Kharis

Most recent (or highest) degree is usually listed first, followed by licenses, followed by certifications. You do not have to list every degree - just the highest. However, I always list my BSN because it is tied to my license. Alternatively, I could drop the BSN and only list the RN but that might give a different impression to those in the medical field. So, I list them together, hyphenated. John Doe, MS, BSN-RN, CCRN

I enjoy gardening - took a master gardener class once and that was fascinating. I also like to paint! Anything and everything...truly. Taught myself to sew a couple of years ago (simple seams, nothing fancy). I enjoy crafts that allow me to repurpose items and find a way to bring new life to them. And for the past 18mos, my son and I have been working on a model railroad in the basement. That's been a fun project and a HUGE learning curve.

Congrats! I will graduate in December with a Master's in Health Informatics. Very excited! ?

I agree - certifications seem to be all the rage these days. My institution loves them. In fact, after I graduate w/ my MSHI next year, I am required to get my informatics certification! If you already have a Master's - maybe look at areas you could pick up certifications in, there are several. This may be attractive to potential hiring managers. Eventually, I'd like to get my PMP certification and maybe one other...haven't decided. Good luck!

Lonnie~ I found this job through the hospital where I work. I was looking online (for other related jobs) and was searching using key words: analyst, informatics, project management, etc. Mainly looking through LinkedIn and other job forums. I also paid a little money to have my resume reviewed/formatted so that it would pass the automated filters and have a higher chance of landing on a recruiter's desk. Good luck - people are hiring! But it does take awhile to get noticed.

You can also check out Coursera - some tracks/programs/classes offer certifications and others just credit. The nice thing is, they are all from colleges and universities (credible), so you can build the program of interest as you go and pace yourself. When you are out of money or fatigued - pause or take a break and pick it up where you left off. https://www.coursera.org/

Thank you! We use Epic for our EHR and use ProVation to manage the order sets.

I accepted an offer for the position on Friday - I start my new role in September! ?

I accepted an offer for the Clinical Order Set Specialist position on Friday. I start my new role in September! ?

I am one third through my master's program in Health Informatics and I have an interview tomorrow (my first) for a job in the clinical informatics department: Clinical Order Set Specialist. The role has expanded to also include the yearly review and update of Care Plans and BPAs along with their associated workflows within the EHR. I am excited to see where this journey goes should I be successful in being granted an offer to join the team. What I find interesting about this entry level role is it seems to be a bridge between quality and technology within informatics. When shadowing various roles last year, it seems these two are kept segregated. People work in Quality and others work in Informatics/Technology - but rarely do the two join in one role in an appreciable way. Unless I am reading too much into things, the Order Set Specialist role seems to fill that gap nicely. Thank you for your article - I enjoyed reading it.

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.

After several months of submitting applications (internal and external to the organization), I finally landed an interview for a role within the clinical informatics department of the network where I currently work. The position manages and reviews content for CPOM, Care Plans, and the automated BPA's - as well as all associated workflows within our EHR, improving efficiencies related to these practices. These yearly reviews and updates are mandated by HFAP (our regulatory body) and for best practice. This afternoon I passed the screening phone call by the director of the clinical informatics department who explained the nuances of the role and expectations. Tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon, I have a face-to-face interview with the informatics folks and the three physicians most involved in the process - including the CMIO. I am interested in this particular role because it seems to be a nice bridge between quality and informatics, rather than just being relegated solely to one or the other. If any of you have experience in this area (CPOM, Care Plans, and BPAs) and are willing to share tips, warnings, encouragement, or things I should consider - I value your input. Kindest Regards, Molly

We have 2 Covid units. I worked in the "ICU" designated Covid unit last night. We took 4 admissions and that unit is now full at 24 beds. It is a locked down unit. Once you are in, you cannot leave. Scrubs are provided. We draw our own labs, designated RT, no techs. We opened the overflow "MedSurg" Covid unit with 2 new admissions. That unit will also hold 24 beds, also. All private rooms in both units. I cared for a patient in negative pressure on Cpap, a lady in hi-flow O2, and a confused lady on room air. So, I was in airborne precautions wearing PAPR for two of my patients and contact/droplet for one patient. N95s are only available in the Go-Bags for intubation (codes). I normally work a progressive care unit (cardiac) as charge. The house is 50% capacity right now (like most of you). We closed the unit below us. Those patients went to the floor above us and those nurses are sharing hours with the normal staff of the 6th floor. ED is also down. At one point on Saturday night, we only had 5 patients in the whole ED and by 7am, the ED was empty. It is eerie. There is still a lot of mixed messages when it comes to making a patient "rule out" Covid. I know our nurses have been exposed due to sluggish responses of doctors not following decision trees. We have had one death that we know is Covid, but because she was DNR-CC, it was not worth it to test her (according to the doctors). That lady was taken out of precautions at one point, had a roommate...it was a mess. And we have seen that same error repeated over and again. This is how our frontline staff (RT, PT/OT, nurses, Lab, dietary, EVS, etc) will become ill.

Our huddles at the beginning of shift do not exactly meet Trump's "10 people or less" guideline. We meet in a moderately sized break room and 15 of us barely squeeze in there. Often it's standing room only on nights when we are fully staffed with nearly 20. The manager was there last night helping relay the latest policy changes. She also addressed the rising panic, anxiety, and fear that is palpable among patients and staff. So...she led us in some deep breathing exercises. Yup. You get the idea: "In through the nose and out through the mouth." We were all darting our eyes at one another like..."Seriously? We're going to share our germs right here TOGETHER?!" It was almost funny. Several had very tight lips for the "...and out through the mouth" part of her relaxation routine.

As Team Lead last night, I tried to encourage my team with this passage from Psalm 91: "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday."

Getting close now! I just ordered my books. So excited. I know, I'm a nerd, right? :)

I am not in the WHNP program at UC. I am in the HI program. I asked about going part-time (taking summers off to match my son's school schedule, vacation, etc). And that does not look possible based on when classes are offered. So, for me, I will have to go full-time completing the program in 6 semesters (2yrs). I know others who are taking one semester off each year (summers) and it will take them 3 yrs to finish. I can't recall which program they are enrolled in. So, I think it just depends on when classes are offered and how many semesters it takes to graduate. Your success coordinator should be able to draft another Academic Plan for you so you can see the difference between the two and make a determination. One other consideration is finances. I am using Tuition Assistance from my employer which caps out each year (thus I wanted to extend to 3yrs to get more from my employer and less from loans). However, if you are going to be using FAFSA loans, my coordinator said you have to take 5cr for monies to be disbursed. Then there are repayment stipulations - like having to begin repayment within 6mos of not taking classes. Also, I'm not sure when interest begins to accrue. So, just some terms to keep in mind depending on which type of loan you accept. Hope that helps! And good luck...!

My success coordinator emailed me and I have a phone call scheduled w/ her tomorrow afternoon! ? She also emailed a copy of my semester class schedule for the entire program. Woohoo!

I have not. I received her name on Monday and have checked my UC email daily to be sure I didn't miss it. I was able "pre register" on Catalyst - put my classes in the shopping cart and validate them but am not registered, yet. So...one step closer I think. And I submitted my application for tuition assistance with my employer. Hopefully the coordinator will contact us soon to iron out the details. ?

Just wanted to encourage you not to give up on your dreams. I was a full-time FF/EMT-P prior to becoming an RN-BSN. It can be done. My route was probably a little different from yours as I had a previous BA degree. That allowed me to take the accelerated BSN program. At the time, this was new but now, many schools offer them. Acceleration allowed me to graduate with my BSN in 15mos and half the credits at the MSN level. Regardless - pursue your career. Keep your chin up and your head down. I found my paramedic experience and knowledge base to be an excellent foundation for class and work on the unit. Cheers!

I have done both jobs: CNA and EMT (certified at all three levels). It depends on your goals and how much bandwidth you have. CNA is the quickest cert to get and you can start working right away. As previously mentioned, it will get you experience in hospital. EMT (at least in my area) is a much longer program, 8-12 weeks and more rigorous. And positions can be competitive based on how the fire departments are run. You may also have to get your Level I fire. I got my Level II. But...if you want experience intubating patients in emergent situations - EMT will give you that, if you certify at the highest level (paramedic). This will take a year. At least it does in my area (Ohio). Can you juggle both nursing and EMT classes? Plus ride time and getting on a department in your area? Pay is terrible but hands-on experience cannot be beat - especially if you are running for a busy urban district. So...it just depends on what you are looking for. Instant job experience: CNA. Intubation experience: EMT-P.

You also get CEUs each time you click or open an article. Extra-awesome!

Maybe check other school programs? For me, it came down to class offerings and what I wanted out of the degree. I want to be marketable - no matter what. That meant considering Healthcare Informatics rather than just Nursing Informatics and comparing degree programs between the two. There's a difference! Also, I met with the Director of Clinical Informatics where I currently work and told her of my career aspirations. She was able to outline how to get "from here to there" including things I can work on now, on my unit, in my organization and how make myself stand out as a candidate to be placed on her team when I'm ready. I value that input. It feels like I have a plan - in addition to completing grad school - and I feel a little more secure in moving forward. I know I can reach out to her for advice and she will be my Sponsor for the Capstone Project required in a couple years. I have shadowed with several people so I have a better understanding of what I am getting myself into: Facility Analysts (entry level), Senior Analysts (MS required), and Quality (dream job). Is there someone in your organization you can reach out to and have a conversation with before you jettison the hard work you've already started?

Transferring from Med-Surg/Stepdown to ICU is not going to give you that much wider of a base of experience from a workflow/informatics perspective. As the previous respondents pointed out - informatics will be looking at different departments entirely such as L&D, OR, Oncology, RT/ST/OT/PT, Rads, Ambulatory Care, ED, Outpatient Testing, etc. You would have to transfer to a completely different type of care setting to gain the experience and knowledge you are seeking. In some cases, this would be impossible (are you a certified therapist?) not to mention you would run out of time....

I did the same. I was the first RN hired by a tech company as an analyst/consultant/SME. It was invigorating work. I traveled the nation and was given amazing opportunities. I stayed on the vendor side for several years and learned a lot. It also built my resume and I became more well-rounded; leveraging experience I could not have gotten elsewhere. You may decide to build a career with them or simply use it as a stepping stone. Obviously, too soon to tell. As for me, I eventually returned to bedside nursing and am now enrolled in grad school to complete a master's in healthcare informatics. The sky is the limit in this field.