Nursing Informatics: Job Description, Salary, and How to Become One
The Canadian Nurses Association defines nursing informatics as the integration of nursing information and knowledge with technology for managing health information. This encompasses applications such as electronic health/medical records (EHRs or EMRs), telehealth nursing, and mobile applications, all aimed at enhancing patient outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and achieving overall efficiency within the nursing profession.
If you are considering a career in nursing informatics, continue reading for more details on the job description, responsibilities, salary expectations, and how to get started.
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Nursing Informatics Job Description
Nursing informatics is a diverse field evolving with advancing technology. A nursing informaticist should be computer literate, possessing the ability to navigate computer systems and applications. They are also expected to listen to feedback, making nursing informatics technology more efficient and contributing to better outcomes in patient care and nursing workloads. Nurses in this field should be problem-solvers with creative minds to turn feedback into solutions.
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Practice Settings
- Hospitals
- Colleges and Universities/Research
- Ambulatory Care
- Healthcare Technology Companies
- Government and Policy Development
Job Opportunities
- Healthcare Advocate
- Nursing Informatics Consultant
- Clinical Informatics Analyst
- Health Systems Designer
- System Development, Optimization, and Utilization
- Quality Initiative Planning and Reporting
- Project Management
- Clinical Practice Leaders in Nursing Informatics/Nurse Educators
- Research Coordinator
- Policy Development
- Privacy Officer
- Healthcare Software Developer
- Health/Medical Records Management
Important Skills and Qualities
1. Solid foundation in health data systems, the nursing profession, and research
2. Receptive to feedback and able to see nursing informatics through the lens of the client (e.g., the bedside nurse)
3. Project management skills
4. Creative, innovative, and adaptable to advancing technologies
5. Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
6. Computer literacy with a strong foundation in computer programs
7. Strong communication and interpersonal skills
8. Capable of working collaboratively and independently
Benefits of Being a Nurse Informaticist:
1. Reduced involvement in direct patient care
2. Potential to work from home
3. Potential for a laissez-faire work style
4. Decreased obligation to report to a nursing department
5. Ideal for those who enjoy working with technology, data-driven analysis, research optimization, and innovative problem-solving
By being involved in nursing informatics, one can expect to enhance the flow and efficiency of documenting patient care, reduce medical errors, create stronger safeguards for protecting the privacy of personal health information, improve savings to a corporation or facility, and enhance care coordination and communication.
Nursing Informatics Responsibilities
The responsibilities of nursing informaticists revolve around enhancing efficiency and addressing gaps in existing nursing technologies and communications. They need to consider the literacy and accessibility of nursing technologies from the perspective of nurses utilizing them for patient care. The expected duties encompass:
- Assessing, planning, implementing, evaluating, and optimizing nursing informatics within a healthcare facility.
- Collaborating and communicating with team members to enhance interpersonal workflows through communication and information technologies.
- Identifying gaps in nursing technology needs and actively participating in the design of nursing informatics systems.
- Implementing data-driven practices for quality improvement in patient care.
- Facilitating knowledge transition and developing training resources for new updates to existing nursing informatics systems.
- Formulating policies regarding the appropriate use of technology in healthcare settings.
- Taking a leadership role in teams or departments involved in the implementation of computer-based healthcare tools.
- Providing support for evidence-based best practices, education, and research initiatives.
- Offering guidance to companies on healthcare technology solutions.
- Troubleshooting and responding to queries from nurses and other healthcare team members.
In essence, nursing informaticists play a pivotal role in optimizing the integration of technology in nursing practices, ensuring seamless communication, and fostering advancements in patient care through evidence-based approaches. Their multifaceted responsibilities contribute to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare systems.
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Nursing Informatics Salary
Nursing informatics is a promising career choice with a higher entry-level salary range compared to other positions. According to HIMSS’ 2020 Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey, the salary range among nursing informaticists in the U.S. ranged between $61,000 to $115,000, with 49% stating they earned more than $100,000. Over 80% of respondents reported high job satisfaction, and less than 5% reported dissatisfaction with nursing informatics as their career choice.
How to Become a Nursing Informaticist
All nurses have a general foundation in nursing informatics through their program, covering basic concepts of protecting patient privacy and working with EHR/EMR technologies. Nurses interested in this field should seek additional education in nursing informatics or a related health field, such as health information management. The HIMSS survey found that 66% of nursing informaticists possessed a Master’s.
For official certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) in the U.S., the following eligibility requirements apply:
– Bachelor’s degree (minimum) in nursing or a related field
– Active nursing license at RN-level minimum
– Minimum two years of full-time practice as a registered nurse
– Completion of 30 hours of informatics nursing continuing education in the past three years
Additionally, one of the following is required:
– 2,000 hours of informatics nursing practice in the last 3 years
– 1,000 hours of informatics nursing practice in the last 3 years and completion of at least 12 semester credit hours in a graduate informatics nursing program
– Completion of a graduate program in informatics nursing with at least 200 faculty-supervised hours in informatics nursing
Accredited nursing informaticists must also maintain continuing professional education requirements to maintain current licensure, with each state varying on this requirement.
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