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Career Development Denise Alexander
As tech takes on a larger role in healthcare, hospitals and other organizations are ramping up their investments in analytics, patient monitoring, workflow improvement, and more. These new technologies, many of which are designed to improve patient care, are also creating specialty jobs in nursing.
Nursing informatics is a growing field that integrates nursing science with information technology to improve communication and information systems for hospitals and large medical facilities. Nursing informatics specialists are also critical to the research, development and implementation of new policies and best practices for the nursing profession.
If you’re a tech-savvy student interested in the healthcare field, or an experienced nurse with a critical eye for improving patient care, then a career in nursing informatics could be the right fit for you.
Nursing informatics specialists are involved in analyzing data and systems that have important applications to the nursing practice. According to the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), nurse informatics specialists help support a hospital’s healthcare leaders by providing them with the knowledge and resources needed to deliver top-notch, patient-centered care.
Some common practice areas for nursing informatics specialists include:
Many nursing informatics specialists work as a nurse programmer or nurse communicator, acting as a “technology liaison” for the hospital staff, while still performing typical nursing duties.
Nursing informatics plays an important role in improving patient care. In a recent Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) survey, 95 percent of respondents viewed health IT as a “strategically critical” tool for the success of any healthcare organization. As a healthcare IT professional, you are a highly valued member of a hospital’s staff.
In addition to playing a vital role in advancing the future of healthcare systems and technology, a career in nursing informatics also offers:
The average salary for a registered nurse is $70,000 per year, or $33.65 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average salary of a registered nurse with a BSN will rank on the upper end of that estimate compared to a nurse with an associate’s degree only. Earning a master’s degree helps qualify you for advanced roles in healthcare administration, leadership and management. The BLS reports Medical Health Services Managers make $113,730 per year ($54.68 per hour) on average, and estimates workers employed in General Medical and Surgical Hospitals specifically earn an average of $122,460 yearly.
How much you make depends on the state you work in, your place of employment, and the relative demand for nursing informatics specialists in your area.
In order to become an informatics specialist, you must first obtain your registered nursing (RN) license. Most informatics specialists hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN), and some pursue their master’s in nursing (MSN) to gain entry to more advanced roles.
Other nurse informatics specialists might pursue an advanced degree in another field, such as information technology or computer science.
Herzing University offers several degree pathways to help students begin or advance their nursing careers. Students may choose from BSN, RN to BSN programs, and MSN programs, or complete a dual credit program to earn graduate-level credits at the undergraduate level.
Whether you’re a prospective nursing student, just beginning your nursing career, or a looking for your next career move, nursing informatics could be an ideal opportunity for you.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.
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