Entry level jobs in informatics

You are welcome!
Yes, please do search and read this forum and

Do an Internet search using the terms: Clinical Analsyst, Informatics Nurse, Nurse Informaticist, Clinical Applications, Specialist.
Put in the above roles on the Indeed.com website.
Check out the websites of HIMSS, CARING, ANIA and AMIA which have job descriptions for the above roles and more!
Good Luck!

Thank you very much, I'll check those out now!

Thanks h60avtrn! I'll add that website to my research. I really appreciate the share!

Dave

I will also say that as someone who recently attended Epic Systems training several times over the past few months that there are a percentage of folks who do NOT have clinical backgrounds and are moving into the healthcare IT field, so it can be done.

My actual clinical experience is limited since I was a fairly recent grad when I moved back in to the IT realm, so it is being done by those with varying experience.

I have also read articles that mention with the push for EHR in this country, we will be seeing many of the displaced IT folks moving in to the healthcare arena due to the demand for technical knowledge as this fields grows faster than we can find combined technical/clinical employees.

Good luck!

You are most definitely asking the right questions. You have also gotten good information back from your post. Having spent the last seven years of a 27-year career in nursing in the Informatics field, I have a few comments based on my experiences. First, clinical understanding is everything. If you are not an experienced and thoughtful clinician, you will be unable to support the practice of nursing through Informatics. In addition to clinical skills, you will need skills in politics, finance, education, leadership, complex problem solving, and decompression of hostility. You will also need skills that enable you to visualize, understand, and map workflow processes, as well as being able to facilitate change in those processes when necessary. You will need knowledge of nursing theory, nursing research, and formulation and application of Evidence-Based Practice. You will need familiarity with CMS and Joint Commission regulations, National Patient Safety Goals, Core Measure assessment points, and any other initiatives your hospital targets. You will need to understand how data becomes information, and how information becomes knowledge. You will use all of these skills daily in creating and launching documentation that supports nursing (or RT, PT, Dietary, Pastoral, etc.) practice and provides data-driven decision support, and documentation that targets specific pieces of information that can later be retrieved by query (or input designed to produce specific output). You will spend a lot of time defending nursing to IT professionals who don't understand clinical situations, and to defending Info Services to clinicians who don't like or want computers in their workplace. You will need to understand and explain the dynamics of change to people who don't want to change. You will be a leader in the change process. You will be a liaison between nursing and IT, nursing and Nursing Admin, Nursing Admin and Finance, and many other groupings. When you narrow it down, the three people you need to be are: 1. Nurse 2. Teacher 3. Politician. Good luck!

I just read an ad for a IT position for EPIC Implementation at a large hospital nearby. States you do not need IT experience. And they will train you to take EPIC certification. I'm ok with computer skills, not a "super user". Along with the resume it asks about salary requirements. What range does an IT make? Just wondering because it sounds interesting.

Thanks!

Great site. Thank you for all of the wonderful input. I am a 58 year old med surg nurse with over 15 years of clinical experience. I am trying to decide which route to take as I return to school and am requesting assistance. I am an electronic technician and I also hold a BA. Nursing Informatics is a brand new field for me, one, I wish I had known about earlier in my career. I have the option of a BSN with an informatics cert or MSN with informatics speciality. At this stage in life and with electronic documentation conversion taking place by 2010, does it make since to spend 3 years pursuing the MSN or 2 years with the BSN and informatics cert? Would taking the longer route mean I missed the boat? There is such a wealth of knowledge on the site, I would really appreciate your input. Thank you all in advance.

Hi, bknyrn -
You should expect to be paid similarly to clinicians. If you had an Informatics certification or MSN with Informatics specialty, you should expect to be paid similarly to Clinical Specialists.

Hi RN in the D,
I love this site, too. You sound like a great Informatics nurse in the making! Are you looking at one of the bridge MSN programs that let you skip the BSN? I'm enrolled at Walden University, one class short of finishing the first year. Then I have 1 year of core curriculum for MSN students, and then a year in the Informatics specialty classes. It has been great so far, and I'm doing well. I hadn't been in school in 26 years when I started, so was a little worried about my ability to keep up, but I haven't had any problems.

In terms of credentials, I think the MSN is always more valuable, although getting the Informatics certification is also a big deal. I do think the MSN gives you more diverse opportunities. I don't think you will miss the boat - Healthcare Info Tech is growing exponentially, and will not ever go away. There is a great need for clinicians and critical thinkers to keep the industry focused on what matters - the best outcome for the patient.

I wish you the best with whichever path you choose.