Nursing Informatics Programs

What to Look For

Which school should I select for nursing informatics education?

Making this decision, is dependent on several factors such as what focus you wish to have in your informatics work and whether an online or traditional program is best for you.

Do you like working as a liason between technicians and clinicians?

Do you like consulting and selling?

Do you like working behind the scenes to develop software?

Answering these questions may help you select the appropriate school. Finding out what type of jobs the school's graduates have as new graduates can be a clue about the program's focus.

Be certain that the program includes a practicum in a healthcare agency where you gain hands-on experience. Find out where the school has practicums and what the focus is for this experience. Be sure the practicum matches your goals. Does the school find the practicum, or do you have to look for a site?

Find out who the faculty are that teach the classes and what their backgrounds are. Do they have actual clinical informatics experience? What kind of experience and how recent? What are faclty fields of interest/research in informatics? Matching up with this last factor can insure that you find a program that matches your interests.

Another piece of important information is what percentage of a school's graduates are currently working primarily in the field of informatics. If you have no previous experience in informatics you might also want to know how many graduates with no prior experience have been able to find jobs in informatics.

The other consideration is whether a traditional program where you commute to school, or a distance learning program in which you attend classes, or a combination of both is best suited to you. The cost of the program and years required for completion is another factor to think about especially if you plan to work full time during the program.

Before embarking on an informatics career, you will be much more valuable if you spend two to five years in clinical nursing. Clinical experiences does not need to be in a hospital. Experience can be gained in ambulatory clinics, nursing homes, community health agencies, and all places where nurses work. Informatics is needed in all healthcare settings.

While you are obtaining clinical experience, volunteer for any job that involves the information systems that the agency uses. This could be as a committee member, a super user, or anything that involves information management.

Also, become an expert user of computer productivity tools. Competence with word processors, and spreadsheets is not enough. Learn to use a database and how to do a good presentation! The principles that you learn will become part of your tacit knowledge, or knowledge that you have internalized, but don't realize that you know, but which is available to you for problem solving as an informatics nursing specialist.

Another excellent source about informatics specialists is What is a Nurse Informatics Specialist by Cheryl Parker.

Good Luck!

Created January 26, 2015