I don't know what to do

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 19, 2016

What led you to choose Informatics in the first place? If you didn't have some experience in it already, what made you think you should borrow all that money to get an advanced degree in it? That's where you made your mistake. Like many nurses going to grad school today, they read about something that sounds interesting and then jump to borrowing money to get a degree in it without first exploring the field enough to know whether or not it is a good fit for them.

I recommend you take a break from school and figure out what career path will be right for you -- not only by reading about different specialties, but by talking to people in those fields to find out the details of the job market and by doing some work in those fields to see if you like it. That work will also give you some experience for your resume when you graduate. Then and only then should you invest in a graduate education.

If that sounds unreasonable for you ... perhaps someone on your faculty (or even a classmate) can help you find a low-level job in a related field to help you get your foot in the door. For example, being a research assistant for a faculty member doing research in informatics or something.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 19, 2016

Does your current facility use an EHR? Start by volunteering to be a super-user. Learn how to write care plans that are missing, find out whoever is in charge of your system and see if you can shadow. I am in my second semester an I am already working with the SIM lab (I work at a teaching hospital) to help them teach the ABSN students how to chart in the room while assessing. I am meeting all the right people. I would not give up

cards · Jul 19, 2016

I can totally understand your concern with a bunch of debt hanging over your head. And you don't need to have experience in informatics to lead you to want to pursue your dream, if that is what you want to do. My friend had been a psych nurse at the hospital for 5 or so years and decided she hated the "people" aspect of nursing, very likely because she was so burnt out from the constant drama that encircles that field. She openly admitted it, that was her SOLE reason for pursuing informatics, but she knew that is what she wanted to do and so she started to become more involved in the EHR side of her work, once you are already working somewhere it is usually easier to transition into a new role in the same facility if that sparks your interest. So she became a super-user when they were implementing their new EHR system. Aside from that she had no other informatics experience, she decided to pursue a 1.5 year post bachelors certificate in Informatics and is now working at a top hospital in the area in her dream job. Perhaps you should look for other, shorter programs that can offer you the degree/post-bachelors/masters certificate you need and try to gain whatever experience you can within your current hospital, you really don't need a DNP. Maybe some of the courses you have taken will also be counted for credits to a new program. I'd keep searching!

dishes, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2016

In many places, the health informatics speciality has had a saturated market for the past decade, employees are often hired on contract and are disposable, this makes it easy for employer's to hire applicants with experience.

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2016

What led you to choose Informatics in the first place? If you didn't have some experience in it already, what made you think you should borrow all that money to get an advanced degree in it? That's where you made your mistake. Like many nurses going to grad school today, they read about something that sounds interesting and then jump to borrowing money to get a degree in it without first exploring the field enough to know whether or not it is a good fit for them.
I recommend you take a break from school and figure out what career path will be right for you -- not only by reading about different specialties, but by talking to people in those fields to find out the details of the job market and by doing some work in those fields to see if you like it. That work will also give you some experience for your resume when you graduate. Then and only then should you invest in a graduate education.
If that sounds unreasonable for you ... perhaps someone on your faculty (or even a classmate) can help you find a low-level job in a related field to help you get your foot in the door. For example, being a research assistant for a faculty member doing research in informatics or something.

Yes I know I messed up. I am interested in informatics, to be honest, because becoming a CRNA or NP is undesirable. NP programs are a joke mostly, and to become a CRNA would take longer, involving getting experience in the ICU. I cannot get past some of the things that take place in the ICU, such as prolonging someone's life in a painful way. Also, to be honest, I have even less of a desire to work with people, more so than when I first started as a nurse. I've had a vague interest in workflow, EHRs and anything in that vein since before I became a nurse and that is also where the interest in informatics stems from.

What I am finding is now that the EHR has settled into day to day workflow in the hospital, there is less of a need for informatics professionals. Informatics is presented as a field where there is a need for people to bridge the gap between clinicians and IT professions. It's still true, but organizations don't seem to think so. They have no interest in seeing the value of informaticians. In fact, informatics has actually hurt nursing more than anything in the past 10 years. I used to think that notion was nonsense, and would silently roll my eyes at older nurses who complain about using the computer. I was wrong.

Yeah, I think I will take a leave of absence. I will try to pursue an entry level informatics position such as a clinical analyst or CDS position, even if it means moving to another city. I feel like such an idiot, since I've been conned twice. First about nursing, and second about informatics. Only this time, I will back away before I get too deep.

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 20, 2016

Whichonespink: Thank you for taking my post in a positive way. Reading it again, it sounds a little harsh -- and I didn't mean to be harsh.

I've met lots of people who view advanced education as an escape from a job they don't like -- and who jump into a big grad school commitment without doing enough research and reflection first. As you seem to now recognize, you need to do some good career planning first, before you will be ready to invest in a graduate education.

I made similar mistakes -- twice in fact. When I first entered grad school to get my MSN, I chose the wrong major. I majored in Nursing Administration and minored in my clinical specialty because I thought that was the best way "up the ladder." Once in graduate school, I realized that Administration was not for me (had never done it before) and I started seeing all of the other roles that were possible with an MSN with a clinical focus. So I flip-flopped my major and minor and opened up a broader range of possibilities.

Later, with my PhD degree, my dissertation topic wasn't well-chosen. It fit me at the time, but it didn't lead me to jobs. So after graduation, I had to take a step back and figure out another career path for myself. My dissertation related to Informatics (a hot, new field at the time) and as I saw many problems with what was happening in the field at the time, my dissertation was not "politically correct" with the Nursing Informatics faculty at my school. So it went nowhere ... and I went back to the drawing board to reconsider my career options. I ended up in Nursing Professional Development -- with a good 9-5 day job that is fairly low stress and pays OK -- and am reasonably satisfied.

People say it all the time - and only some people believe it -- but it is true: there are lots of different options in nursing. Don't just look at the "standard" options that seem readily apparent. Get to know people, network, find out what different people do for a living. Identify you high priority needs and be open-minded about what types of jobs might meet those needs.

Good luck to you.