Nursing informatics and healthcare informatics

[moktao]

Hello all,

I am currently a registered nurse for almost 4 years. I have experience in oncology/medsurg/ and most recently ER. I have been looking into different master programs for informatics. I've read some articles and read some forum posts on here about the difference between the two. I just wanted to get opinions from people who got either a nursing informatics or a health informatic and how you feel about it? How is the job search with the degree you got? Do you wish you choose the other one?

[Chazzie_Made_It, ADN]

I am going to start A MS in Health Informatics program in the Fall. Main reason is I have a BA and an ADN, no BSN. I want to get into the field but didn’t want to spend more money taking extra upper division nursing courses for an MSN w/ focus in Health Informatics. That’s my reason. I’m hopeful my nursing experience will be enough to get me into the nursing Informatics role once I’ve finished the program.?

[Kharis, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

I chose Health Informatics because it seems to be a more robust program than the Nursing Informatics programs I was finding. The core classes within Health Informatics seemed to line up with my interests and the job requirements I was seeing online: project management, databasing, leadership, data modeling, workflow assessment, process improvement, etc.

I think there are quickly becoming more options than just NI or HI to choose from. In fact, my second option (if I did not get accepted to the HI program of my choice) was a MSSI program out of Muskingum that looked really tempting! Some classes within their program included team building, leadership, collaboration, big data, social networks, technology innovation, etc.

The choice is yours - look until you find a program with classes that line up with your expectations and aspirations.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Do a job search in areas in which you wish to practice. Most informatics jobs are on the coasts, or in large cities in the Midwest (think Chicago, Nashville, Dallas). Most want some experience to go with the education. I started down the NI/HI path, as I have a masters in computer science as well. My adviser admitted that jobs are limited, and most aren't remote as one would think. My advisor suggested that I just move to a location that I 'may' find a job. With a large farm, not even a remote option. I shifted gears to a MSN in management. I would just suggest you job search before investing time and money. Good luck on your future