Informatics Nursing

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Hello. I am hoping to get some insight from everyone about informatics. I've been working as a nurse for over 3 years and am currently planning to start my MSN informatics. If you have experience or know any insight about informatic nursing please feel free to let me know! Also, what certifications should I get? To help with getting a job after graduating what would you recommend to volunteer somewhere? Any comments will be greatly appreciated!

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Hello happyfuturenurse

We moved your thread to the Nursing Informatics forum for the best response.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, OB/GYN, Informatics, Simulation.

Do you know if your area really demands a master's in informatics? Or do you want a graduate degree for yourself?

I was asking myself the same question, because I figured a masters in informatics would put me a step ahead. I ended up talking to numerous people at my facility and found out that they really cared more about work experience not so much a degree. Often they felt the the degree was nice but didn't really prepare anyone for the role. They suggested volunteering and becoming a super-user so I had more experience with our applications. I went on to support our go lives and did a little education and training for all employees during our transition. I ultimately ended up interviewing at another facility and getting a full-time job as a clinical informatics education specialist; I basically teach all employees how to document in the system and create various types of educational materials. I am finishing my masters in nursing education simply because it opens more doors, and I wanted a higher degree for myself.

As far as certifications go there's a couple you can go for but all of them require work/ education experience.

There's the RN-BC in informatics which you could get if you meet the educational requirements.

CPHIMS or CAHIMS which requires work experience.

I would focus on getting experience to see if that's what you like, and try to get experience with various applications. While I'm a great clinical resource, its my IT skills that sold me and my experience with various programs (like Lectora, Camtasia, web design etc) since I create materials/web site maintenance using those programs.

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Specializes in Clinical Informatics/IS Analyst.

If you have an opportunity to become a Super User for your organizations EHR, the experience will be valuable in any Informatics role. While a graduate degree was a personal goal for me, it hasn't helped in my role as a Clinical Informatics Specialists. Being involved in projects, testing, and on the job training has been the most valuable for me thus far.

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