RNCIPCT

I am not doing an internship at the moment. I am working on my Theses at Harborview Medical Center, Seattle WA. Typically, after the program, if you are lucky you might get an internship job in EPIC, CERNER, AllScript or local hospitals. Many times that would be your way to get your foot in the door. In our program, there's no typical internship placements (can be arranged though), BUT, now that I think about it, you may call, write or go to an organization of your choice and ask to intern, of course with your institutions support, I think very few or even no credible organization would intern individual(s) that are not affiliated with a college or university. Good Luck!

WagnerRN: AT UW we did significant amount of work in MS Access (mostly database building), Excel, visio, and computer repair and maintaenance. Majority of the curriculum was about understanding the US healthcare system and Managing organizational effectiveness. We did indepth work on EHR/EMR system build and implementation. I am actually doing another seperate certificate program in computer security and programming languages at UW, there are so many vital certificate programs in IT/computersystems that will boost your understanding of computer systems. As an informatician, it is important to understand that you will not be building or doing any computer systems analysis, unless you want to. Most of your work will be developing workflows and acting as a liaison between builders and the clinicians. Most organizations have programmers that will deal with build and such, its important though to know a little bit about building systems and programming, that way you do not get lost during meetings with these department personnel. Does that help?

Hello both (rninformatics and ikarus7401): Both of you have given me the best advice I could wish for when starting out in this field. After "talking" to rinformatics I relaized that i had not done my research yet.actually at all. I must confess, I did feel entitled to these types of jobs and I thought that because I have the education, I should have no problems landing a job in informatics..big mistake. I have now started doing my research and reallized that simple things such as entering a Clinical Analyst instead of Clinical informaticist on a search engine makes a huge difference. I am also working on my resume..my 2 paged resume (lol) that had very little to do with IT/informatics, and it rightfuly should because I have very little to no OTJ experience in this field. I f need be I would seek the services of a professional in getting a well written resume. All I am trying to ay is that, I wish many of the new graduates knew what I know now, iyts not as easy as if seems to get these jobs and contrary to what we are being told in graduate school that jobs are out there just waiting for us to finish school and get hired. I have had a little luck with my very little research that I have done so far epic corporation recently posted this on theri website "Clinical Informatics - RN, NP, PA" -(http://careers.epic.com/position-263), and I just got an email back to do an online test, I guess its some type of an "IQ test"..lol not sure its just what I could gather from friends. I haven't taken it yet but I am planning to this week. So there, my journey has started, I think I am prepared for heartaches, my ego being bruised, dissapointments BUT I know all this is just going to prepeare me for THAT job that will hopefuly come my way one day. Thank you both.

Dear rninformatics: First let me say that I have the outmost respect for you given your background and your advice for most of us on this forum. HAving said that, I understand that the field of informatics is a fairly new field and that getting experienced people (informaticists) can be a bit hard. All I want(ed) was an opportunity to learn and use the knowledge I have learned in school to learn new skills. I do not have any OJT what-so-ever in regards to informatics but then again, that is where my frustrations come from. But I am gald you heard my frustrations and gave me your advice. On a lighter note, I keep my frustrations to myself besides venting on a forum such as this one. I have registered for my NI certification and I am looking forward to having that done very soon. I am also looking at other organizations that are willing to offer entry level opportunities instead of just focusing on one company so that I can be prepared when the opportunity knocks on the door. Thank you again, I will try to stay postive and not let my frustrations get the best of me.

Here is my Dillema, although unrelated to the post: I am in my last two quarters of finishing a Masters Degree in Clinical Informatics and Patient Centered Technologies (MS-CIPCT) at the prestigious University of Washington, in Seattle. I am currently working on my Thesis at Hraboview Medical Center in Seattle and I work as a floor RN for a different company. I have been trying to get an informatics position but I have been so frustrated with barrier after barrier being placed before me and I am looking at the people working in these jobs who are trained on the job for a few months and at best have an associate degree from a community college. They have the jobs that I want and that I feel I am overly qualified for (in my opinion) but I can not get. I have ben asked to take a certification in nursing informatics ( I have bachelors degree in nursing and I will have a masters degree in Clinical Informatics in 6 months??!!!) or EPIC and such but how can I when I do not have a position in informatics. My other friends in class have been given opportunities by their companies to train as Opertaions Analyst, Clinical Analyst and so forth, got the pay raise, given funds to attend seminars like the one coming up in Canada Next year (through AMIA) and have also been given opportunities to go to Winsconsin (EPIC offices) to get certified in EPIC modules BUT my organization..my sorry company have staff who have no idea what the definition of clinical informatics is but yet they have these people working in informatics positions...is there something that I am missing here?? ( I am trying really hard not to think this has anything to do with race but its getting really hard not to think that way..)..Can someone please offer me an explanation or advice..I have paid my own tuition and I want to reap the benefits of my labour and work in the position I so much wish for. Thank you.

hello all

Here is my Dillema, although unrelated to the post: I am in my last two quarters of finishing a Masters Degree in Clinical Informatics and Patient Centered Technologies (MS-CIPCT) at the prestigious University of Washington, in Seattle. I am currently working on my Thesis at Hraboview Medical Center in Seattle and I work as a floor RN for a different company. I have been trying to get an informatics position but I have been so frustrated with barrier after barrier being placed before me and I am looking at the people working in these jobs who are trained on the job for a few months and at best have an associate degree from a community college. They have the jobs that I want and that I feel I am overly qualified for (in my opinion) but I can not get. I have ben asked to take a certification in nursing informatics ( I have bachelors degree in nursing and I will have a masters degree in Clinical Informatics in 6 months??!!!) or EPIC and such but how can I when I do not have a position in informatics. My other friends in class have been given opportunities by their companies to train as Opertaions Analyst, Clinical Analyst and so forth, got the pay raise, given funds to attend seminars like the one coming up in Canada Next year (through AMIA) and have also been given opportunities to go to Winsconsin (EPIC offices) to get certified in EPIC modules BUT my organization..my sorry company have staff who have no idea what the definition of clinical informatics is but yet they have these people working in informatics positions...is there something that I am missing here?? ( I am trying really hard not to think this has anything to do with race but its getting really hard not to think that way..)..Can someone please offer me an explanation or advice..I have paid my own tuition and I want to reap the benefits of my labour and work in the position I so much wish for. Thank you.