Hi, all! I'm currently an RN working on my bachelors degree and I work in a very busy ER/trauma center. After knowing a nurse who branched out into clinical informatics and doing research, it seems like it's the path I want to take. If any of you are nurses working in clinical informatics or have an advanced degree in it, I'd love to hear your experiences!
Trauma Columnist traumaRUs, MSN, APRN 165 Articles; 21,209 Posts Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU. Has 31 years experience. Mar 3, 2016 Moved to Nursing Informatics for more answers
sweetlilwolf 179 Posts Has 10 years experience. Mar 9, 2016 I'm one I just started! Really what I did was finish your BSN first it's a requirement. Look at the requirements of your location or where you'd like to go. I looked into my MSN but didn't get accepted which worked out since I got the job... But if you've been a super user or whatever it's called at your facility. Be prepared to travel for your certifications usually for at least 2 days at a time. Figure out who the manager is of informatics email them and express your interest but that you'd like to shadow for a day to really see what they do. It gets your face and name in front of the people who matter. Informatics and research are two totally different beasts. Informatics is a lot of information problem solving and figuring out how to help the staff to use the EMR correctly - sometimes those short cuts aren't right.... Lol So far in loving it, we use epic and I'm starting my last class for certification. I've been here so far 3 separate times for 3 days each. I'll have to come back again for 2 more days. Each class has a exam and some have projects too...
Jdgrn13 7 Posts Mar 9, 2016 Thanks so much for your response!!! So what is your job title, and does all exactly does it entail? I'm going to be finishing my BSN this October, and Chamberlain has a 2 year masters of informatics that is the cheapest I've found so far.
Editorial Team / Moderator Lunah, MSN, RN 33 Articles; 13,741 Posts Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CNE, CEN, CPEN, TCRN. Has 15 years experience. Mar 9, 2016 Thanks so much for your response!!! So what is your job title, and does all exactly does it entail? I'm going to be finishing my BSN this October, and Chamberlain has a 2 year masters of informatics that is the cheapest I've found so far.I did my MSN in Informatics at Excelsior College, thought it was excellent! I am applying for a clinical applications analyst position right now, transitioning from the ER.
sweetlilwolf 179 Posts Has 10 years experience. Mar 9, 2016 I'm a nursing informatics specialist for ambulatory and beacon - we use epic. I will write a longer post about what we do later im at epic today training.
sweetlilwolf 179 Posts Has 10 years experience. Mar 10, 2016 Well my job there is just so much it's build, troubleshooting, meetings lots of meetings, emails, everything you build you have to thing who else it could be effecting too.... There is seriously just so much usually I'm busy all day. I work 730-4/430
Nurse Neddie 100 Posts Apr 19, 2016 Thanks so much for your response!!! So what is your job title, and does all exactly does it entail? I'm going to be finishing my BSN this October, and Chamberlain has a 2 year masters of informatics that is the cheapest I've found so far.How much cheaper???? Because I'm trying to find a MSN program
ikarus01 255 Posts Specializes in informatics for 10 years. Has 18 years experience. Apr 20, 2016 and Chamberlain has a 2 year masters of informatics that is the cheapest I've found so far.Given all the hoopla with college costs nowadays, I want to say that you don't need a master's degree to get into this field. Also, although it is repeated on this forum over and over again, it seems that people don't get the message that what employers look nowadays is some type of experience in the field. So if I were to be in your shoes, my first step would be, how can I get involved in the field at my current hospital so that I can put that on my resume. You could be a super user, or become part of the so called informatics committees (hospitals call them different names), and once you have some experience, apply for jobs. Once you have a job, then look into the idea of your employer paying part of your master's degree. Some hospitals still do this. Sure, nothing wrong with going and getting your master's and then try to get a job, but you could do the same without the additional cost. Unless of course, your life dream is to have a master's degree in a field.
