ksmith1963

Please purchase and read the ANA Scope and Standards of Practice in Nursing Informatics. http://nursingworld.org/books/pdescr.cfm?cnum=3#INFPKGCS This is a valuable document that describes our speciality field. In addition, you might find interesting the Staggers, Gassert, & Curran, Informatics Competencies at all levels of practice. Nursing Research Nov/Dec 2002. You can read the competencies at this link http://www.nurs.utah.edu/informatics/competencies.htm Join a local nursing informatics networking group. See Susan K. Newbold's pages for a listing of groups (Many of these are international) http://www.nursing.umaryland.edu/%7Esnewbold/skngroup.htm You will also find a frequently asked questions on her website http://www.nursing.umaryland.edu/%7Esnewbold/sknfaqni.htm You can obtain a Masters or PhD in Nursing Informatics, get a post masters certificate in Nursing Informatics, or you may find a path that gives you "on the job" experience in NI. Good luck KSmith1963

Sometimes it is hard to get your foot in the door. Consider volunteering to work as a "super user" at your current job. Another thought is to do some informational interviews with current systems analysts or nurses working in nursing informatics positions. You might find the Weekend Immersion in Nursing Informatics Course useful. Take a look at http://www.winiconference.net for more details and links about nursing informatics. Good luck KSmith1963

Here's a story that took 20 years to unfold. I was a young Navy Nurse assigned to a small hospital overseas. 20 years later, I reported in to my new command and discovered my Commanding Officer had been stationed at the small hospital at the same time. At his daughter's wedding, his wife came to me to thank me for being so kind to her when this daughter was born! I was amazed - and to think after all those years. Perhaps the most important lesson here is that I don't remember treating her any differently than any of my other patients. So we may never know how many we have touched just by "doing our job". Thanks to all of you for all you do for every patient and family, everyday.

Here's another resource for you http://www.nursing.umaryland.edu/%7Esnewbold/sknfaqni.htm "Frequently Asked Questions about Nursing Informatics" Good luck Kathleen Smith

You might be interested in exploring the field of nursing informatics by attending a "WINI" (Weekend/Weekday Immersion in Nursing Informatics). Please visit http://www.winiconference.net for a description of WINI, and location of upcoming conferences. We have conferences in CO and VA in September, a possible conference in WI in Nov and a conference in PA in Jan. All the best, Kathleen Smith, WINI Faculty

Congratulations on your new position. In addition to all the training and courses your vendor will offer, be sure to be an active member of your vendor usergroup and join a nursing networking group and one professional organization. Talk to your colleagues about the merits of these groups but join AMIA nursing informatics working group of HIMSS (or both!) and a local networking group like CARING or ANIA. For a full listing of netowrking groups, visit http://www.nursing.umaryland.edu/%7Esnewbold/skngroup.htm Subscribe to CIN: Computers, Informatics and Nursing (You get a discount by belonging to one of the aforementioned groups). And plan to be a "sponge" for a while. Great opportunities - enjoy your new position. ksmith1963

While these medical shows are entertaining, they are not good at representing nurses and what we do. In this time of nursing shortages, it's important that the general public understands that they go to a hospital for "nursing care" not the doctor's care. (They are lucky to see an MD for 10 minutes a day - in many cases). You might be interested in reading and subscribing to: http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/media/tv/tv.html They have some very interesting comments. This is the group that stopped the Sketcher 'Naughty Nurse' campaign and bringing to attention to all some of the poor nurse sterotypes that are replicated to the viewing public. One of my pet peeves is that you can only find clip art of nurses wearing a nurses hat! (Ah, that's for another topic). Regards Ksmith1963

Plan to attend the Summer Institute in Nursing Informatics in Baltimore next summer. It's a great week of networking and learning. You might also find the Weekend Immersion in Nursing Informatics valuable. The latest schedule is at http://www.winiconference.net or http://www.icce.us. Good luck, Kathleen Smith, MScEd, RN,BC, FHIMSS

In addition to all the panels, speakers, papers and posters there are two nursing informatics events to note. On Saturday October 22 there will be a day long nursing informatics symposium hosted by the AMIA Nursing Informatics working Group (NI-WG) and Co-sponsored by the Alliance for Nursing Informatics (ANI) and HIMSS. On Monday, October 24, CARING and AMIA NI-WG will host a luncheon and networking event. Hope to see you there.

Congratulations on joining the nursing profession. If you can afford it, go straight for the BSN, it saves time in the long run. Many nurses find a certificate program in nursing informatics, and there are masters and PhD programs offered in nursing informatics. The first requirement to specailize in nursing informatics is at least 2 years experience as an RN. The strength of our knowledge is our clinical expertise. I used to say that I translated between the doctor and the patient (they speak 2 very different languages); now I translate between the health care community and the IT community! Here are a couple of web sites for you to visit. http://www.nursing-informatics.com/niassess/index.html This shows some of the competencies that you should have in the NI specialty. Here's Susan K. Newbold's Frequently asked questions that might be of help http://www.nursing.umaryland.edu/%7Esnewbold/sknfaqni.htm There are as many places to work as you can think of - some nurses do program, some teach, some work for the nursing department, some work in the IT department as a nursing analyst or a clinical analyst, some function as super users while maintaining a clinical job. One of the conferences you can attend is a WINI (Weekend Immersion in Nursing Informatics) - you don't have to be a nurse to attend. Visit http://www.winiconference.net to learn about this program. Visit the ANCC website to see the criteria for certification requirements in nursing informatics (BSN grad) http://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/certification/cert/certs/informatics.html Here's the web page if you are an RN with a degree in a related filed (say computers) http://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/certification/cert/certs/informatics.html (Actually it's the same exam, it's just how the credentials are placed after your name) Talk to you boss in the admit department, there will probably be an upgrade to your current software, perhaps you can work on that committee. The education department at the hospital can always use help. Many nurses need computer basics (like e-mail, and using a mouse). Don't forget the volunteer opportunities in your community - like the public library for teaching computer basics. Ask the faculty in the nursing school some of your questions. Join an informatics group - even if you "lurk" you'll see the kinds of things we deal with and learn lots of tips. Good luck. ksmith1963

Hello Becky and all interested in nursing informatics, There are a number of ways to get into nursing informatics. One way is to volunteer to work on projects in you institution around nursing informatics (perhaps a work flow group or learning to be a superuser). Another way is to talk to the nurses working in the nursing informatics department (if you have one) or nurses working as clinical analyst in the information systems department. For a good primer on nursing informatics, please visit Susan K. Newbold's webpage: http://www.nursing.umaryland.edu/%7Esnewbold/sknfaqni.htm Join a nursing informatics networking group like ANI, CARING or ANIA. For a full listing, see http://www.nursing.umaryland.edu/%7Esnewbold/skngroup.htm Another way to learn about nursing informatics is to attend a Weekend/Weekday Immersion in Nursing Informatics (WINI). For more information about WINI please visit http://www.winiconference.net Good luck and come join the growing field of nursing informatics. If we are to have an electronic health care record (EHR), we will need many more skilled nurses speaking up for the creation and use of the EHR. Welcome to the field. Kathleen Smith, MScEd, RN,BC, FHIMSS http://www.winiconference.net http://www.icce.us

Your work assignment will depend on the "needs of the Navy". You can always ask/apply for a change in duty assignment (from med/surg to a specialty area). Talk to your nursing supervisor, chief nurse once you get your feet on the ground. Again, hospital duty assignments depend on your skills and the military needs. You will have an opportunity to talk with your detailer (the person who writes the assignment orders). Most of the services have a career progression plan that show what you need to do to get promoted. (Education, work experience, leadership potential, etc.). I am a retired Navy Nurse, and Navy Nursing was a very rewarding career. I learned more anout leadership and management while in the Navy and worked with a very dedicated team of doctors and hospital corpsmen. The patient mix in a military hospital is like any "civilian" hospital. Right now, many of the military hospitals are full of service men and women injured from battles around the world. It's an amazing and uplifting experience to provide nursing care to those injured protecting my freedom and defending my country. Good luck

Check out Care Ware http://www.caresystemsinc.com Ask for a web ex demo of a very nice nurse scheduling system designed by nurses to solve this problem. It's even easy to allow self scheduling. Contact me if you want more information. i

First pass the NCLEX -PN exam. It would be good to get some clinical experience under your "belt" before you move into the world of informatics. Look at the vendors job postings - you'll get an idea of the kinds of job experience they are looking for. Join a nursing informatics group and HIMSS or AMIA - either are great professional organizations with a broad range of health care and informatics professionals. Start reading informatics magazines - many are online nowdays - so affordable. Subscribe to CIN. I just saw a news item that Perot Systems has a 6 year, multi-million $ contract to provide integration services to the National Health Services in London. Maybe you'll find an opportunity there. Talk to the IS Department at your facility. Volunteer for a project - like being a super user. Good luck Kathleen

If you have antivirus and firewall software and you're sure your virisus and other "bugs" are gone, then you probably do need the active X component. You can read about active xon the microsoft home page - or on webopedia.com http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/ActiveX.html Ask a local pc networking group about active x - good luck Kathleen