rosie23

Lots of great advice. I'll start doing some more research, I like the idea of the online journal for now. Thanks again for all your information - I'm sure I'll be back for more!

Yes, I remember reading one post that said the interviewer never really cared about degrees, but did want experience, both in nursing and in informatics - of course I have no informatics at this point, but tons of nursing! Do you think it would be valuable to take a basic computer course, just to get my feet wet and make sure I really like it? I do enjoy "tech" things - use the computer a LOT at home, enjoy research and data collection, but not a "geek" by any means. This website has been so helpful - thanks for your advice up to now!

Thanks - Since I'm currently not in a hospital setting, I'm tempted to contact the major local hospitals - and just directly ask about applicants, their education, their recommendations, etc... Which department exactly??? The nursing department looks at me like I'm crazy! Obviously, I could get a Bach in Health Arts and then a certificate in about a year and be done quicker - but to get the Rn-Ms through a place like Excelsior is more like 5-7 years and about 25K (their quote, not mine)....something I'm willing to do if it is truly the right path.

I'm new to all of this, so forgive me ahead of time! I have a diploma from 1981 - REALLY ready to something new and informatics sounds intriguing. From what I have seen from online course requirements, I need to get a bachelors, but not necessarily in nursing. Then get a masters in informatics?? If not a masters, how else do you get trained in this field? In addition, I'm not seeing jobs in the paper except for ones that require YEARS on informatics experience. At 45, I'm a little concerned that I could spend several years educating myself with little to expect? Thanks so much.