Nursing Informatics Specialist - Career Profile |
Career OverviewThe nursing informatics specialist works to assist informatics technicians and others to provide clinical information and data analysis for effective patient care. In addition the nursing informatics specialist works with computers, data analysis systems and nursing knowledge and experience to be sure the best possible care is provided.
A good understanding of basic nursing techniques and standards as well data collection, analysis, information sharing and research dissemination is required. The nursing informatics specialist is often used to evaluate patient care based on the data and determine more appropriate care and methods in the future.
A nursing informatics specialist must have excellent communication skills as well as be able to work in a team environment. An ability to work with a variety of types of data is critical as is problem solving skills and a background in analysis.
The nursing informatics specialist also acts in a management or team leader position in his or her role to bring together all aspects of treatment options and best practice research. The nursing informatics specialist works very closely with others on the patients care team including physicians, technicians and other specialty and general nurses.
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Career RequirementsThe nursing informatics specialist requires at least a Bachelor of Nursing and preferably an RN or higher standing. In addition many hospitals require the nursing informatics specialist be certified through the American Nurses’ Association with a Nursing Informatics Clinical Nurse Specialist certification.
The American Nurses Informatics Association and the American Medical Informatics Association both offer specialized education and programs in informatics for nurses.
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Job OutlookAs patient care systems become more complex and research becomes more elaborate the need for trained nurses that can access the many required components for patient care is growing. Most larger hospitals now employ nursing informatics specialists and many of the smaller hospitals or clinics use nursing informatics specialists as consultants or as part-time employees.
The demand for nursing informatics specialists will only continue to grow as data analysis and entry programs become more specialized and complex. The evaluation component of the nursing informatics specialist’s role is also invaluable in developing and troubleshooting protocols, procedures in standard operating procedures (SOPs) in patient care.
In addition the increase regulation and health protocols can easily be monitored by a nursing informatics specialist rather than relying on outside assistance from consultants or those not already involved in the patient care team.
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Career TrackThe nursing informatics specialist has many options once they have some actual work experience with the various data entry and analysis programs and software. Consulting, training and becoming involved in more research-based applications of informatics are all possibilities for a nursing informatics specialist.
Many nursing informatics specialists begin to work more with the development and enhancement of software used for data collection and analysis. For those in this area the possibility of designing and developing specialized software may be an option.
Management in both informatics and nursing fields is often a possibility for those with a nursing informatics specialists training.
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CompensationA nursing informatics specialist makes about the same amount as an RN in most hospitals and facilities. This means that a nursing informatics specialist makes between $48,000 and $63,000 per year for the first three to five years in the position. Those nursing informatics specialist with more experience and some specialization can earn between $70,000 and $78,000 per year.
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