Informatics/coding question for nurses

[Benjifoo, BSN, EMT-B]

Hello there! I am currently working on my masters in informatics and I have my BSN already. I am looking to get into ICD-10 while I have down-time during this hectic covid-19 pandemic. Upon attempting to do some research I just come across what feels like dozens of strange looking online classes, so I wanted to ask a question here.

Are there any nurses that have taken online coding classes, and if so could you please provide a website to look at please? I am seeking something highly credible with a certification or some type of legitimate completion. Just trying to delve into the coding world a bit for professional growth and potential opportunities in the near future. Thank you so much in advance, I appreciate any assistance!

[Rill]

Hello! Current CS Bachelor student looking to get ABSN, then MSN in Informatics. There are lots of good sites that you could start on. A few that I highly recommend would be:

> freeCodeCamp (should teach you basics of coding, has multiple languages, you can get certificates for your learning)

> Codingbat (great for learning problem-solving especially (this is incredibly important), with very small projects to get you thinking, also don't be afraid to Google how to complete different Codingbat problems as that is a good way to learn)

> w3chools (wonderful explanations on things, really the web version of a course. great to pair with Youtube and the above)

All of those are free and great starting points. freeCodeCamp is the only one of them that does give certificates, however, I would highly recommend pairing it with others, as well as gaining a grasp on just what you'll most likely need to learn in the field, beyond coding. I'd actually, if I were you, look into some bioinformatics courses, or at least Youtube videos, to learn more about this so that you can further your education on more relevant topics to your career than the basics after you've mastered those. It's most important to start, though, and you don't want to pay a lot of money while just getting started.

[Kharis, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

You can also check out Coursera - some tracks/programs/classes offer certifications and others just credit. The nice thing is, they are all from colleges and universities (credible), so you can build the program of interest as you go and pace yourself. When you are out of money or fatigued - pause or take a break and pick it up where you left off. 

https://www.coursera.org/ 

[DataJack BSN-RN, BSN, RN]

Benjifoo, 

Unless you are looking to specifically learn how to build software, the coding that you are referring to, ICD-10, is NOT a coding language. ICD stands for International Classification of Diseases and is used mainly for patient data and billing purposes. 

I have worked as a Clinical Documentation Specialist and was required to learn medical coding as well as work closely with medical coders. I'm not sure that Nurse Informatics will require you to learn a whole lot of medical coding, but it may, depending on what you're doing.

If you're seeking to learn how to code like a programmer, then any of the previous suggestions seem like a good place to start. I think that anything IT-related is probably going to be a plus for Informatics Nurses.