Are there specialties in healthcare informatics?

[Ativan]

I know there must be sub-specialties in nursing/healthcare informatics, but I can't find much information about it. The main specialty I've encountered is the type of nurse that focuses on training and education of end users as opposed to the nurses working in software development and systems analysis. Those seem like very different career paths and necessary skill sets, so it's surprising to me that they are lumped together under nursing informatics, but maybe that's because the field is still relatively new.

Are there other specialties in nursing informatics, and are there different career paths or skills to develop to go into them? I've seen references to nurses serving as software testers, systems analysts, project managers, marketing/product management, and performing research (I'm assuming this means studying the effect of software or other technology on patient care, either for product marketing or publishing in academic journals). Are there different paths to follow to go into any of these "specialties" or is the field too new?

Are there informaticists that focus more on user interface and software design and others that focus more on data analysis or business intelligence? I have an interest in data analysis and also in user experience/interface and how that affects user satisfaction, quality of documentation and patient care. Wondering if I should take specific courses in data analysis or UX/UI and try to develop expertise in a specific area, or do a more general informatics program or take any informatics job and specialize later, if at all.

Thanks in advance for answering!

[ArmyRN789]

I think you're right. It's probably due to it being such a relatively new field, but there are no strict subspecialties. In the Army we do have some (sort of). A Nurse Methods Analyst has the same identifier as an informatics nurse, but they do very different things. Unfortunately they are thought to be very similar as I am currently in a job where I do both. I have also done training and implementation. I actually like that we can do so many different things as an informatics nurse!

[Ativan]

Thanks ArmyRN789. What is a Nurse Methods Analyst and how is it different from an informatics nurse?

[ArmyRN789]

Kinda what it sounds like. You do a lot of manpower, staffing, budget type of analysis. You get to know Excel spreadsheets really well :). Basically, you are the go-to data guy when the higher-ups need to make decisions on staffing and resources. A business or hospital administration degree is helpful in the job.

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

You have described informatics which has a long and glorious history of service. OK well a short and glorious history... Find a description here

Excelsior College | MS Nursing | Nursing Degrees, Programs | Nursing Informatics | Online

[ArmyRN789]

Negative. In the Army the two are pretty clearly delineated. I have learned very well the difference between the two as I'm currently in a job where I do both. I am constantly pulled in two directions, doing very different projects. In the civilian world, the lines are more blurred. "Informatics" will encompass both, but there is still a fairly sizeable difference between a true informatics nurse and a health systems analyst.