War on talent about to begin in healthcare IT

Specialties Informatics

Published

Specializes in Informatics, Education, and Oncology.

This is good news for both experienced informatics nurses/clinicians and those without any informatics experience who are trying to get their foot in the door.

FROM Healthcare IT News

War on talent about to begin in healthcare IT

October 23, 2009 | Bernie Monegain, Editor

BOSTON - The government's piece of the stimulus package aimed at boosting the adoption and use of healthcare information technology is expected to create 50,000 new jobs - maybe more.

A panel of healthcare IT experts who spoke Thursday at the 6th annual Connected Health Symposium in Boston agreed that 50,000 seems right.

"The need for IT is going to explode," said Andrew Vaz, national director of life sciences for Deloitte Consulting. He said companies like Oracle, SAP, IBM and Cerner are trying to position themselves to "win the war on talent," both in the United States and offshore.

"Fifty-thousand is a pretty big number," said John Glaser, CIO of Partners HealthCare in Boston and an adviser to the nation's healthcare IT chief, David Blumenthal, MD. "The timeframe is pretty short. That's just a lot of people in a short period of time."

There are a few unknowns.

"We don't know how fast that will occur," Glaser said. "Also, we don't really understand the secondary opportunities."

New workers will be needed at all levels, from pulling wire to overseeing installations, Glaser said. Doctors and other healthcare providers will also need help getting started.

"The current workforce in our healthcare organizations are not prepared to stretch," said Eileen Sporing, senior vice president for patient care operations and chief nursing officer at Children's Hospital Boston.

Eileen Sporing

She said nurses might not be as well prepared for the change from paper to digital as other healthcare providers.

"Nursing as a discipline is not advancing quickly enough in the informatics field," she said. "Nursing has a huge deficit of knowledge, a long curve." By contrast, she said, the pharmacy workforce seems "fairly facile."

Training

Glaser said training would be needed in established computer science and informatics programs in universities and community colleges, depending on the level of skills sought.

He said the federal government will "put some money on the table" for training. He also expects healthcare organizations will fund some of the training "because they've got to invest to draw talent." The same goes for vendors, he said.

Sporing agreed. "It's a mix, same as we're doing now," she said.

The biggest gap is in the higher-level set of skilled IT workers, Vaz said.

"It will be hard to find seasoned, experienced" personnel, Glaser agreed. And while there is appeal to hiring bright, energetic 23- and 24-year-olds, he said, there's an "element of effectiveness on the job" that comes from having seen and solved problems associated with major deployments.

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This is a great thing! The health care industry needs an influx of people experienced in professional information technology.

So far, my experience is that my 15 years of IT experience isn't enough to bridge the gap between my LVN license and a RN license. Maybe that'll change...

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This is a great thing! The health care industry needs an influx of people experienced in professional information technology.

So far, my experience is that my 15 years of IT experience isn't enough to bridge the gap between my LVN license and a RN license. Maybe that'll change...

??? Are you suggesting that your IT experience should, by itself, qualify you for RN licensure? Why??

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Specializes in Informatics, Education, and Oncology.

Thats right because the healthcare industry needs an influx of experienced informaticians/healthcare informatics professionals - Healthcare Informatics professionals are those who already are expert/experienced clinicians plus have the informatics skill set. Information technology and Informatics are not the same. It is easier to take a nurse, doctor, respiratory therapist, lab technologist - a clinician and turn them into a healthcare informatics professional than it is to take a information technology person and turn him/her into an informatics professional.

Ah, the debate about LVN/LPN vs RN...............not going there.

Good Luck!

This is a great thing! The health care industry needs an influx of people experienced in professional information technology.

So far, my experience is that my 15 years of IT experience isn't enough to bridge the gap between my LVN license and a RN license. Maybe that'll change...

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You really think so? That so typical of the arrogance I have experienced since coming into the health care field. People in health care seem to think that they are the only people who can be professionals. Why is that? Being a true professional at any trade takes a lot of hard work.

It is true, you can teach someone to be a competent computer person fairly quickly. Just like I can teach someone to be a competent nurse fairly quickly. But, it's a lot harder to be a true professional. Some doctors and RNs seem to think that they are better than others because of their education. I have a BS in Aeronautics, can't see how it made me any better than anyone else.

What I'm saying is that a true Information Technology professional is every bit as accomplished as any RN or doctor, and my experience is that you can't make a blanket statement like you did. It shows ignorance and arrogance...

Maybe you can define informatics for me? How is it different than information technology? At the base level isn't it using computers to leverage workload? Computers reduce workload by automating repetitive tasks and by enhancing communication.

As for the LVN to RN thing. No, my IT experience shouldn't count for anything regarding my nursing license. LVN or RN. It should count as much as my nursing license when dealing with IT issues. An IT professional with a LVN license is far better able to do the job than a RN or doctor without professional IT experience.

Don't worry, I'm going to get my RN license. Need to fill that little check box don't we? And the subject was informatics nursing, wasn't it?

Peace out!

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Thought I'd add...

Information technology, the study, design, development, implementation, support, or management of computer-based information systems...

Isn't that what you do in Informatics???

If anything, I'd say Informatics was a minor subset of Information Technology.

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Specializes in Informatics, Education, and Oncology.

Greetings Rickparrott,

I'm not sure if you have part of my reply confused with the other poster or not but I think you misunderstood my comments so I will clarify.

My use of the word "professional" connected to informatics clinicians was in no way meant to detract from, demean, or in any way disrespect IT "professionals". NO where in my post is there any statement related to me believing that only MDs or RNs are "professionals" No where in my post is there anything that says that you or any other information technology professional is not as "accomplished" as any other professional.

My basic premise is that yes when working in healthcare information systems/healthcare informatics - and if I as a hiring manager had one candidate for a role who was an experienced clinician plus had an informatics skills set and another candidate who was an IT professional with no clinical background or experience ... In my humble opinion the best candidate for the role would be the clinician! Yes, that is MY opinion. That is what my premise was and that is how I have hired and staffed projects over the past 10 plus years. Are there exception? Sure. Does that choice disrespect the IT candidate? Not at all. Since I am both an experienced clinician/RN, have been practicing in informatics for 10 plus years (have held roles from analyst, to project manager to hiring manager) and currently work in this specialty I might be able to speak from some experience. That doesnt mean I know it all but that does mean I have an opinion.

My previous post reads: "clinician" "Healthcare Informatics professionals are those who already are expert/experienced clinicians plus have the informatics skill set." "It is easier to take a nurse, doctor, respiratory therapist, lab technologist - a clinician".............. By the way you as an LVN/LPN are also considered a "clinician"

Your description of Information Technology speaks about "computers" and "workload" Informatics is about more than "the computer" its about utilizing information systems technologies to improve clinical practice and patient care.

Informatics is as much about computers as cardiology is about stethoscopes.

See my posts on defining informatics difference between informatics and medical records aka health information management.

https://allnurses.com/nursing-informatics/health-information-mgt-380211.html

Nursing Informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice.

Sorry you are having such a hard time bridging the gap and securing a role in this specialty. I have several LPN colleagues who practice in this specialty.

As I also wrote in another post to this forum sometimes its the "soft skills" that stand out even more than the technical experience in a potential candidate. People skills and soft skills such as:

- effective communicator

- mediator

- good listener

- diplomat

I've been a practicing RN for 24 years. I first got my Associates degree then 10 years later my BSN. I am a grad school drop out. There has for years been multi faceted discussion and debate over LVN/LPN vs. Associate Degree, Diploma Degree, BSN, and Masters prepared RN degrees, education, and licensure.

As yes the subject is Informatics Nursing.... That is what I meant by my statement: " Ah, the debate about LVN/LPN vs. RN...............not going there."

How one handles oneself often tells more about "professionalism" than any degree, education or past work experience.

Namaste

You really think so? That so typical of the arrogance I have experienced since coming into the health care field. People in health care seem to think that they are the only people who can be professionals. Why is that? Being a true professional at any trade takes a lot of hard work.

It is true, you can teach someone to be a competent computer person fairly quickly. Just like I can teach someone to be a competent nurse fairly quickly. But, it's a lot harder to be a true professional. Some doctors and RNs seem to think that they are better than others because of their education. I have a BS in Aeronautics, can't see how it made me any better than anyone else.

What I'm saying is that a true Information Technology professional is every bit as accomplished as any RN or doctor, and my experience is that you can't make a blanket statement like you did. It shows ignorance and arrogance...

Maybe you can define informatics for me? How is it different than information technology? At the base level isn't it using computers to leverage workload? Computers reduce workload by automating repetitive tasks and by enhancing communication.

As for the LVN to RN thing. No, my IT experience shouldn't count for anything regarding my nursing license. LVN or RN. It should count as much as my nursing license when dealing with IT issues. An IT professional with a LVN license is far better able to do the job than a RN or doctor without professional IT experience.

Don't worry, I'm going to get my RN license. Need to fill that little check box don't we? And the subject was informatics nursing, wasn't it?

Peace out!

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Well, maybe I am over reacting. And i was responding to two post, obviously that was a recipe for confusion.

I know I'm a clinician. I just feel that those of us who have moved into the medical field should be able to leverage our skills. My IT skills are better than the IT skills of almost any nurse or doctor I have met...

There are processes that you can only learn when you work in a full time IT environment. Few nurses I know have that opportunity.

I lost out on a $150,000.00 job just because I wasn't an RN. I was actually told that I wasn't a real nurse. Guess I'll finish my RN so then I'll be a real nurse... LOL!

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Lost out on a 150k job? What is the pay range for these RN/IT jobs?

While money is not the biggest factor in my career choice, it is a large one. I'm currently an RN, who was on the CRNA path, and am still considering it. I'm a new grad, coming up on my first year of experience. I started college as a CIS major, ended up an RN. Won't get into how that happened. But, now that I'm out in the field, I realize I have a passion for improving healthcare through assisting with this EMR transition we're coming up on. But I'll be honest, I have a delusion of grandeur too. I have always dreamed of being part of a health tech startup team that changed the world. Don't know why, other than it combines the three areas I enjoy.

I have pros/cons for each career choice. And making a decision is difficult right now, I'm at a critical point in deciding if I should return for my BSN and go CRNA, or go for IT and MBA with RN experience. I like the flexibility, technicality, and pay of CRNA. But would trade much of that for the satisfaction of helping to change the way an institution works - especially if it improves the satisfaction and healthcare of patients. Right now I'm at the largest health organization in Florida, and we're using CERNER. And having grown up with Google, Facebook, etc. it blows my mind how un-user-friendly some of these systems can be. Powerful, yes. But at times you might as well have someone looking at the back-end of an amazon server. It may be powerful, but if it isn't implemented effectively or easy to use - and appealing, it doesn't benefit the patient or the clinician.

Any advice?

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Forgot to add one thing:

I'm not sure on Computer Science, or Information Technology; I know the difference academically, but am not sure how it would play out in the real world. I know I don't want to be coding, but I do want to be designing/implementing. If that means I should no how to code, fine. Just curious your opinions on the above.

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Specializes in Informatics, Education, and Oncology.

In my humble opinion you dont need a MBA to implement systems. You sound like you have a lot of idealistic ideas and more than one area/direction you can go in. Perhaps you need to narrow your focus and stream line your options and then YOU need to make a choice which way to take your career.

Good Luck

Lost out on a 150k job? What is the pay range for these RN/IT jobs?

While money is not the biggest factor in my career choice, it is a large one. I'm currently an RN, who was on the CRNA path, and am still considering it. I'm a new grad, coming up on my first year of experience. I started college as a CIS major, ended up an RN. Won't get into how that happened. But, now that I'm out in the field, I realize I have a passion for improving healthcare through assisting with this EMR transition we're coming up on. But I'll be honest, I have a delusion of grandeur too. I have always dreamed of being part of a health tech startup team that changed the world. Don't know why, other than it combines the three areas I enjoy.

I have pros/cons for each career choice. And making a decision is difficult right now, I'm at a critical point in deciding if I should return for my BSN and go CRNA, or go for IT and MBA with RN experience. I like the flexibility, technicality, and pay of CRNA. But would trade much of that for the satisfaction of helping to change the way an institution works - especially if it improves the satisfaction and healthcare of patients. Right now I'm at the largest health organization in Florida, and we're using CERNER. And having grown up with Google, Facebook, etc. it blows my mind how un-user-friendly some of these systems can be. Powerful, yes. But at times you might as well have someone looking at the back-end of an amazon server. It may be powerful, but if it isn't implemented effectively or easy to use - and appealing, it doesn't benefit the patient or the clinician.

Any advice?

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Yes, yes, yes. I am starting to see more health informatics programs spring up. In my neck of the woods, there is now an online graduate program of health information management (HIM) combined with informatics. The HIM industry as with nursing, medicine, public health, and others have an acute eye on information technology and are extolling the virtues of the availability of 50,000 jobs courtesy of ARRA legislation. It will be interesting to watch how fast the healthcare IT jobs go in the next ten years and who fills them.

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