What is Nursing Informatics?

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I have to take an elective next semester and I am interested in taking death and dying. Trouble is, it is only offered on campus. One of the only electives I can take online is nursing informatics. I don't even know what that is.

Please enlighten me. I'm trying to decide if I want to drive all the way to campus every week.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nursing_Informatics

My wife does this 7-3. m-f. no call, no weekend...

Hot new field. You will need a BS or masters in informatic to make it work for you.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I enjoyed this class. It was basically about the use of computers in nursing. An easy A, imo.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nursing_Informatics

My wife does this 7-3. m-f. no call, no weekend...

Hot new field. You will need a BS or masters in informatic to make it work for you.

Not true. I am an LPN who fell into a fabulous spot as the informatics nurse in a small CAH. A systems background, some clinical experience, and a license ^might^ be enough depending upon your area.

I take the RN boards Monday.

Informatics is, simplistically, using computer systems to create medical records and facilitate and implement clincal pathways and then be able to take the data and analyze it to improve care.

It's rapidly growing and initiatives are being introduced, and are supported by the President-elect, to initiate EMR's (electronic medical records) nation-wide.

If you have any interest in computers take the class. I love what I do.

And browse the informatics forum here. rninformatics spends a lot of time researching and posting articles and information of interest to us nurses.

:)

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Specializes in ER, Peds ER.

I never took any Informatics courses but I love computers so I seriously considered getting my masters in Informatics before opting to go the NP route. Informatics is going to offer some great career options for nurses who are burnt out on the stress of the job but want to remain active in the field to some extent.

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I went to the wiki article, but it isn't really saying anything useful. Is it so contrived it's indescribable? I need the nuts and bolts version. What exactly do they do and what is the rationale behind it?

Is this something useful, or is it one of those deals that will be the first to get cut when uneccesary disciplines are eliminated from the budget?

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It's basically the use of computers and the information generated by them as it relates to nursing and healthcare. The clinical information technology specialists at our hospital do not have degrees in IT but years of nursing experience and varying degrees of computer expertise. For example, one nurse was involved in the implementation of computer charting at a prior hospital and was then recruited by our hospital when we began our computerized meds system.

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Specializes in Family Practice/Primary Care.

What kind of pay does it have?

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What kind of pay does it have?

Better than the floor. It varies by region and competition, though.

Check out the informatics forum.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
Nursing Informatics forum
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