What is Nursing Informatics? Guide to Become One
Posted on April 25th, 2024
Nursing informatics is a specialized field within nursing that combines healthcare, information technology, and data management to improve patient outcomes, enhance nursing practice, and streamline healthcare processes. Nursing informatics professionals use their knowledge of nursing, computer science, and information technology to design, implement, and optimize healthcare information systems, such as electronic health records (EHRs) , clinical decision support systems, and telehealth platforms.
These professionals play a crucial role in facilitating communication between healthcare providers, ensuring the security and privacy of patient information, analyzing healthcare data to identify trends and improve patient care, and educating other healthcare professionals on the use of technology in nursing practice.
In essence, nursing informatics serves as the bridge between nursing practice and technology, helping to integrate data-driven insights into clinical workflows to enhance the delivery of patient-centered care.
Who Are Informatics Nurses?
Informatics nurses are registered nurses (RNs) who specialize in nursing informatics, a field that combines nursing science, information science, and computer science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice. These professionals possess both clinical nursing expertise and technical proficiency in information systems and technology.
Informatics nurses typically fulfill various roles within healthcare organizations, including:
- Systems Analysts: They analyze the information needs of healthcare professionals and develop or customize information systems to meet those needs.
- Educators: Informatics nurses educate other healthcare professionals on the use of technology and information systems in clinical practice, ensuring effective utilization of these tools.
- Project Managers: They oversee the implementation of new technology systems or upgrades to existing systems, ensuring smooth transitions and minimal disruption to patient care.
- Clinical Informatics Specialists: These professionals work at the intersection of clinical practice and technology, optimizing the use of electronic health records (EHRs), clinical decision support systems, and other healthcare IT tools to improve patient outcomes and workflow efficiency.
- Researchers: Some informatics nurses engage in research to evaluate the impact of information technology on nursing practice, patient care, and healthcare outcomes.
Informatics nurses play a vital role in leveraging technology to enhance patient care delivery, promote evidence-based practice, and improve healthcare outcomes. They collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to design, implement, and evaluate health information systems that support safe, efficient, and patient-centered care.
Guide to Become Nursing Informatics
Want to push your nursing career a little further, then NURSING INFORMATICS can be a good option. With daily changing scientific advancements and improvements in the healthcare industry, nursing informatics can be your challenging and rewarding profession.
Here is the step-by-step guide about how to get into this most exciting nursing career.
Skills Required For Nursing Informatics Career:
Typically, they require a minimum BSN degree, but a master’s degree will open more ways. The other critical skills needed are....
- Project management
- Problem-solving and critical thinking
- Interpersonal skills such as conflict resolution and empathy
- Computer programming
- Expertise in health data systems
- Communication
Careers In Nursing Informatics:
A few of the roles are:
- Informatics Nurse
- Nursing Informatics Specialists
- Clinical Informatics Nurses
- Chief Information Officers
- Health Informatics Officer
- Chief Nursing Officer
- Clinical Analyst
Salary In Nursing Informatics:
The average basic salary is USD 79,639 per year or USD 34.04 per hour.
Note:The salary range may vary based on your experience, skills, degree and region.
The high Paying States For Informatics Nurses:
- Portland, Oregon - $83,988
- Louisville, Kentucky - $83,636
- Baltimore, Maryland - $79,116
- Columbia, South Carolina - $78,611
Where Does an Informatics Nurse do at Work?
The places of work for them are many and varied. Typically, they are needed most in hospitals and tech firms. The other work locations consist of:
- Urgent Care Clinics
- Ambulatory Care Centers
- Counseling centers
- Government or military offices
- Schools and/or universities
- Utilities
- Healthcare product organizations
- Consulting firms
- Electronic Medical Record Companies
- International organizations
- Private contractor
Tips To Start Your Career In Nursing Informatics:
If you are a nurse who is wishing to find a journey in informatics nursing, these tips can come in handy.
- Same as any other field, networking must be part of your life. Know other experts in this field and connect with them. This way, you will keep a finger on the latest trends in this everchanging sector.
- Take an active part in informational interviews. Although being in-person is the best way for these types of interviews, never mind going virtual if the situation demands.
- Keep an eye on both the health industry and the technology industry. Focus more on tech firms that specialize in developing software and devices for the health sector.
- Gain expertise in all the current clinical systems.
Outlook For Nursing Informatics?
Since the implementation of the Patient Protection and Accountable Care Act (PPACA) in 2008 and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) in 2009, the increase for technology-related nurses has been increasing rapidly.
As per the American Medical Informatics Association, the next five years will require 70,000 nursing informaticists.
If you feel you have that blend of healing touch and technology knowledge, nurse informatics can be a great field to move ahead. Search the latest nurse job openings here .