da_nurse

Hi Becky, I got involved in our hospital's Information Systems Department during the implementation of a new application for orders, documentation and medication charting. They needed a nurse liason to help in gathering "the data needed" (what nursing wants and current state information) to build the application. Now that is very simply put, and it is way more the just "gathering data". But to mirror what RN Analyst said, I also enjoy going to work again. After 18 years of Critical Care Nursing, (and I love nursing) but I was looking for something out of the CCU arena. I found it as a RN Clinical Analyst. I have always enjoyed computers, technology and how they can help improve our lives as nurses. I wrote into this nursing forum when I first got involved in the project I discribed above and the people here are wonderful about providing all the leads you could need to direct you into this specialty. I would recommend going to your hospital's Information Systems Department and introduce yourself. Many of the IS departments out there are realizing the value of having RNs in there application analyst group. In talking with the non-nursing analysts I work with , there is some difficulty understanding the needs of clinical areas without a nursing background. Good Luck in your search. Da_Nurse

Thanks Kathleen! I'll do that. I've been to all the web sites I can find. Between referrals and searches on the web, I've gotten a lot of great help. Thanks again. Da_Nurse

Thanks for you encouragement. I have been very forthright with my boss and all my co-workers. They also have given much encouragement. When I first started, I felt like I was plopped right in the middle of a foreign country. Everyone speaking a language I could not understand. heehee. I feel more comfortable now, understanding basic lingo. Thank you, also, for the offer to contact you. Will take you up on that in the future. These last couple of weeks, I feel like I'm finally getting a handle things. The nursing orders piece is comming together as I have picked up, from listsrv and our implementation consultant, several examples from other hospitals. I understand there are differences between hospitals, but the documents help me see patterns and how to put the order statements together. Well, just got home from work so I'm going to grab a bite to eat and relax awhile. Chat with you later. Thanks again, Da_Nurse

Hi Angela, I really appreciate all your posts. I've gone back and read many, through this last year. I feel, after reading them, I'm on the right track. Unfortunaitly, because my employee status has changed to exempt, they won't allow me to do overtimein CCU. But really, I am so busy with my new responsibilitiesthat, as much as they have been asking me to do overtime, I have had to decline. I do report to I.S. When I was hired, I was told the position would be for a year. I had experience as a "super user" when we went live with our current HIS. So my familiarity with that system and my 18 years exp. in CCU helped alot. Currently, since begining work in IS in March, I have been sent to educational classes to learn our new product. We will be implementing Orders Management and Documentation Modules as well as Meds and IVs module. My primary responsibilities thus far have been to assist in collecting current state information, lead a clinical design team of selected hospital personel, and document all this process. The only thing I haven't been permitted to do is the actual build process. The experienced analysts are doing that. But I'm looking over their shoulders. I want to learn. I am trying to make sure I learn enough, so that when my year is up, I will be qualified to apply for and possibly remain in the IS department. Sometimes I get dizzy with data overload but I will keep on taking in as much as I can. Since current state has now been documented, I have been reassigned to work on the paper build for Nursing Orders. Have you, or anybody else out there, had experience in building Nursing Orders? I would love some input. Well, I brought some more work home with me tonight, I love to juggle the data at home, away from the distraction at work. Later. Da_Nurse

First time posting, hope to find some good info and friends here. :) I'm a mother of 2 grown boys, have an Associate in Nursing and have worked in CCU for a little over 18 years. I have just recently had an opportunity to accept a position as nurse liaison to the Information Systems Department in my hospital. I'm learning all kinds of new stuff. Its real exciting. I come here looking for pointers and leads into the Nursing Informatics field. Look forward to chatting with some of you. Take care and God Bless!