What Exactly IS Informatics Nursing?

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Just wondering. I'm curious.

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Specializes in Informatics, Education, and Oncology.

Hi CNA to RN O6,

The ANA(American Nurses Association) defines Nursing Informatics as:

"Nursing Informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, and knowledge in nursing practice. Nursing informatics facilitates the integration of data, information and knowledge to support patients, nurses and other providers in their decision-making in all roles and settings. This support is accomplished through the use of information structures, information processes, and information technology" (ANA Scope and Standards of Nursing Informatics Practice, 2001, pg vii).

In plain English. Nursing Informatics is a specialty within Nursing that focuses on utilizing information systems as tools to improve pt care and nursing practice.

Hope that helps!

Just wondering. I'm curious.
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Thank you!

I'm getting to know more and more about the specialties in nursing.

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Do you have to be a nurse to be or get into Informatics?

Is there a career or education path for this?

Just curious.

Thanks.

Hi CNA to RN O6,

The ANA(American Nurses Association) defines Nursing Informatics as:

"Nursing Informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, and knowledge in nursing practice. Nursing informatics facilitates the integration of data, information and knowledge to support patients, nurses and other providers in their decision-making in all roles and settings. This support is accomplished through the use of information structures, information processes, and information technology" (ANA Scope and Standards of Nursing Informatics Practice, 2001, pg vii).

In plain English. Nursing Informatics is a specialty within Nursing that focuses on utilizing information systems as tools to improve pt care and nursing practice.

Hope that helps!

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Do you have to be a nurse to be or get into Informatics?

Is there a career or education path for this?

Just curious.

Thanks.

No, you don't have to be a nurse; large companies such as Cerner or Mckesson for example, hire non nurses to do informatics jobs. I'm sure you will read in the postings that of course it's beneficial to have a nursing degree so that you know the nursing process, etc, but I work with individuals that have no healthcare experience and that doesn't prevent them from knowing the nursing process. Matter of fact, I have seen nurses taking the time to explain how their unit/process works so that these individuals can configure the system to the best of their needs. Also, I have seen these individuals volunteer to shadow the nurse to see what they do in a daily basis so no, you don't have to be a nurse. :)

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Thanks perseus29!

I'm currently looking at enrolling in a Health Information Management progam and I'm interested in Nursing Informatics.

Thanks again.

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Specializes in Informatics, Education, and Oncology.

NO you do not have to be a nurse to get "into" informatics. You can have a clinical background in Laboratory sciences, hold a Pharm degree or have experience in any of the other sciences. . If you are investigating how to enter the field of Clinical Informatics or Healthcare Informatics it would be beneficial to have a background or experience in one of the sciences/clinical disciplines within healthcare.

If you are looking at getting into a pure IS/IT (Information Systems/Information Technology) role (programmer, network engineer, etc) then of course you don't need a biological sciences or clinical background.

Historically information systems vendors and IT depts once hired primarily non-clinical IT professionals (such as programmers) to build systems for clinicians (physicians, nurses, etc). The major problem with those systems were that the programmers and non-clinical IT people rarely understood the complexities of healthcare, medical and nursing practice. The non-clinical IT professionals tended to underestimate the value of a clinical background combined with healthcare informatics expertise. Thereby producing systems wholly inadequate and insufficient for real world clinical practice and for how medicine and nursing are truly practiced. Many of us within healthcare today are still struggling with these poorly designed systems.

Think of it like this. How effective would a wrench be that I a nurse built for my mechanic? How effective would that same wrench be if I then also told my mechanic how to use it? Hey I did watch him working on the car and I did read the owner’s manual, right?

Do you have to be a nurse to be or get into Informatics?

Is there a career or education path for this?

Just curious.

Thanks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Informatics, Education, and Oncology.

Be aware - a Health Information Management degree program (depending on the specific course content and degree focus) is not the same as a degree or program in Nursing Informatics or even Healthcare Informatics. Frequently HIM degree programs are medical records focused.

Thanks perseus29!

I'm currently looking at enrolling in a Health Information Management progam and I'm interested in Nursing Informatics.

Thanks again.

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Specializes in Informatics, Education, and Oncology.

Nurses' Involvement With IT Systems Increasing

April 30, 2007

As hospitals continue to develop and adopt electronic health record systems, the demand for nurse informaticists, who can serve as a link between IT and clinical care, has increased, the Dallas Morning News reports.

At least 75% of nurse informaticists are developing or helping their health care

facilities adopt clinical information or documentation systems, according to an

industry survey. However, so few nurses have doctoral degrees in informatics

that nursing schools are having difficulty finding qualified faculty to help

train new nurses for the role.

"Many nurses working in nursing informatics roles learn on the job, building on

their nursing experience with information management," Poldi Tschirch, director of nursing informatics at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, said.

Patricia Dykes, head of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems

Society's nursing informatics committee, said, "I see a wider recognition of the

value that nurses with advanced education in informatics bring to system design, implementation and evaluation."

Though beneficial, some nurses and other health care providers can get an IT

position without formal certification, Valerie Anderson, a registered nurse and

a patient care manager at Baylor Health System in Dallas, said.

"It is not enough to have programmers and engineers designing and implementing these systems," Mary Beth Mitchell, director of clinical informatics at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, said (Kreimer, Dallas Morning News, 4/29).

NO you do not have to be a nurse to get "into" informatics. You can have a clinical background in Laboratory sciences, hold a Pharm degree or have experience in any of the other sciences. . If you are investigating how to enter the field of Clinical Informatics or Healthcare Informatics it would be beneficial to have a background or experience in one of the sciences/clinical disciplines within healthcare.

If you are looking at getting into a pure IS/IT (Information Systems/Information Technology) role (programmer, network engineer, etc) then of course you don't need a biological sciences or clinical background.

Historically information systems vendors and IT depts once hired primarily non-clinical IT professionals (such as programmers) to build systems for clinicians (physicians, nurses, etc). The major problem with those systems were that the programmers and non-clinical IT people rarely understood the complexities of healthcare, medical and nursing practice. The non-clinical IT professionals tended to underestimate the value of a clinical background combined with healthcare informatics expertise. Thereby producing systems wholly inadequate and insufficient for real world clinical practice and for how medicine and nursing are truly practiced. Many of us within healthcare today are still struggling with these poorly designed systems.

Think of it like this. How effective would a wrench be that I a nurse built for my mechanic? How effective would that same wrench be if I then also told my mechanic how to use it? Hey I did watch him working on the car and I did read the owner's manual, right?

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I'm considering going to grad school for nurse informatics. If I get a masters in it, how much actual nursing experience do places expect you to have before they'll hire you? By the time I can go back to school, I'll have a year of nursing experience. Would that be enough for companies to hire me or would I have a tough time getting a job?

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I'm considering going to grad school for nurse informatics. If I get a masters in it, how much actual nursing experience do places expect you to have before they'll hire you? By the time I can go back to school, I'll have a year of nursing experience. Would that be enough for companies to hire me or would I have a tough time getting a job?

good question, glad u asked this- im also wondering this myself. Im very interested in this part of nursing.

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Specializes in Informatics, Education, and Oncology.

It all depends on the position.

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