What is Nursing Informatics?!? - 2024 edition

Summary

Nurse David shares his journey from bedside nursing to nursing informatics, offering insights into the field’s job market, roles, and challenges. He discusses the competitiveness of securing informatics positions, the types of roles available, and his own experiences with entry-level pay and career growth. Emphasizing the importance of gaining experience and getting your foot in the door, David talks about his initial struggles with pay expectations and negotiating skills, ultimately finding success in the second position he took. He encourages others to pursue opportunities, even if they require some patience and sacrifices.

Takeaways

• 😀 The nursing informatics field can be competitive, and securing a job may take time and persistence, especially for those new to the field.
• 😀 Many hospitals have limited informatics positions, so it can be difficult to break into the field even with bedside nursing experience.
• 😀 Experience in bedside nursing doesn’t directly translate to experience in informatics, and many employers prioritize candidates with informatics-specific skills.
• 😀 Getting your foot in the door is key, even if the first job offered isn’t your ideal position. Experience gained will help in future opportunities.
• 😀 Networking and building connections in the field can significantly help in finding job opportunities and advancing in your career.
• 😀 Informatics roles vary from facility to facility, and job titles can have different responsibilities depending on the employer.
• 😀 Key roles in nursing informatics include Analyst, Clinical Informatics, Nursing Informatics, Educators, and Managers/Directors.
• 😀 Informatics Analysts often handle ticket management and escalate issues that need larger-scale changes in workflow or systems.
• 😀 You don’t need to be tech-savvy or know how to build systems to transition into informatics, but you should be familiar with the basics and communicate well with technical teams.
• 😀 Pay expectations in informatics may not meet initial hopes, and salary negotiation skills are critical to ensure you’re compensated fairly, especially when starting in the field.
• 😀 Starting salaries in informatics might be lower than expected, but gaining experience in the field will open doors to higher-paying roles.

Q & A

What does Nurse David mean by 'getting your foot in the door' in nursing informatics?

Nurse David emphasizes the importance of gaining any position within nursing informatics, even if it's not your ideal job. Getting initial experience helps build your resume, making it easier to secure better roles and higher salaries in the future.

Why is the nursing informatics job market competitive?

The job market is competitive because there are fewer informatics positions available, and many organizations require candidates to have experience in the field, which creates a barrier for those trying to enter.

How does Nurse David describe his experience with salary expectations when moving into nursing informatics?

Nurse David initially expected a large pay raise when transitioning into nursing informatics, but he was offered only a modest salary increase. He found that salary expectations can vary greatly, and research and negotiation skills are important when transitioning to this field.

What was Nurse David’s first job in nursing informatics, and what did it involve?

Nurse David's first job was as an informatics analyst. His main tasks included managing tickets related to workflow issues and glitches. If the issues required a more substantial change, he worked with clinical informatics professionals to address them.

What roles are included in nursing informatics, according to Nurse David?

Nurse David highlights several roles in nursing informatics: analyst, clinical informatics, nursing informatics, informatics educator, and informatics manager/director. Each role has different responsibilities, ranging from managing tickets to training staff on EHR systems.

What advice does Nurse David give about negotiating salary in nursing informatics?

Nurse David advises that salary information is often not clearly posted online, making it difficult to know what to expect. He suggests allowing employers to propose a salary during interviews, as this can help refine your negotiation strategy for future opportunities.

What are the potential challenges when entering the nursing informatics field?

Challenges include the highly competitive job market, the need for prior experience in informatics (which many employers require), and the initial lower salaries compared to expectations based on bedside nursing experience.

How does Nurse David describe the role of informatics educators?

Informatics educators are responsible for training staff on how to use the facility's electronic health record (EHR) system. This role focuses on helping healthcare workers adapt to technology and improve their workflow.

What was Nurse David's initial reaction to his first job offer in nursing informatics?

Nurse David was disappointed when his first job offer in nursing informatics was only $80,000 a year, which was close to what he had been making as a bedside nurse. He felt that the pay decrease, when factoring in commuting and other expenses, was frustrating.

Why does Nurse David think that starting at an entry-level position in nursing informatics is beneficial?

Starting at an entry-level position, even with a lower salary, is beneficial because it provides crucial experience. This experience helps build your resume, and subsequent job opportunities will be easier to come by and offer higher pay.