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Nurses with an interest in technology and how it pertains to healthcare should explore a career in Nursing Informatics. Because this is such a new role that is constantly evolving along with technology, the location and type of healthcare facility may determine the scope of the Nursing Informatics work. The actual definition of Nursing Informatics, as described by the American Nurses Association, is the ‘overseeing the integration of data, information, and knowledge to support decision making by patients and medical staff’.
Educational Path for Nursing Informatics
Nursing Informatics is the collision of nursing and technology so it’s best to have education in the two areas. Typically, a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing, along with experience in working with healthcare records would be a starting point. A Master’s degree in Healthcare Management, Health Informatics, or Quality Management would be a potential employer’s preference when looking to hire a Nursing Informatics Specialist. Nursing administration is also a good route to take. Most employers will choose someone with a nursing degree over any other type of degree because they already have a deep understand of the healthcare system.
To obtain a certification for Nursing Informatics, the applicant must have an active Registered Nurse license and have worked for two years as an RN. They must complete 30 hours of continuing education in nursing informatics. They must meet one of the following standards: 2,000 hours in the last three years working in nursing informatics, 1,000 hours practicing in informatics nursing along with 12 semester hours, or completion of a graduate program in informatics nursing that has a minimum of 200 supervised hours in the practice of informatics nursing.