HITECH training/Informatics question

[Mettle]

Hello,

I am currently working in psych and really enjoy it, but at some point I would really like an opportunity in informatics. After graduation I worked on a med/surg floor for 2 years and was a super user during a transition to CERNER. I left that position a couple of months after the launch and am now working at an HCA facility in psych. We use meditech and while I am not a super user yet, I have been involved in training others when updates have been made. I will keep looking for opportunities like that, and will be more involved when the opportunity is available. I will be finishing my last class for BSN this summer and have no plans to move on to a master's degree at this point.

So with that said, I am considering signing up for the HITECH program (trainer). I have read that it is time consuming and that there may not be a big benefit for the certification. The comments I read were mostly from IT people, but a couple of nurses didn't think the courses helped them land a job. Anyone here have experience or knowledge of these certifications? I don't mind putting in the time and effort, but I don't want to go through it if there is not a real benefit. Any advice or comments would be appreciated.

[ikarus01]

When I worked with hospitals that were hiring entry-level candidates, and i was helping with the recruitment process, what I observed was that nursing managers and directors wanted people with past experience, such as your super-user experience, etc.

We did see some people with certifications in their resumes, but as somebody said, "this doesn't tell me anything" (in terms of what the person can do.)

Obviously, there are thousands of employers out there and this was just what I experienced in a couple of hospitals, but maybe the certificate would be of help if the place that is offering partners with an employer, so that when you finish your program, you can interview for a job, or the place that offered the training, will help you find a job.

I think there are some places that do that, but at least from what I've been told from those who do these certificates is that they felt abandoned and that yes, the certificate didn't really help much with getting a job. Again, I suppose that's because these individuals didn't have prior informatics experience, but maybe there are those out there who benefited from these certificates.

I personally advise people just to get involved in informatics and apply for jobs. That's how many of us got in the field, and that's how some others continue to get in the field.

If the place you're planning on getting this HITECH trainer program from will help you with the job search, then I would think is at least worth it to try. If they say that you're on your own, then maybe it might not be such a good idea as you can really get a job on your own, given your past experience with informatics projects. That's my opinion at least, but I'm biased because I personally didn't see candidates getting any advantage from having these certificates, but like i said before, in all fairness, this is based on what I saw in a couple of hospitals.