Adn, which is better BSN or a Health Administration with informatics?

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Specializes in 2 years Mom/Baby and 8 years OR.

Hi,

I have been an ADN nurse for 10 years now and working in the OR for the past 8 years. I am looking at going back to school for my Bachelors degree. I have been facinated with informatics since our hospital went to Epic a little over a year ago. I was a super user and really enjoyed it and I like computers. What would you recommend, should a nurse get their BSN or get another type degree like Health Administration with a concentration in Health Informatics or even just get an IT degree?

Thanks

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Specializes in Informatics, Education, and Oncology.

Greetings RN-2000,

I'm currently attending the annual ANIA-CARING conference in Vegas but did want to give you a few links on this forum related to your questions.

Good Luck with your career and education choices and keep us at this forum updated as you move forward.

https://allnurses.com/nursing-informatics/nursing-home-work-561515.html

https://allnurses.com/nursing-informatics/curious-about-ni-537831.html

https://allnurses.com/nursing-informatics/interested-switching-ni-517377.html

Hi,

I have been an ADN nurse for 10 years now and working in the OR for the past 8 years. I am looking at going back to school for my Bachelors degree. I have been facinated with informatics since our hospital went to Epic a little over a year ago. I was a super user and really enjoyed it and I like computers. What would you recommend, should a nurse get their BSN or get another type degree like Health Administration with a concentration in Health Informatics or even just get an IT degree?

Thanks

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Specializes in informatics for 10 years.
Hi,

I have been an ADN nurse for 10 years now and working in the OR for the past 8 years. I am looking at going back to school for my Bachelors degree. I have been facinated with informatics since our hospital went to Epic a little over a year ago. I was a super user and really enjoyed it and I like computers. What would you recommend, should a nurse get their BSN or get another type degree like Health Administration with a concentration in Health Informatics or even just get an IT degree?

Thanks

If i were in your shoes, given the experience you have as a superuser using epic, I would be hustling for jobs right now! Matter of fact, I would be hustling for jobs, yesterday!!! :)

Yes, yes...I know....how do you find these jobs? Really, it is all about networking. Throwing up a resume in a job board, and hoping to get lucky. If cna's (yes, seen that in the past) can get hired for these jobs, why not you?

The question really is....what degree would get me closer to getting a job?

You already have solid nursing experience, so maybe the health management with an informatics emphasis gives you a better angle. In other words, if you go for a BSN, you're just adding a title to your current experience, and how are you going to market that for an informatics job? Unless of course, the BSN has an emphasis on informatics...

Is there a way you can do the super user gig again at your facility? Have you spoken to the IT/Informatics department if they need any help in a project implementation? I would start there....

And finally, my small blog has some tips you might find useful specially on interviews and resumes, if you decide to go look for a job right now: http://www.nursinginformaticshq.com

Best of luck!

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Specializes in 2 years Mom/Baby and 8 years OR.

Thanks for all the feedback, I am hoping to have a decision made in the next month so I can get everything situated for me to start hopefully in the fall.

I will keep everybod updated.

Kim

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Specializes in ICU, Informatics.

I would do an ADN to MSN program with a nursing informatics specialty (Pheonix and Walden both have programs that seem ok). That way you kill two birds with one stone. Plus you put yourself in a whole different league. There are lots of BSNs and lots of various IT/management degrees out there. But if you know that informatics is where you want to be, MSN would give you the biggest bang for your buck.

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