
With the increasing amount of healthcare technology and the increasing complexity of EHRs, nursing informatics specialists can play a number of important roles, including:
- Managing the transition from paper to digital records.
- Developing information systems based on current evidence-based standards of care and ensuring systems remain updated.
- Developing EHR interfaces that are conducive to good care while remaining efficient to use.
- Analyzing EHR data to identify areas where care can be improved and/or costs better managed.
How to become a nursing informatics specialist?
Steps to Becoming an Informatics Nurse
- Earn a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. Before becoming an informatics nurse, those interested must earn a bachelor of science in nursing degree from an accredited academic ...
- Pass the NCLEX exam. After earning their BSN, graduates must take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). ...
- Enroll in a nursing graduate program. ...
What is a nurse informaticist and what do they do?
The American Nurses Association defines nursing informatics as the specialty that integrates nursing science with multiple information and analytical sciences to identify, define, manage, and communicate data, information, knowledge and wisdom in nursing practice. Nurse informaticists support nurses, consumers, patients, the interprofessional healthcare team, and other stakeholders in their decision-making in all roles and settings to achieve desired outcomes.
What can I do with a degree in nursing informatics?
- Managing the transition from paper to digital records.
- Developing information systems based on current evidence-based standards of care and ensuring systems remain updated.
- Developing EHR interfaces that are conducive to good care while remaining efficient to use.
What does nursing informatics specialist do?
What Does a Nursing Informatics Specialist Do? A nursing informatics specialist uses a combination of nursing knowledge and expertise in computers to manage the information systems used by nurses in hospitals, medical offices and clinics.

What does informatics specialist do?
An informatics specialist is a medical records technician who is conversant in electronic record keeping and computer technologies. These individuals record and store data that pertains to patient treatments, medical histories, and insurance information.
What are the roles of nursing informatics specialists quizlet?
What do Nursing informatics specialists (NIS) do? The NIS uses nursing science, computer science, and information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice. Use this for analyzing effective patient care and be sure that best possible care is provided.
What is a health informatics nurse specialist?
A nursing informaticist is a nurse who combines their clinical skills with a knowledge of technology, computers, and data. Informaticists take on complex tasks like using health data to analyze patient care outcomes or train nursing staff in new patient care technology.
What is the difference between an informatics nurse and an informatics nurse specialist?
The ANA distinguishes between an informatics nurse specialist, who is a registered nurse with a formal graduate qualification in informatics or a related field, and an informatics nurse, who has experience in informatics but without graduate education in the subject. Both can, however, apply for formal certification.
What are three roles of a nurse informatics specialist?
Nursing informatics specialists translate the virtual care technical and operational requirements, evaluate the core tools, develop project plans, and implement and support the system.
What are the skills needed by informatics nursing Specialists quizlet?
Beginner nursing informatics skills include computer, information, and web literacy; fundamental skills in information management and computer technology; and the ability to identify and collect relevant data.
What is the biggest issue nursing informatics is facing?
Lack of integration in computer systems and software was the biggest problem, according to 30 percent of nurse informaticists, followed by inadequate financial resources for 26 percent.
What is the typical day for a nursing informatics?
Some of the typical day-to-day responsibilities of an informatics nurse can include the following tasks: Use technology to sustain nursing work processes. Redesign clinical workflow. Help patients manage their own health through information systems.
What are examples of nursing informatics?
Technologies that have evolved due to health care/nursing informatics include:Computerized provider order entry (CPOE)Electronic medical records (EMRs) Test results. Progress notes. Nursing notes. Medication records.
Do you need a Masters for Nurse Informatics?
Required Education A bachelor's program generally requires four years to complete and offers additional education in physical and social sciences, communication, leadership and critical thinking. A master's degree or additional education in nursing informatics may be needed.
Is nursing informatics in demand?
According to the Department of Labor, projected job growth through 2028 is 9%, much faster than average for most professions,3 with a projected 70,000 nursing informatics specialists/analysts needed by 2025.
How do nurses get into informatics?
Steps to Become an Informatics NurseEarn a bachelor's degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program. ... Take your licensing exam. ... Consider pursuing a master's degree in health informatics. ... Pass the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) certification exam. ... Keep up with your continuing education.
What are data Nursing Informatics quizlet?
A specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge and wisdom in nursing practice.
Which of the following best defines nursing informatics?
Nursing informatics "is the specialty that integrates nursing science with multiple information and analytical sciences to identify, define, manage and communicate data, information, knowledge and wisdom in nursing practice."
What is informatics and technology in nursing?
Nursing informatics facilitates the integration of data, information, and knowledge to support patients, nurses, and other providers in their decision-making in all roles and settings. This support is accomplished through the use of information structures, information processes, and information technology.”
What organization regulates practice of informatics nurses?
In the U.S., board certification in informatics nursing is offered via the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center), a credentialing body affiliated with the American Nurses Association, and accredited by both the American Board of Nursing Specialties and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.
What Does a Nursing Informatics Specialist Do?
A nursing informatics specialist uses a combination of nursing knowledge and expertise in computers to manage the information systems used by nurses in hospitals, medical offices and clinics. They collect and analyze data, plan and test the design of information systems, oversee their implementation and train nurses and administrators in their use. This includes patient data, health insurance information, and nursing information. In this role, your objectives would include improving treatment and drug administration regimens, record keeping practices, workflow procedures and medical decision-making practices. Nursing informatics specialists need to understand how to use and design database, spreadsheet, computer training, and medical software.
How to become a specialist in nursing informatics?
For a specialist career in nursing informatics, you'll need to have already completed nursing training and be a registered nurse. A majority of respondents to the 2011 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) revealed that they had no formal training or education in informatics ( www.himss.org ). However, graduate-level certificate programs in health informatics and master's degree programs in nursing informatics are available if you do want formal training. You can expect to complete a certificate program in a year or a master's degree program in two years.
Where Do Professionals Work?
Your leading employment options are hospitals, insurers and other healthcare services firms, as well as postsecondary schools, consulting firms, government agencies and ambulatory care providers. The HIMSS survey shows that hospitals are the largest employer. According to O*Net Online ( www.onetonline.org ), approximately 607,800 informatics nurse specialists were employed as of 2020. Employment is projected to grow by 5% to 10% from 2020-2030. Demand for nurse informatics specialists will be driven by increased adoption of information technology in medical care.
How to get a nursing informatics certification?
To be eligible for this exam, you must hold an RN license, a bachelor's degree, two years of full-time nursing experience and 30 hours of informatics continuing education. Additional ly, you'll need to have completed a designated number of hours or informatics nursing and collegiate-level informatics coursework or a combination of the two.
How long does it take to get a masters in nursing informatics?
You can expect to complete a certificate program in a year or a master's degree program in two years.
What is a health informatics certificate?
A health informatics certificate examines ways of using medical information and information technology to develop better health information systems. Your training may cover the application of health information in medical research, public health, clinical care and pharmacy services. Course topics might include healthcare project management, bioinformatics and data mining.
What are some careers that are related to healthcare?
Additional careers more closely related to healthcare are medical and health service managers, and medical transcriptionists, both of which require a background in medical terminology along with computer-technical skills.
How Much Do Nurse Informatics Specialists Earn?
According to Nurse.org, nursing informatics is one of the highest-paying specializations.
What Is the Job Outlook in Nursing Informatics?
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of RNs is expected to grow 15 percent from 2016 to 2026—about twice as fast as the average for all occupations.
What does an informatics nurse do?
Informatics nurses who work as clinical applications specialists might work for healthcare technology companies. They’ll then travel to different hospitals and facilities to train nursing staff on their company’s products. This can be a great role if you’d rather not work in the same place every day.
What is the role of a nurse informatics?
As a nurse informaticist, you’ll analyze data to improve patient care and help your healthcare facility implement new patient care technology.
What is the best career for a nurse?
Nursing informatics is a great career for nurses who also have an interest in technology and the data crunching that usually comes along with it. “To be a good fit for a nurse informaticist role, strong communication and analytic skills are a must,” says Sullivan.
How much does a nurse informatics make?
The BLS reports that the average salary in this category is $58,60. It also reports that the top 10% of earners in the category make an average of $103,430. While there isn’t data tracked for nursing informaticists specifically, data from the HIMSS survey suggests that nurse informaticists’ salaries are among the top salaries in the broad category.
What is HIMSS in nursing?
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), a non-profit association that advocates for improvements in healthcare using technology, describes nurse informaticists as the driving force behind the development, implementation, and optimization of electronic medical and health records, nursing clinical documentation, point-of-care clinical decision support, and computerized practitioner order entry.
Can a nurse informaticist help patients?
While you won’t be directly interacting with patients as a nurse informaticist, you’ll help improve their outcomes in many other ways.
Is an informatics nurse a typical job?
Nurse Informaticists: Not Your Typical Nursing Job. A job as an informatics nurse might not be what many people think of when they think of nursing. In fact, your job duties will look quite different than a typical nursing role. Some things to know:
What is the role of a nurse informatics?
Nurse informaticists have three essential responsibilities that help the nursing workforce document and submit accurate data and leverage it to develop evidence-based procedures for optimal care delivery.
What is the role of informatics in nursing?
There are many types of informaticists in healthcare (e.g., nursing, lab, medical), but the nurse informaticist plays a pivotal role in identifying, defining, and sharing data, information, and knowledge in the science of nursing. With massive amounts of data at health systems’ fingertips—and exacerbated by the urgency for even more data in ...
Why is a nurse informatics important?
With massive amounts of data at health systems’ fingertips—and exacerbated by the urgency for even more data in response to COVID-19—a nurse informaticist’s role is vital for health systems to maximize data-driven nursing practice in pandemic management and the everyday clinical setting. Nurse informaticists’ familiarity with nursing’s frontline role in a clinical setting combined with an understanding of clinical processes and workflows enables them to maximize data and technology in daily nursing practice. More than a translator who works in silos with the IT department, a nurse informaticist bridges the gap between data and clinical nursing practice. Nurse informaticists understand the flow of data at a deep level and make modifications to support new methods that lead to safe care delivery.
What is the role of informatics in healthcare?
As data becomes more widely used to drive healthcare improvement, so does the term “informatics,” referring to processing, storing, and retrieving data to optimize healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes. But who are the people behind the scenes—the informaticists—who make these data processes happen? There are many types of informaticists in healthcare (e.g., nursing, lab, medical), but the nurse informaticist plays a pivotal role in identifying, defining, and sharing data, information, and knowledge in the science of nursing.
Why is data important in nursing?
Data can improve accuracy and guide clinical best practice, but changes also bring new challenges for team members. A nurse informaticist provides information about new workflows, guides new technology and process implementation, and assesses data quality , giving care teams the best chance of optimal care delivery.
What is data science in healthcare?
As healthcare focuses more on data science-centric processes to improve patient care, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, technology adoption and communication between clinical teams and IT resources (e.g., the EHR or an ancillary system) are paramount.
Is informatics part of healthcare?
Technology is not just part of healthcare; it is healthcare.
What is the purpose of a nursing informatics specialist?
Nursing informatics specialists incorporate nursing science, information technology and analytical sciences in order to effectively process, manage and communicate important information among nurses, patients and healthcare personnel. Becoming a nursing informatics specialist requires extensive technical capabilities and industry knowledge; as an advanced level nursing career option, nursing informatics specialists can expect to build technologies that provide support functions for patients and healthcare professionals. A Master of Science in Nursing degree can provide individuals with the necessary training to help improve the efficiency and impact of healthcare processes, expanding the national influence of quality medical care.
What do informatics specialists need to know?
In order to prepare for a career interacting with patients and hospital personnel, nursing informatics specialists must have a fundamental understanding of nursing skills, practices and theories, which are best gained through certification as a registered nurse. There are several routes to becoming a registered nurse—such as completing ...
How does telenursing help the nursing industry?
Strengthening the Telenursing Industry: Telenurses apply their special nursing skills and knowledge to provide services over the phone or Internet. Nursing informatics specialists ensure that online access is consistently available, allowing nursing professionals to educate patients who are not able to appear in person on the key aspects of improving their own well-being through self-care practices.
How does nursing informatics help the healthcare industry?
Below are specific ways of pursuing a career in nursing informatics benefits the healthcare industry: Promoting Quality Healthcare: The work of a nursing informatics specialist greatly improves a medical facility’s ability to collect, assess, apply and report on critical patient data.
How does informatics help in healthcare?
Nursing informatics specialists use advanced technology to keep nurses, doctors and patients connected, enriching the function of healthcare programs and medical facilities. There is a proactive component to this role—specialists are responsible for determining what is needed by healthcare professionals to improve the efficiency of workflow, then designing and implementing the appropriate technological solutions. Nursing informatics specialists are also responsible for ensuring that emerging information technologies are used in ways that might mitigate the negative effects of a high volume of patients on densely-packed network infrastructures. This includes performing data recovery when and if patient records are lost; managing human interaction with computers and other network-connected devices; and facilitating the integration of information technology into the routines of clinical, management, and research-oriented healthcare professionals. In addition to developing new information technologies for healthcare facilities, nursing informatics specialists educate their colleagues on the best methods of operating said technologies. This requires specialists to gather and analyze data regarding the effectiveness of different technologies, and present their insights to clients, organizations and students. To verify that their ideas actually promote improved patient-centric care, nursing informatics specialists conduct research throughout the gradual implementation of their ideas into modern health care practices and policies. In doing so, specialists provide critical leadership and wisdom, gradually making the entire healthcare process more effective in treating patients.
What is critical thinking in nursing?
Critical Thinking: Applying logic and reason through the critical thinking process allows nursing informatics specialists to assess their circumstances and generate effective solutions to problems in both the long and short term.
What is the importance of information technology in nursing?
The information technology that nursing informatics specialists implement can provide advanced technical support that enhances the communication process between patients and hospital personnel. Strong communication—whether between patient and caregiver, or amongst a team of medical personnel—is vital to the success of medical care.
