Nursing Infomatics

Greetings eriksoln,

Career transition no matter what the economic climate is risky. When I took my first NI job 10 + years ago I took a pay cut.

I'd say the climate is better for those who are already in the field and experienced and not trying to make the transition.

Healthcare Information Technology and nursing informatics are excellent fields, but thats just my personal opinion.

As one CIO once told me - there will always be jobs for exceptional, experienced people.

Check the NI forum as someone else asked a similair question about job security in this financial climate.

Do your research, there are numerous schools that offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing, healthcare and medical informatics.

Please feel free to surf this forum and learn more about the specialty.

Is it a smart career move considering the economy? Is it possible this will be a good field once the economy (IF) picks up again?

Are there a lot of schools that teach it?

Any info. on the career would be appreciated.

I agree with RNInformatics that persons with experience/credentials in the field are best poised to succeed during the next couple of years.

However...I foresee a big migration of "healthcare informatics consultants" from other infotech or general-business consulting areas-- regardless of experience/credentials-- pulled by the gazillion-$ stimulus legislation for electronic health records. There will certainly be be opportunities for anyone with some IT-speak and some healthcare-speak and some consulting skills to make a buck over the next 3-4 years. Whether you can get a "job" doing it might be very unlikely at first, until some "body shops" are set up to lease out your services. Then there will be opportunities to go clean up the messes caused/left by that first wave. :^)

I really recommend the AHIMA's big textbook, "Health Information Management Technology" as a starting point for anyone trying to get into informatics -- although it is not specifically about NURSING informatics.

I would say that of all five positions in my CAH mine is the most vulnerable as I'm am the least able to manage the entire complex of systems. Therefore, I am the least mission-critical.

Although luckily, my DON really likes me and I know she's trying to sniggle in some of my services on *gasp* her budget. We're short RN's.

I believe information systems help increase productivity. Also it is critical to have a clinical person advocating for the line staff. IT solutions are being mandated by CMS and insurance companies.

Also, as someone mentioned earlier, it's always risky making any kind of career transition. I graduated a year ago and jobs were pretty plentiful. Now I am reading that current RN grads are struggling finding positions in some markets. It's always going to be iffy to some extent to make a job change, but the more well-rounded you are, the better.

OK, I stated "However...I foresee a big migration of "healthcare informatics consultants" from other infotech or general-business consulting areas-- regardless of experience/credentials-- pulled by the gazillion-$ stimulus legislation for electronic health records."

But I did not foresee this: "Wal-Mart Plans to Market Digital Health Records System" ...!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/business/11record.html?ref=business

So now Wal-Mart is treading into Accenture/CSC/IBM territory: :chuckle

"Wal-Mart's role, according to Mr. Osborne, is to put the bundle of technology into an affordable and accessible offering. "We're the systems integrator, an aggregator," he said.

So perhaps becoming a nurse informaticist could lead to a job at Wal-Mart, after all...

So perhaps becoming a nurse informaticist could lead to a job at Wal-Mart, after all...

Hey, their systems are good.

While not in-depth, an interesting look at where an informatics career might be headed:

http://www.ihealthbeat.org/Features/2009/Where-Will-MiniArmy-of-Health-IT-Workers-Come-From.aspx

The scary part -- from someone who has much more training and experience and scars -- is this:

""I believe that a three- to six-month immersion for health care or experienced IT workers in informatics could give them the grounding necessary to meet the health IT goals of the stimulus package," Hersh said." [bill Hersh, chair of the Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology at Oregon Health and Science University's School of Medicine]

That may meet the stimulus goals -- getting people employed -- but it just does not seem like enough training to fully implement an EHR for physician practices or hospitals that do not currently have one. As I said in a prior posting, there will be plenty of work for those who can clean up the mess after the initial wave.

I am going to be a new RN grad in May and would like to work as a Nurse Infomaticist. Does this require further training or does it just depend on the employer?

I am going to be a new RN grad in May and would like to work as a Nurse Infomaticist. Does this require further training or does it just depend on the employer?

You'll need some clinical background. But it depends on the employer, and also on where you are.