First Informatics Nurse in my hospital

ikarus01 · Mar 24, 2011

Yesterday I was offered a job to be the first informatics nursing in my hospital because were about to transition to computer charting from paper. Is it hard to be an informatics nurse? and is it true that after you're done with the transition that you go back to doing floor nursing if you are a staff nurse before becoming an informatics nurse?

Asking if its hard, is a tricky question. For example, I don't like chemistry. I can take chemistry classes and do very well because I understand the concepts, but it would be very difficult for me to work as a chemist or doing anything with chemistry. It would be hard not because the subject is difficult, but because I don't enjoy it.

If you see yourself enjoying the role you're being hired for, then, it won't be hard. I have friends that love their informatics job, but they don't really like training people, so when it comes to that part of the project, they get grumpy, but fortunately for them, they don't train people 365 days a year. However, if they were to apply for a training role, they could do it very well, but it would be hard for them because they don't enjoy it.

It is kind of like asking---is nursing school hard? Well, I don't think it is, but I almost failed my maternity rotation! I really didn't enjoy or care for that part of nursing school and I struggled with it. Good thing that it was just one part of the semester.

Now, another question is---if you're being offered the job, do you have previous experience in implementing projects? If you do, did you enjoy that job/role?

And I apologize, but I don't understand the last question.