Nursing/Health Informatics

[Chiboy162]

I am in the Navy reserves as a nurse and want to pursue nursing/health informatics. I found an Additional Qualification Designator (AQD) of 68L which designates informatics. Are there any working in that capacity currently in the military or have the AQD if 68L?

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

I don't know the Navy specifically (I'm Air Force), but you generally can't start in a job like that in military nursing. You have to work somewhere as a bedside nurse for a few years and apply for that job. That job code also doesn't guarantee that you will always have that job...simply that you're qualified to do it; I'm an ICU nurse but could easily be a commander's executive officer.

Typically, nurses in the military work in patient care for a few years, do a special assignment mid career (such as an instructor position, grad school, a developmental fellowship, or informatics), and then go into command or an advanced clinical position at the end of their career.