The nurse informaticist career path offers unique opportunities for nurses to explore and expand in nursing. The path is ideal for those who are interested in technology, administrative components of healthcare, and the integration of these elements into the care provided by nurses to patients.
The road to becoming a nurse informaticist starts with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Providence. Built around the patient-centered care model, graduates of UP’s nursing degrees are not only ready to sit for National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) but possess a foundational understanding of nursing practice and are equipped with the tools and skills needed to deliver quality, compassionate nursing care across the lifespan.
What is a Nurse Informaticist?
Nurse Informaticist are licensed nursing professionals who manage and implement healthcare technologies as a means to advance patient care, safety and outcomes.
What does a Nurse Informaticist do?
There are many roles nurse informaticists are responsible for – chief among them is the infusion of healthcare technology into the nursing field. However, the role also includes other elements of clinical and administrative nursing and healthcare. Depending on the specifics of the role, nurse informaticists can work within one or many paths specific to healthcare information, analytics, information policy, or training and education. Together, these disciplines and more make up role:
Common roles and responsibilities:
- Collecting, analyzing, and communicating health data
- Leveraging data to improve patient outcomes and streamline healthcare processes.
- Designing and implementing electronic health records (EHR) for nurses
- Training healthcare and nursing staff on new technologies
- Develop new policies and procedures surrounding healthcare data
- Securing and protecting patient data in compliance with federal, state, and company policies
Where do Nurse Informaticists Work?
Nurse informaticists can be found working throughout healthcare, including but not limited to locations in which nurses can be found. Given that they have such as correlated working relationship with nurses and other healthcare professionals, they are very active and present throughout the healthcare continuum and can be found working in both clinical and administrative courts.
Common work locations include:
- Public and private hospitals
- Clinics and physician offices
- Higher education institutions
- Ambulatory and at-home care
- Private healthcare organizations or consultant firms
How to become a Nurse Informaticist
The path to becoming a nurse informaticist includes the incorporation of multiple educational requirements, external certification and licensing requirements and experience. The role does not entry-level and often takes multiple years for nurses interested in the position to secure it, taking on average 6-8 years within the industry. Those who are interested in becoming a nurse informatics should first pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, licensure through NCLEX, and additional education and certification prior to applying to ensure pre-requisite requirements are met.
Common path to nurse informaticist:
- Earn a high school diploma or GED
- Earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Gain experience as a Registered Nurse
- Pursue a nursing informatics track or position
- Secure optional professional certification or graduate education
Nurse Informaticist Career Path
The demand for nurse informaticists is closely linked with the demand for registered nurses and other clinical professionals within healthcare, as those are the professionals most served by the nurse informaticist position. Those who become one can go on to explore a multitude of additional career growth opportunities within informatics or healthcare information technology, including leadership roles and adjacent administrative roles closely aligned with nursing informatics.
Learn more about how a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Online RN-BSN bridge program can lead to or build upon a career in medical billing by visiting the nursing program page.
