WagnerRN

Thank you for the information. What about the informatics practicum/internship? What are the typical clinical internship placements that are given? Microsoft, EPIC, or local hospitals?

RNCIPCT, Did the UW program also offer you help in training for SQL, HL7 or other programs like Microsoft access, visio etc? Where did you get your clinical internship at? EPIC could be a good start, it may help if you have been an EPIC super user or have some prior experience with it in a clinical setting. Thanks & Good luck!

Thank you for sharing! I love both Oregon and Washington, it may be tough deciding between Portland Metro area and Seattle but it may boil down to a job or where I am going for informatics (UW or OHSU)..

I see both growing and shrinking... I think it is important for anyone going into informatics to do a lot of research. It seems many do not and will get burned for it or take longer to get a job (as you can see often in this nursing informatics forum). I think EPIC might be a bubble because once all the hospitals are completely implemented, I see layoffs and a lot of hospitals are using temporary contractors. Major organizations more likely will retain an informatics staff but smaller local organizations will wind down after a successful go live. Overall I do not see nursing informatics as a bubble because electronics will be the way to go regardless of economy.. It is how you re-invent yourself (going into telemedicine, research & development, RFID's and IT software like EPIC will require upgrades periodically) and what skills do you have under your belt (look at the interview questions in the forum). The reason why I say RFID's, hospitals are losing millions of dollars in lost or stolen equipment.. It's hard enough to track down a doppler or bladder scanner in your own unit sometimes.. Look for the microsoft future vision: health video in youtube or this forum I posted a few days ago and you will see an example of a physician using a tablet to find an equipment. Also even in Europe, certain nations are using "smart" insurance cards that wherever you go within the Euro zone you can transfer and store new information with you wherever yo go.. France for example: The French health insurance card, a smart card named "Carte Vitale 2", includes a digital photograph and other personal medical information in addition to identity elements. We need a system like that because currently at doctor's offices we often have to pay a fee to have files copied or faxed to another office so I can see a similar system coming our way in the future. So again, I personally believe in almost any careers especially nursing, we have to keep re-inventing, keeping up with skills and updated software, new nursing knowledge, and how we make ourselves marketable.

Check out AMPHL (Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses), there are so many HOH and Deaf RN's and MD's etc.. http://www.amhl.org

Look at Thinklabs DS32a+ and Cardionics.. they are the most popular models for AMPHL (association of medical professionals with hearing losses)....

I am in the process of getting RN licenses by endorsement/reciprocity to Oregon and Washington. I would like to know if what organizations are currently using EPIC and/or planning to go-live in the near future? I know Providence so far is getting involved with EPIC, but what about Swedish, UW, Franciscian, Kaiser?? I have been an EPIC super user and prefer to work at a hospital using EPIC when I relocate sometime in the near future. Also, I plan to go to graduate school for nursing informatics.. Are any of the above organizations supportive in nursing informatics and foster career growth into the field? I am not asking information in how do I get into the field or how to get a job since that is already addressed frequently in this forum. I will continue to work as a floor RN while going PT/FT for a MSN in nursing informatics but it would be helpful to know what hospitals are using EPIC and has been known to support their employees growing into informatics. Some are better than others. I will also post a thread about EPIC in the regional forums. Any information will be appreciated.