ClinITguy

I agree 100% with the nurse experience factor. I'm an Informatics manager for a small rural hospital/clinic. My dept consists of me (technical background - BSBA Computer Information Systems with 18 years experience in highly technical roles/project management), an LPN Informatics Specialist, an RN Informatics Specialist and a part-time WHNP Informatics Specialist. None of the nurses in my dept have formal degrees in Informatics, but have gained experience building/trouble-shooting our system (Meditech) through on-the-job experience, coupled with many webinars/training sessions with Meditech. We truly work as a team. I handle the more technical aspects and manage projects, they do most of the building/workflow and educating, but we constantly bounce ideas/questions off of each other every day. When I hire a nurse, I look for real-world nursing experience (at least 2 years) and a little technical aptitude. A degree in Informatics looks good on a resume, but it doesn't weigh in heavily on my hiring decision. I agree with others - get involved with the EMR system you currently utilize. Offer your assistance on any project you can and offer to be a super-user to train other nurses. When the next job opening comes up they'll probably snag you up.:)