I just thought of writing about my experience of getting in the informatics position.

[Sam_Nurse]

I just thought of writing about my experience of getting in the informatics position. I had some previous computer experience before I even went to the nursing program. I was fortunate to be hired in a hospital while I was in nursing school. So right after finishing my nursing program I started working in the hospital with an IP. I worked in the med-surg floor around three years. So while working in the floor I use to help the charge nurse and other nurses to fix computer related issues.

The turning point was when our hospital implemented a new computerized charting system. I was selected as a super user from my floor. Even though this was originally for our floor and only for couple of weeks things got delayed I start helping other floors and eventually it took a year to roll the system to all other units. At first I was giving classes to users and also stay in the unit for GO-Live to help new users. This is a very large hospital and they use multiple software packages. Once I was talking with the project manager and told him that if he need any help with implementation any new packages I was willing to do that. After few months he called me and offered a position to work with a new package they are going to implement in another subsidiary of the main hospital. I was very happy to accept that position.

Then things were not going as well as I expected. First of all I did not get ant training even how to use the system. I have hard time going through the core user manuals and other materials to learn the system. Anyway after some time I was able to get a pretty good idea of using the system. Still I am not able to modify things or fixing errors etc. I am able to teach the users (doctors, nurses etc) how to use the system. The project manger was normally very busy and she is the only person who knows this system. I got some ideas after searching online and also from the online community. I wish I can take some training classes from the vendor. It looks like I have to pay from my pocket to go for a class.

[SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS]

Thanks for sharing your story. You may want to just pay out of pocket for the class. I have to pay for all the training and stuff I do (conferences, etc) and it's worthwhile. If it would make you more confident in your role, I say go for it. Your employer may reimburse you after the fact.

[FLmed]

So happy that you've been able to get into this area of nursing. It seems like a perfect fit for you. You also sound like you have a natural knack for teaching! This is an amazing opportunity and I would might consider paying out of pocket for the computer class. In nursing, it is always good to better yourself. Anything that may aid in you doing the job even better sounds like a good idea!! Congratulations!!!!

[ikarus01]

I was fortunate to be hired in a hospital while I was in nursing school. So right after finishing my nursing program I started working in the hospital with an IP. I worked in the med-surg floor around three years. So while working in the floor I use to help the charge nurse and other nurses to fix computer related issues.

The turning point was when our hospital implemented a new computerized charting system. I was selected as a super user from my floor....

Once I was talking with the project manager and told him that if he need any help with implementation any new packages I was willing to do that. After few months he called me and offered a position to work with a new package they are going to implement in another subsidiary of the main hospital. I was very happy to accept that position.

...

The project manger was normally very busy and she is the only person who knows this system.

Congrats on your job. People are always asking how to land an informatics position, and hopefully others will read this post and figure out that one way of landing a job is getting involved with informatics one way or the other while you're working as a nurse.

And is very unfortunate about your project manager not being able to pass on the knowledge of the system to you, but in a way, I'm not surprised. I'll just say that I've been in similar situations and people have gone out of their way to offer me their time because they were smart enough to realize that once they shared their knowledge, their workload would decrease.

Nonetheless, if you have to invest in the class to become better at the system, might as well do so. I know that a lot of vendors have some expensive classes out there, but maybe you can get reimbursed later on. If not, once you take the class and get experience in the system, maybe try to look for another job,and maybe then you'll get reimbused.

[NewGN12]

Congrats!

[Epiphany2000]

Thanks a lot for posting about your experiences. I am a nursing student with extensive experience with computers (moving from IT into nursing, actually). I hope to combine my interests in medicine with my interest in computers. I figure the best way to do this is to help others with computer related stuff while on the job, and I'm glad to see that a similar approach has worked for you.

[Sam_Nurse]

Many people from my hospital want to work in the informatics section but when they post an opening for an internal candidate only very few people applied for the position. I have no idea that there are many people working on multiple projects until I start working in the IT department. I think people who are interested in moving to the informatics job should find out what is going on with the hospital, are they already using computerized charting? May be in the future they are planning to implement a new system. Many hospitals will be taking their own staff and train them before they take someone from outside. Anyway that's the way its work in our hospital.