SuperUser to Nursing Informatics

ikarus01 · Mar 8, 2012

my question is will being a superuser help me with possibly transitioning into the world of nursing informatics?

yes, this is one of the best ways to get into the informatics world. you start as a superuser and then use that experience to get a job. many nurses have transitioned to informatics this way. also, when applying for an entry level job, this experience carries a lot of weight. and as i have told others, hiring managers i have worked with prefer these candidates over somebody who came out of a master's program with no informatics experience at all.

however i'm concerned that after going live and the initial period after that, my facility would not be looking to increase their informatics dept. eventually my facilty will upgrade and include the physician documentation portion, but who knows when that will be.

even if they don't hire, other facilities are hiring, so why not apply to those? also, if you shine as a superuser, guaranteed that the informatics people will take notice and most likely they might make room for you or keep you in mind when a position becomes open. i have worked with tons of super users, and not all make good ones. but the ones who do, , are always noticed and recommended for jobs.

after go live, do facililty's hire in informatics or do they actually downgrade the dept? has anyone been hired at in their facilty's informatics dept after going live?

every facility is different, but from my own experience working with multiple hospitals across the country, anything can happen.

keep in mind though...if a hospital is going live, they already built the application, so most likely, they are already fully staffed.

however, in some cases, they are still looking for people as they are expecting to grow, so every hospital is different, every project is different, and nothing is really written in stone.

about downgrades in the dept---many times hospitals hire consultants to come in and help with the go live, so after the go live, these consultants are let go, but that is part of the contract. i have also seen hospitals open positions because they ran across a really good candidate, and they want to hire him.

one of my friends is a god at implementing projects and every hospital he setup had zero problems during the go live, and obviously, every director told him, if you ever need a job, we have one for you!

my advice, learn as much as you can when being a superuser.

fiveofpeep · Mar 8, 2012

I'm pretty sure I know which health system you are in and if so, I wanted to let you know that when my last facility, (also in your system) went live, a couple of the nurses who were superusers did get hired on in the informatics department and still work there now, so it is definitely an opportunity for you if you shine.

rninformatics, DNP, RN · Mar 9, 2012

Have you read this?:

"2012 HIMSS Leadership Survey: IT staffing shortage key barrier to meeting IT prioritiesFebruary 21, 2012 | Healthcare IT News Staff"

"LAS VEGAS – Lack of staffing resources was cited as the most significant barrier to implementing IT, according to the 2012 HIMSS Leadership Survey, which was released Tuesday morning at HIMSS12."

"Nearly two-thirds of the 302 IT executive level respondents expect to add staff in the next year to successfully implement their IT initiatives."

Full story can be found at:

http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/2012-himss-leadership-survey-it-staffing-shortage-key-barrier-meeting-it-priorities

I will be a superuser for my unit when my facility finally enters the 21st century with an upgraded computer system in a few months. It will include most everything except the physician's portion (ie we will still have a paper chart for progress notes and orders).
My question is will being a superuser help me with possibly transitioning into the world of nursing informatics? Ideally I would like to join my facilty's informatics team at a later point. However I'm concerned that after going live and the initial period after that, my facility would not be looking to increase their informatics dept. Eventually my facilty will upgrade and include the physician documentation portion, but who knows when that will be.
My other questions are:after Go Live, do facililty's hire in informatics or do they actually downgrade the dept? Has anyone been hired at in their facilty's informatics dept after going live?
Any info would be greatly appreciated! :)
FYI my experience is 3 years in nursing (all ICU) and before that I was a research assistant in a lab (working with mice). I am looking at working beyond the bedside for a variety of reasons.

RN Zeke · Mar 12, 2012

I am a super user and enjoyed the work. Working a few conversion contracts was a learning experience as the systems are still in the building process while staff was learning how to use it. This is a challenge and did leave some nurses frustrated, crying and taking a leave of absence. Ongoing classes should be continued even after the go live for the staff. Some nurses did not get it or forgot what they should have learned. The hands on labs do not fit all the staff's schedules.

stephenfnielsen · Mar 18, 2012

Similar to you, I worked in the ICU as a Super User, and parleyed that into an informatics position. When I was hired into my new position my hospital had been live with Epic for about 5 years, but were staffing up a little so they could implement a few things to prepare for Meaningful Use. While rninformatics is correct about the shortage of IT staff, the problem is that everyone wants experience (unless they are in the implementation phase). If informatics is your goal I'd say to continue volunteering for as much it-esque opportunities as you can and if you are really feeling like a go-getter look into an MSN program with an informatics focus, although that's an expensive way to pad your resume. It's good work if you can find it.

ThanksForAllTheFish! · Mar 22, 2012

Thank everyone so much for the info! I am going to continue to learn as much about this field as I can. What would I do without allnurses.com? :). Hopefully I will be an effective Super User when we go live soon.