Informatics?

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My hospital recently went live with EHR (Electronic Health Records). During that time, in order to get a break from bedside, I volunteered to be a superuser for the system. A superuser helps MD's and fellow nurses with basic charting issues pertaining to the new system. I have been burned out on bedside nursing for quite some time, I think I was just trying to "force it" on myself. I even left once and came back. The ever-increasing demands being placed on the bedside nurse are becoming too much to bear.

My director has given me many opportunities for personal growth: relief charge, open heart training, and committee membership, which I appreciate, but I am so burned out.

I recently applied for an Informatics position and was told that HR is going to extend an offer to me. I am 40 years old and have been a nurse for 8 years (a drop in the bucket, I know). My lower back is a mess, but bedside nursing is all I know. So many of my co-workers are burned out, and I think many want to leave, but stay for one reason or another (pay, family, work schedule). My husband is completely supportive and recognizes my burnout.

Here are my questions:

(1) I am wondering if I would be pigeonholing myself by taking this job (losing skills)? I

hope I would not HAVE to return to bedside, but one never knows.

(2) Would you take it? It's Monday through Friday 0900-1730 (maybe staying later some

days, maybe leaving early some days); it's a salaried position. These positions do not

come around rarely.

I am not a techy person, but I CAN learn. My husband says, "Listen, they know they are getting a nurse, not Bill Gates" :-)

Feedback please...thanks.

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I went from the bedside to Informatics in January of this year. I was at the bedside for 12.5 yrs..... I was SSSOOOO burnt out. I am younger and pick things up pretty easily but it has been a definite challenge. If you want a challenge and a LOT of work I would recommend it. I chose to keep my old job prn so I had a fall back and also could keep up my skills.... I love the new hours!

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I went from the bedside to Informatics in January of this year. I was at the bedside for 12.5 yrs..... I was SSSOOOO burnt out. I am younger and pick things up pretty easily but it has been a definite challenge. If you want a challenge and a LOT of work I would recommend it. I chose to keep my old job prn so I had a fall back and also could keep up my skills.... I love the new hours!

Just like you do I also started this Jan. and we are preparing for EMR go-live this April. Imagine my world, fresh from the bedside, not a hard core techy savvy, but a bedside nurse for 18 years. I am the first clinical informaticist in our organization. I am a newly graduated MSN/Informatics. So for my fellow nurses, if you want a challenge, go for it.

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Isn't this field called health information technology? Anyway- I see a lot of this stuff already being outsourced to Asia. Anything that can be done on a computer, can be done in India by advanced degreed professionals there that are paid about $100 a week. I'm just saying, watch the trends...especially starting when Obamacare kicks in.

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If I find one more poor lost soul who is getting ripped off by those 'be a medical billing and coding specialist!' schools, and paying $20,000+ to allegedly do what the new HIT and healthcare software does automatically, as directed by Obamacare, and etc.? I'm going to puke.

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I am feeling burned-out myself and looking to go into informatics. I would take the position.

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Take it and never look back. I'm in school for informatics right now so I can't get away from the bedside.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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Go for it! Don't look back!

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Specializes in Telemetry, Medical Surgical, Dialysis.

Is anyone here completing their Informatics degree at American Sentinel University?

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Specializes in Oncology Home Care.

Take the job, if you lose skills than so be it. They can be learned again but there are many alternative nursing careers out there that don't require you to be at the bedside if you lost this job and had to look for another. I recommend for any nurse feeling burnout to look elsewhere no matter what your situation is. No one wants a nurse working at the bedside because she has to, there are many options for nurses today. Congratulations on the job, I wish you all the best!

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surg.

congratulations! go for it! you can always go back to bedside if want to.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Informatics.

Go informatics :)

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