Keep your license?

Specialties Informatics

Published

Specializes in LTAC, ICU, ER, Informatics.

For those of you in informatics jobs, have you kept your license up? How do you address the CE requirements? Does your employer want you to keep it up, and will they help by either paying you to take CE classes or paying for the classes themselves?

I am currently awaiting an offer for an informatics job, and I don't anticipate going back to bedside care after this, mostly due to health issues. My current license expires next month, and I already have my CE's so I'll renew this time, but I am starting to think about what I'll need to do in the next cycle to maintain it, and if that's something I want to do.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

First of all, does the position require an RN license? Many of the informatics positions that are designated for nurses require active licensure. Just because it's not a bedside job doesn't mean you won't need that license. My employer has an arrangement with CEDirect, so we can get CEUs for free there- and they have a section for nursing informatics CEUs. There are also several other sites that offer free CEUs.

I also wouldn't give up licensure at all- what if at some time in the future you want to change to a job that does require a license? There could be issues with going from inactive to active licensure, such as refresher courses and employers wondering why.

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I would definitely keep the license active, regardless. You never know. It's a lot harder to get them back later than it is to just keep them active. As Rose noted, there are sources of free CEs online, and you may end up going to some nursing informatics educational offerings as part of your job, that would offer CE credits. It's just not that hard to meet those kinds of requirements. Your license is a valuable asset.

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Specializes in LTAC, ICU, ER, Informatics.

Good points, thanks! This particular position doesn't require me to retain my RN, but future ones might.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

All 'front end' HI positions in my organization require professional licensure as well as HI qualifications.... our folks run the gamut from PharmDs to Respiratory Tx... but RNs are the largest cohort. FYI, these positions pay more than 'plain Jane' HI folks who can't really deal effectively with clinical workflow and analysis.

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Specializes in Informatics, Med/Surg.

I been working in a vendor's office for over 20 years designing and developing HIT systems. I still maintain my nursing license, although my position doesn't require it and doesn't require me to be a clinician. Besides feeling it is the right thing to do, it does give me a great deal of credibility in the vendor development environment. It is important to me and to my role to maintain a strong connection to the nursing community and to healthcare. The contact hours required for licensure are obtained via local nursing informatics conferences and on-line web conferences. I have been able to obtain enough CEUs to maintain a board certification in Nursing Informatics.

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Mine requires a nursing license

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