Need to be certified?

Most entry level and non- leadership positions do not require NI certification or an advance degree.

I started out having practiced as an RN for 10+ years, took on a volunter role as a super-user and table builder then accepted a paying position as an Informatics Coordinator (that no one else wanted!) and went from there. The closest I had ever come to a computer prior to that was the ATM.

I've now been practicing in this specialty for 10+ years. I sat for the national certification exam after practicing in informatics for a few years and although I did not complete my graduate degree I do advise everyone that both certification and an advance degree improve your practice and increase your marketability.

"from what I read, you have to have a Bachelor’s degree to even be eligible to take the exam. Is this the case? No sort of grandfather act at all? "

Thats correct, no, no grandfather clause.
Your other option is to obtain a certificate in NI from a university or college.

Yes there definately are informatics nurses who are not certified, do not intend to obtain certification, make an excellent living and are marketable, etc. Just as there are Oncology, home health nurses, etc who are not certified on a national level...............
Again certification is not the be all and end all. It is one of several credentials that demonstrates advanced practice, expertise, experience and knowledge.
Dont let your lack of a certificate stop you from entering and practicing in this specialty if that is truly what lights your fire!
Good Luck!

So here's a bit of a backwards question to the above....I have a number of years of IT experience, but less than 6 mos. clinical experience. Were I to obtain an IT position at this point in my nursing career, how would this affect my future job prospects within informatics? I realize it may have an impact were I to desire to return to bedside nursing especially if some time elapses....

I fell into it. Lucked out, actually. I was then an LPN with an extensive systems background.

Part of the (returning from non-hands on clinical practice back to giving hands on nursing care) question is dependent upon the supply and demand ratios for nurses in your geographical area.

I've been fortunate to have practiced the majority of my career in and near Chicago. A large metropolitan area where there has always been a high demand for nurses. At one point in my NI career I did stop practicing hands on care but when I decided to return back to hands on practice part time and continue my NI career full time I had no shortage of clinical nursing opportunities to choose from.

Having clinical practice experience gives you the knowledge and real world experience on how nursing, healthcare and medicine are actually practiced. You then (in your role as an NI) can speak with authority and credibility on issues that relate to HIS best practice, work flow redesign, change management, process redesign, clinical systems adoption,
transformation, etc

Having that valuable clinical practice experience also allows you to come up with solutions to HIS problems non-clinicians wouldn’t even think of. Or solutions that are feasible for the complex worlds of healthcare and HIS. A primary complaint of clinicians is that the "techie's don't understand" or that the solution thought up by the programmer or network admin "won't work in the clinical arena" because of this or that........ The best NIs have the ability to speak from past clinical experience + IT/IS experience = credible Informaticist.

I'd suggest you continue to practice part-time as an RN (thereby increasing your own nursing knowledge and credibility), should you obtain an IT position. You have only six months as an RN under your belt and as such are still considered a "novice”.............. You still need to get to the "experienced" clinician level.
Just MHO