 Like any knowledge-intensive field these days, nursing is greatly impacted by the explosive growth of computer technology. Nursing informatics is a new and exciting specialty that combines nursing skills with computer expertise. Nurse informatics specialists manage and communicate nursing data and information to improve decision making by consumers, patients, nurses and other health care providers.  Nurse Informatics Specialist Career Overview Most nurse informatics specialists' work in a hospital or health care setting, but a significant percentage hold lucrative positions with health-related vendors, suppliers and consulting firms. Examples of jobs in the field of nursing informatics include: - Nurse programmers who write or modify computer programs for use by nurses
- Nurse communicators who work with other nurses to identify computer system needs or to assist in the training and implementation of those systems
- Informatics nurse managers who manage or administer information systems
- Nurse vendor representatives who demonstrates systems to potential customers
Nurse Informatics Specialist Education Although you will provide little or no direct patient care as nurse informatics specialist, you will still need an active registered nurse (RN) license. You can become an RN by one of three educational paths: As in most fields, nursing programs increasingly use computers in their basic curriculum. There are many paths to specializing in nursing informatics. Bachelors and graduate level training is available either within a nursing school program or outside of it, depending on how deeply you want to get into the computer side of things. Certification as a nurse informatics specialist by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) requires specific coursework, specific experience and/or continuing education. Requirements can vary by state, so make sure you research the specific requirements for the nursing informatics specialist path of your interest and in the state where you want to practice. Nurse Informatics Specialist Salary In 2007, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conducted a major survey of nurse informatics specialists. The average salary earned by respondents to this survey was $83,675, compared to $69,500 in the 2004 survey. This is strong evidence of the increasing maturity and value of the specialty. Graduate degrees, managerial responsibilities and years of experience all contribute to higher salaries. In addition, nurse informatics specialists working for vendor organizations tend to make significantly more than those working for hospitals and other health care organizations. Nurse Informatics Specialist Career Outlook Most nurses are not adequately trained in information technology. As computers become increasingly important, nurse informatics specialists will become even more important in bridging the gap between clinical care skills and technology. For example, areas such as word processing, information search and retrieval, and data analysis may need a nurse informatics specialist's expertise to translate the language appropriately. Specialists also bring clinical knowledge to more advanced technical projects such as the development of administrative computer systems and the interpretation of complex medical data. The demand for all types of nurses is expected to increase significantly over the next ten years. In general, the more training, certifications and experience a nurse has, the more demand there will be for his or her skill set. Job demand positively affects salaries, schedules, job openings, and the availability of training institutions and government grants for education. If the opportunity to combine both your nursing expertise and technical skills interests you, a career as a nurse informatics specialist might be right for you. Sources:
Nursing Informatics Online, 2008
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society |
Nurse Informatics
Career at a Glance Becoming Increasingly Popular As technology advances, there is an increased need for nursing informatics specialists. Most nurses are not adequately trained in information technology, and as computers become increasingly important, nurse informatics specialists will become even more important in bridging the gap between clinical care skills and technology. Salaries Continue to Rise According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary in the nursing informatics field has risen over 20 percent the past few years, and is expected to continue to rise with the demand for experts in this field over the next ten years. How to Pay for Nursing School |
