciate that :)

Thank you for the article. I will look into it.

+ Add a Comment