Remember when nursing was all about caring for the patient? Toay many nursing specialties have very little to no patient contact. One of those specialties is Infomatics. This exploding field of Health or Nursing Infomatics offers a nursing opportunity for those interested in information technology. This is a specialty for nurses to combine their nursing background with advanced information management training. These specialists design systems that solve problems for nurses, patients and healthcare organizations.
How to get started:
- You have to determine which type of infomatics is most interesing to you. You could choose health infomatics or nursing infomatics. They consist of different subtypes, such as translational/biometric infomatics, medical infomatics, and clinical research infomatics. Each one deals with computer technology and digital information merging with science, clinical practice, research studies and more. Find your interest and that will help narrow down your choice.
- Health Infomatics Specialists develop information systems used by all sectors of the medical establishment. These systems guide efforts to provide effective, top-quality care as efficiently as possible. For more information check out http://www.healthcare-administration-degree
- Nursing Infomatics Specialty integrates nursing science with multiple information management and analytical sciences. The goal is to identify, define, manage, and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice. You can click here to find more about AMIA
Required Education:
- Infomatics professionals generally have either a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree.
- Some colleges and universities have developed specialized programs to meet the growing demand for these specialties.
- The coursework consists of a blend of information technology and healthcare topics.
- Ethical and legal issues that pertain to this field will be discussed.
- Interested students can visit the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Health Information Management Education website.
- American Medical Informatics Association, provides a list of educational programs on its website.
Get Your Geek On:
- Brush up on your computer navigation and software skills.
- Look for free or low-cost classes on basic software and applications that involve number manipulation and data entry.
Online Forums:
- By participating in online forums you get to know other nurses in the field.
- Participate in national groups such as American Nursing Infomatics Association or Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
In the future employers will look not only at your degree credentials in healthcare, but also at your prior experience in the field. Experience is valuable to employers since it can save them money in training new hire nurses. Find that entry-level position that may require just your nursing degree and a bit of computer savvy. The experience will pay off in later job searches.
