Persuing a NI position as a military spouse

Dreamer-RN · Dec 16, 2010

I am assuming UMUC = University of Maryland University College? If so, have you looked at University of Maryland's Nursing Informatics MSN program? If I'm not mistaken, it's an online program. There are other schools offering online Nursing Informatics degrees. Personally, I do not recommend Master degree programs that are geared toward general Information Technology unless that interests you.

rninformatics, DNP, RN · Dec 16, 2010

Greetings oahugirl,

Yes my days are definately NOT boring!

You wrote that: " I am interested in the areas of programming and implementation of software for health care facilities"

The person that does the programming is not the same person that implements systems, so which one are you interested in being/doing?

and

"my focus is more on healthcare software development"

This does sound like you are NOT interested in clinical, healthcare or nursing informatics but that your interests are more in pure computer science and programming???

"UMUC" Not sure which college/program you are referring to - University of Maryland??

Sounds like you are on the right track related to utilizing your down time to obtain a degree - I'd just suggest you decide on what it is you want to do and then select a degree concentration. Maybe you do want to take a certificate course or a few courses that allow you to understand and learn more about the specialty. Frequently when someone is new to this specialty they really aren't sure of what it is they want to do because they don't understand the industry so....... perhaps before investing the time and money in a full blow degree program you might consider taking just a few courses or a certification program???

Good Luck

QUOTE=oahugirl;4684343]Guten Tag!

I enjoyed reading the thread about "A day in the life of an Informatics Nurse". I was tired after reading Rninformatics' day, but thrilled to know the career isn't boring! I have 8 yrs ER experience and spent 1 year doing Agency work to get to play with different EMRs at various ERs. I absolutely love computers and think ths may be the perfect job for me. I have been following this site and started looking for Grad schools with an informatics focus. I read earlier that a MSN with healthcare informatics specialty could make me more marketable that getting a MS specifically in NI. So, here's the problem. I am a military spouse stationed in beautiful Germany. The base we are stationed at is short on jobs. I have been without a job for 1 yr. This base does not have a NI department, but, does have an IT dept. I have been waiting for reponses from the IT dept about volunteering. Lots of classified stuff so I'm not sure this is a possibility. I am interested in the areas of programming and implementation of software for health care facilities. I am done with bedside nursing! Since IT experience is important, but not an option at this time, I was thinking about diving into school. Since my focus is more on healthcare software development/advising should I take this time and persue a degree in IT? UMUC offers a masters in IT with specialization in Informatics but the overview says it only prepares you with an "introduction to the major categories of IT endeavors and is oriented toward the student seeking a generalist's view of IT" Which tells me I'm going to spend a lot of money on nothing, right??? Schools are confusing! They also offer a certificate in computer studies with intro courses to algorithm design, programming and XML. But that is a certificate, not a masters degree! Any suggestions on programs or how to use this down time wisely?? :confused:

Thanks,

Kim

oahugirl · Dec 16, 2010

Thank you so much for replying! I was hoping to prepare myself to take on different roles since we move around so much. Mainly, I would like to assist medical staff with using tools like EMR. I would also like to work with IT to make EMRs more user friendly and appropriate for the different type of medical settings and help staff troubleshoot issues.

UMUC is Univ. of Maryland Univ. College which is a branch off of Univ. of Maryland. However, I am leaning towards Univ of Maryland's MSN-informatics program. Yes it is online, but soooooo expensive!!

Rninformatics, when you wrote your experience included "10+ years in HIT consulting, project management, all phases of systems life cycle - clinical systems implementation, systems management, analysis, design, testing and training; process redesign, change management..." What previous position/training prepared you the most for the job you have now? It sounds like you have to be self-motivated and very flexible, correct? Has any of your previous roles required you to work shiftwork? Who do you spend the most time working with, nurses? docs? vendors?

Again, I really enjoyed reading your "day" and found myself saying "ohhh I want to do that, and that, and that..." ANY advice is welcomed and appreciated!!

rninformatics, DNP, RN · Dec 16, 2010

What previous training/role prepared me for the job I have now? Well.....

Its been 4 additional years since I wrote the piece about "10+ years" Its now been a total of 25 as a practicing RN and 14 yrs in HIT.

The "A Day in the Life" post was from a previous role I held - it was primarily that of liason between the Patient Care areas of a 350 bed hospital and the IT Dept. I've held numerous roles in HIT - Telehealth nurse, Informatics Coordinator, Analsyt, Project Manager, Manager of Informatics, Clinical Informatics Specialist, Research Informatics Nurse, Consultant, etc.

The role I currently have is that of Senior Consultant. My client engagements are varied from being the Project Manager, to a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for system functionality, to making edits and or recommendations to training content, to being the analyst and builder of a particular clinical application, to creating work flows and time studies, to writing responses to RFPs, to crawling under the hospital CNO's desk to check that her PC is connected to the network and the list goes on....... yes practicing in this specialty requires flexibility and the ability to be very proactive. Being a consultant adds an additional layer..........

I've basically learned on the job. All previous roles (including that of a practicing RN) have helped contribute to my current skill set. I took a pay cut (when I left full time bed side nursing) when I entered this specialty and I took jobs no one else wanted. Technically I've learned from CIOs, Network Admins, PC Techs and I've also recieved vendor applications training on McKesson, MEDITECH, Cerner and Keane First Coast products.

I'd have to say educational offerings from professional organizations such as HIMSS, AMIA, ANIA-CARING have also helped increase my knowledge. I've also been extremly blessed to have been mentored by several IT, Informatics, Nursing Informatics and Clinical Nursing leaders!

You also need to know that I am a grad school drop out - dropped out to go to Europe and have never returned. LOL, to Grad school that is. I've been back to Europe x3!

Although I regret not completing Grad school .....and I advocate higher education for all.

Sounds like you are interested in a generalist training that can be found in the NI program at U of M or in any of the other accredited on-line programs - U of Ill, Northerwest in Chicago, U of Washington, Oregan and Colorado U also have excellent programs. I'd suggest you start with some self education by reading foundational NI and Informatics texts. These should help you gain more knowledge about exactly what this specialty entails.

Just know what you are saying when you write you're interested in: "prgramming" as programming is not necessarily informatics but computer science. You've read a few posts on this forum so let that not be the end of your quest for knowledge, but just the beginning.

Good Luck!

I would like to assist medical staff with using tools like EMR. I would also like to work with IT to make EMRs more user friendly and appropriate for the different type of medical settings and help staff troubleshoot issues.
Rninformatics, when you wrote your experience included "10+ years in HIT consulting, project management, all phases of systems life cycle - clinical systems implementation, systems management, analysis, design, testing and training; process redesign, change management..." What previous position/training prepared you the most for the job you have now? It sounds like you have to be self-motivated and very flexible, correct? Has any of your previous roles required you to work shiftwork? Who do you spend the most time working with, nurses? docs? vendors?
Again, I really enjoyed reading your "day" and found myself saying "ohhh I want to do that, and that, and that..." ANY advice is welcomed and appreciated!!

oahugirl · Dec 16, 2010

Thank You!!!!! :bow:

Dreamer-RN · Dec 17, 2010

What previous position/training prepared you the most for the job you have now?....Has any of your previous roles required you to work shiftwork? Who do you spend the most time working with, nurses? docs? vendors?

Thought to chime in on these questions, too. I'm currently working as a Clinical Systems Analyst. My past experiences include Nursing and Information Technology (primarily software programming but also software testing, project mgmt, database administration). I spend most of my time supporting nurses. However, I do communicate with the vendor on near daily basis for troubleshooting software issues.

Shift work is not required for my role. However, I do after-hours on-call, rotating with other systems analysts on my team. The on-call period is one week in length.

The clinical applications I support do involve some light programming where I use programming languages such as HTML, JavaScript, Arden Syntax, and SQL. This is where my past software programming experience and education are very helpful. I'm not creating an actual software product, but rather they are used to build a particular component contained within the vendor's software product. It depends on the hospital's EMR product and the job role on whether one would be using these languages. Most of my time is spent building interface screens rather than programming.

oahugirl · Dec 17, 2010

Dreamer, Thank you very much for your valuable input!

I spend most of my time supporting nurses.-

I was hoping to hear that!

I see you are in Grad school. Can I ask which program you chose and why?

Thanks!!!

Dreamer-RN · Dec 18, 2010

I see you are in Grad school. Can I ask which program you chose and why?

The actual degree I'll receive is an MSN in Nursing and Health Care Administration with the focus being Nursing Informatics. I chose this degree program because I appreciate the curriculum is a blend of organizational dynamics (project mgmt), business (health care mgmt), and nursing informatics courses. Therefore, I'm taking courses from three different departments (of course, majority from the nursing department). Also, my school offers opportunities to participate in research which was another deciding factor.

The main reason why I didn't go for an MSN in Nursing Informatics is because I have bachelor's degrees in both Computer Science and Nursing in addition to professional work experience. I desired my MSN to take it a step further and to prepare me for Informatics management and leadership positions (in addition to gaining some experience in research - desire my terminal degree to be a PhD).

oahugirl · Dec 18, 2010

Dreamer, That is really impressive! Sounds like you've done your homework. You've got me thinking. With that kind of education and skill set, not only are you making yourself a valuable asset, but you are also able to take on many different roles. This is exactly what I'm trying to figure out how to do. Thank you for taking time to respond!!! :yeah:

Mission · Dec 19, 2010

Johns Hopkins has an online NI degree and generous funding available: Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing | Applied Health Informatics Program |

oahugirl · Dec 19, 2010

Thanks Mission! I'll look into that!