Does Age Make a Difference in Informatics?

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I know that ageism is against the law, but we all know that employers get away with it. I have alway been the kind of person to ignore stuff like this and just go for what I want, and it has served me well so far. But now I'm 52 and wanting to break into a different area of nursing, and I want to know what you all REALLY think of my chances of landing a job in informatics.

I spent 21 years working for GM in a variety of positions as an hourly employee before quitting and pursuing a different career. I have an AAS in computer networking technology that included basic programming and database management, but I don't have any paid experience in that field. I also have a BSN with 3 years of acute care experience, mostly in emergency, but some in ICU, med/surg, ortho, tele, and transitional care. I work 2 jobs, so I also have about 2 years experience in patient placement. Between 2 hospitals, I have experience with Epic and Horizon Clinicals.

Ideally, I would like a masters in informatics, but I can't afford that right now, so I'd probably start with a certificat in informatics and see where that lead me before spending any more money. Realistically, I'm looking at 1-2 more years before starting to look for work in this field, making me 54 or so at the time. Is this a realistic goal for me? If not, do you have any other suggestions?

My overriding goal is to get away from bedside nursing. I'm also interested in case management if you think that might be a better choice for me.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I admire your moxie! Managing a successful career change takes a lot of initiative and you obviously did it right. I also understand your need to find something less physically demanding than bedside nursing - I certainly couldn't manage it anymore either. I would think you are a perfect candidate for NI jobs. Have you applied for any? With ARRA looming, just about everyone is beefing up their informatics resources.

Of course case management is also expected to grow - especially for anyone with CM certification.

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I admire your moxie! Managing a successful career change takes a lot of initiative and you obviously did it right. I also understand your need to find something less physically demanding than bedside nursing - I certainly couldn't manage it anymore either. I would think you are a perfect candidate for NI jobs. Have you applied for any? With ARRA looming, just about everyone is beefing up their informatics resources.

Of course case management is also expected to grow - especially for anyone with CM certification.

Thanks for the encouragement! I tend to be pretty confident most of the time, but I have my moments like everyone else, so your words DO make a difference.

I have not applied for any jobs in NI for three reasons: 1) I haven't looked extensively, but I haven't found anything available in my area; 2) I didn't think I had the qualifications for those few that I did find; 3) I need one more year to finish a scholarship obligation with my current employer, but I would consider leaving for the right job and repaying any outstanding scholarship money as a loan.

Do you think I should proceed with a certificate in NI? I have only just started to look for further education in this area and have found one certificate program with Excelsior. It's a little pricier than I thought it would be, but almost half the cost of the same program at University of Illinois online.

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Specializes in Global Health Informatics, MNCH.

I think the certificate would help. You should try this online program though as I believe they are offering scholarships: https://allnurses.com/nursing-informatics/applications-now-being-487165.html

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I think the certificate would help. You should try this online program though as I believe they are offering scholarships: https://allnurses.com/nursing-informatics/applications-now-being-487165.html

thank you! :D

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Specializes in Informatics, Education, and Oncology.

Greetings GM2RN,

I guess I'd approach this from the angel of - Do you have the skill set needed to land a job in informatics?

I know for a fact that in this currentl climate if you have the skills and are 100 years old (let alone 52) you can secure a job within this specialty.

Related to cases management - there is no way I could tell you what/which would be a better choice for you - you'd have to make that decision.

Take a look at the job descriptions for positions in informatics/healthcare information systems and compare the requirements to your current skill set and if there is a match apply. If not investigate how you can acquire the needed skills and move on from there. Think about if you can or are willing to take a lower paying entry level position that allows you to learn on the job - if there is such a position open to you.

Good Luck!

But now I'm 52 and wanting to break into a different area of nursing, and I want to know what you all REALLY think of my chances of landing a job in informatics.

I'm also interested in case management if you think that might be a better choice for me.

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Thanks to those of you who answered my questions. I have been dealing with moving with no extra time for allnurses lately, but I did manage to apply to the Johns Hopkins Applied Health Informatics Program that someone had posted about. I'm waiting to hear if I will be accepted and get the federal tuition assistance. I'll let you know when I hear their decision.

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Ok...so I found out yesterday that I was accepted to the Applied Health Informatics Program at Johns Hopkins Online; BUT, I didn't get the federal tuition assistance money so I had to decline.

I will be pursuing other avenues into informatics.

Thanks to all who responded here.

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Specializes in Informatics, Med/Surg.

I don't think you have to worry about the age. Since the average age of an RN is now somewhere in the late 40's and since most of the nurses in this field are senior level, you will find many of us in the late 40's through 50's quite easily. I see this when I go to the nursing informatics conferences. Although there is a wide range of ages, there are many many in our age group. I myself is in my early 50's. I would continue to look for a job in this field, even without the additional education/certificate. You do have some technical background, although far back. You can use that to your advantage. Not everyone in this field has the nursing informatics degree or the certificates. Many of us used different educational avenues from on the job experiences, technical courses outside of nurse, and so on. This is a field that has a wide variety of backgrounds. You could also take a related course/conference such as on project management, database, system analysis and design, and so on, depending on your finances, your time, and your availability. For jobs, check also the www.himms.org job bank for positions. Also check the caring group, www.caringonline.org for positions as well. You might want to consider joining a local nursing informatics group or one with a more national presence. The cost is minimal and you can connect with others in the field and determine whether this is the way to go. See http://www.allianceni.org/members.asp for a list of nationwide nursing informatics organizations. Some have a more national presense like Caring which also provides a news letter. All of them provide local conferences and events to expose you to this field, You can also go to the events without being a member in most cases. I wish you good luck in your endeavor.

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I don't think you have to worry about the age. Since the average age of an RN is now somewhere in the late 40's and since most of the nurses in this field are senior level, you will find many of us in the late 40's through 50's quite easily. I see this when I go to the nursing informatics conferences. Although there is a wide range of ages, there are many many in our age group. I myself is in my early 50's. I would continue to look for a job in this field, even without the additional education/certificate. You do have some technical background, although far back. You can use that to your advantage. Not everyone in this field has the nursing informatics degree or the certificates. Many of us used different educational avenues from on the job experiences, technical courses outside of nurse, and so on. This is a field that has a wide variety of backgrounds. You could also take a related course/conference such as on project management, database, system analysis and design, and so on, depending on your finances, your time, and your availability. For jobs, check also the www.himms.org job bank for positions. Also check the caring group, www.caringonline.org for positions as well. You might want to consider joining a local nursing informatics group or one with a more national presence. The cost is minimal and you can connect with others in the field and determine whether this is the way to go. See http://www.allianceni.org/members.asp for a list of nationwide nursing informatics organizations. Some have a more national presense like Caring which also provides a news letter. All of them provide local conferences and events to expose you to this field, You can also go to the events without being a member in most cases. I wish you good luck in your endeavor.

Thank you for the encouragement and the resources!

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

I was 52 when I got my RN and 53 when I transitioned back to an IT role with a local hospital group. I had 6 years of IT experience prior to obtaining my RN, but this job required a bachelor's in IT or business or something related as well as a clinical degree of some kind -- RN, PT, OT, etc.

If this is your field of interest, then go for it. Explore all avenues and don't even think that age should be a part of your equation. Most of my fellow employees are in my age range +/-. It's just a number....good luck!!!

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I was 52 when I got my RN and 53 when I transitioned back to an IT role with a local hospital group. I had 6 years of IT experience prior to obtaining my RN, but this job required a bachelor's in IT or business or something related as well as a clinical degree of some kind -- RN, PT, OT, etc.

If this is your field of interest, then go for it. Explore all avenues and don't even think that age should be a part of your equation. Most of my fellow employees are in my age range +/-. It's just a number....good luck!!!

thank you! :)

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