Question

Describe at least one educational and career opportunity in detail (a summary of the position, what degree is required, how much can a person expect annually if hired, etc.) in health informatics and why you’re interested in this type of position. \

Answer 1

HEALTH INFORMATICS :

As defined by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, health informatics is the interdisciplinary study of the design, development, adoption, and application of IT-based innovations in healthcare services delivery, management, and planning.

   Professionals in “health informatics,” a rapidly growing field that involves collecting and analyzing health care data, are blazing a new path in an area where computers and care providers work together.

While informatics in medicine is increasing the usefulness of patient data, a federal mandate for “meaningful use” of digitized patient records plus financial incentives for creating and maintaining electronic health records are putting pressure on even the smallest clinics to use computers to improve care. As a result, job opportunities in the health informatics field are increasing.

Careers in health informatics vary depending on the size of the employer and what types of health data they manage. Most jobs involve gathering data and analyzing them, designing workflows, measuring impact, educating and training end users, managing a system or acting as a liaison between users and coders.

Here are some of the opportunities graduates might have when they enter the workforce.

Clinical informaticist

This career can be applied to a range of responsibilities. In smaller settings, such as a doctor’s office or a small medical practice, a clinical informaticist might be responsible for organizing and managing patient data; making the information available to health care providers, staff, and patients; educating the end users in the current systems; optimizing information technology (IT) use; and receiving feedback and requests from users. In a large organization such as a network of hospitals, those duties might be split up among multiple informaticists.

Pharmacy or nutrition informaticist

On a smaller scale, informatics is useful when using patient and prescription data to make medication safer and more efficient. Pharmacy informaticists use data to monitor dosing and adverse reactions and ensure more accurate and detailed prescriptions from physicians to improve patients’ results.

Similarly, nutrition informaticists use patient data to make more informed decisions about food planning, whether the goal is to reduce allergic reactions, or improve a treatment plan.

Informatics analyst

The informaticist's job can involve a lot of face-to-face education and problem solving; the analyst's job is focused on working with data. A health informatics analyst studies data and develops models of events and concepts that can provide answers to clinical questions. Some analysts also collect data or support the collection and systems used to manage the data. What is analyzed -- from study design to insurance claims, patient readmission, and education outcomes -- depends on the employer.

Nurse informaticist

The intersection between informatics and nursing is particularly rich in job opportunities. Nurse informaticists are liaisons between nurses and developers. They study workflows to help developers build tools that nurses can use. They relay concerns and limitations to find solutions that work for both the programmers and the users. They design systems and build functions that allow nurses to make the best use of data.

Informatics specialist

Informatics specialists often work with an organization’s leadership on directives, quality initiatives, and governance to ensure IT systems that collect, manage, and secure data are working for the group. If a hospital chief executive officer wants to reduce patient re admissions and post-surgical infections, the informatics specialist is responsible for defining progress toward those goals and for identifying and testing solutions with data. The solutions may not necessarily involve developing an application or improving a computer system, but usually, the outcomes are measured and monitored with data.

Informatics manager

The informatics manager is responsible for making sure systems are working when they are needed. They facilitate access to data, check that collected data are accurate and ensure all the information is in compliance with federal and state guidelines. A clinical informatics manager might oversee these tasks for an entire hospital or medical practice.

Informatics director

If you already have IT or hospital administration experience, being a director of informatics for a healthcare organization is the most lucrative job on the list. Responsibilities include promoting informatics systems within an organization, making those systems work for the organization, gauging feedback and staying up to date with the best tools available for your organization's goals.

Above all I would like to do as NURSE INFORMATICIST bcause nursing field is becoming increasingly competitive,so to become more compitent learning about technology and its application in nursing is very much necessary to provide compitent care. It’s helpful to have a strong background in both clinical nursing and technology.

NURSE INFORMATICIST

As a nursing informaticist, you'll work with patient data and computer systems. Unlike healthcareinformatics, which is focused more on administrative issues, nursing informatics is dedicated to patient care. Many nurse informaticists act as a point of communication between clinical nurses and IT staff.

The Nursing Informatics Specialist is a Masters prepared nurse who is responsible for the assessment, planning, training, implementation, evaluation and optimization of nursing informatics projects. She/he serves as the primary interface between nursing, patient care services, Clinical Engineering and Information Services to ensure multi- and inter-disciplinary project coordination. She/he also participates in communications and project planning regarding system implementation and integration with other UWHC initiatives. She/he is knowledgeable about the nursing process and nursing practice, relevant regulatory mandates, and principles of quality/safety improvement. The nursing informatics projects are planned and implemented using evidence-based practices for planning, understanding, guiding and delivering responsible nursing care.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

The incumbent performs the following job responsibilities:

I. Expert Clinician

A. Ensures the completion and effectiveness of assessing, planning, implementation, evaluation and optimization of the nursing informatics projects.

- Collaborates with clinical department directors, nurse managers, CNSs and clinical experts, physicians and other key staff in overall project evaluation. Identifies key benchmarks for use in evaluation.

- Initiates and directs planning related to project development including the identification of project objectives, expected outcomes, resource requirements and evaluation strategies.

- Contributes to the design and conduct of evidence-based practice and quality improvement activities related to the care with patients and their families.

B. Coordinates system parameters and project designs with the Director, Nursing Informatics, project teams and/or vendors. C. Provides program management for nursing informatics projects including, but not limited to:

- Assesses unit and department technology needs.

- Coordinates orientation classes at implementation.

- Provides ongoing end user education.

- Develops system related policies and procedures.

- Works with the appropriate department teams and directors to confirm staff involvement and competency for projects as appropriate.

- Provides support to nursing staff for relevant technologies through regular clinical rounds

  - Provides support for daily system operations for relevant technologies

- Role models leadership behaviors that demonstrate specific professional values and commitment to advanced practice.

- Ensures that reliable data are being reported in patient care services information systems through the use of nurse auditors and inter-rater reliability testing on a frequency as appropriate for the assigned project.

D. Facilitates a safe practice environment for interdisciplinary team members use of technology.

- Establishes collaborative relationships with other members of the health care team for effective interdisciplinary care. - Evaluates current interventions and emerging technologies to ensure implementation of strategies that promote viable data, cost, safety, and quality outcomes.

- Provides a nursing perspective and articulates nursing needs related to integration of technology in patient care delivery. - Develops policy and procedure to support practice implementation and modification as necessary.

- Evaluates necessary changes in nursing clinical practice and workflow as related to technology, including new functionality and functional applications.

- Analyzes processes and implements necessary process improvements related to technology inventory and lifespan; obtains and analyzes data related to the quantity of devices needed to meet clinical demands.

- Evaluates practice setting suitability for use of technology with the goal of ultimately achieving one standard of care.

- Evaluates outcomes of technology use including but not limited to feedback from users and impact on improved patient safety

E. Assists patient care managers and others in the interpretation and use of data for decision-making.

F. Promotes inquiry by stimulating and encouraging staff members to question and investigate best practice phenomenon with respect to the impact of technology within clinical practice and workflows.

G. Improve and innovate the use of technology within clinical practice and workflows.

H. Manages resources effectively to achieve identified project objectives and expected outcomes.

I. Participates in the production and distribution of communications related to technology through active internal networking, clinical liaison role, newsletters, announcements and other technology based mechanisms to health professionals.

J. Contributes to the development of Nursing Informatics practice and the education of the application of clinical technology with the practice of Nursing.

II. Professional Development/Effectiveness

A.Evaluates own professional practice to maintain self and department at a high level.

1) Identifies professional strengths and areas for growth and demonstrates professional development through formal and informal learning experiences.

2) Maintains knowledge of current trends and practices in nursing and health care through networking and other resources.

3) Participates in professional organizations in areas of specialization and interest.

4) Advances the practice of nursing through publications and/or presentations.

5) Serves as a mentor to staff, assisting them in professional self-development activities.

6) Obtains or maintains an appropriate professional nursing certification.

III. Performance Measures

A. Demonstrates independent action and team building abilities.

B. Completion and accuracy of processes and project documentation requirements.

C. Appropriate written and oral communication with department, users and outside vendors.

D. Compliance with department and hospital standards and procedures.

E. Self-initiated training and development needs.

F. Maintains accurate and timely documentation regarding product/service evaluations, system assessment and evaluations, and implementation plans.

G. Contributes to the timely and successful resolution of operational problems identified.

H. Completion of other duties as assigned.

Educational Requirements for Nurse Informatics Specialists

To enter the field of health informatics, nurses typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing and experience working with electronic healthcare records. However, the job is so specialized and focused that many employers prefer job applicants who have earned a Master’s degree in Health Informatics, Healthcare Management or Quality Management. Nurses who attain a degree in nursing administration with an emphasis on health informatics may also qualify for many jobs.

Courses in the USF programs include Integrated Electronic Health Records, Medicine Business Models, Managerial Communication, Basis Statistics and Clinical Systems Applications and Project Management.

Many employers prefer nurses for health informatics positions, because nurses have knowledge of the medical profession. It can be easier to train nurses on the technological aspects of the job rather than teaching someone with the technical skills all the details of the healthcare system.

Tips for Jumpstarting a Nurse Informatics Career

Nursing informatics jobs are becoming more abundant. Health informatics is a rapidly expanding career field. According to the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), around 70,000 specialists in this field will be needed within the next few years due to the impact that recent federal laws have had on the healthcare system – specifically the mandate for electronic medical records. For nurses seeking a different career path or wanting to specialize and have an interest in the field of information technology, health informatics is a path to consider.

Nurses who specialize in nursing informatics, a specialized field of the health informatics sector, will combine skills in health science, computer science and information technology to help healthcare providers store, retrieve and utilize large amounts of data as it applies to patient care.

Nursing informatics professionals also simplify documentation of patient care and enter patient notes using computers, mobile devices and voice recognition software. Nursing Informatics professionals aim to improve the accuracy of patient data and enable critical data analysis to improve efficiency of overall patient care.

Nursing is an honorable and still growing profession, but advancement in the field can sometimes be difficult. Here are a few critical guidelines to help you on your journey toward success as a nursing informatics professional.

Salary for Nursing Informatics Specialists

The salary of a nursing informatics specialist will vary based on a number of factors such as physical location, education, the type of healthcare facility and the exact scope of the job. As this is an emerging field, the U.S. Department of Labor has not yet published salary data for this profession.

In the HIMSS 2014 Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey, conducted by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, the median salary reported for Nurse Informaticists was $93,000. The average salary reported was $100,717.

As of Mar 8, 2019, the average annual pay for an Informatics Nurse in the United States is $106,183 a year.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $192,000 and as low as $21,500, the majority of Informatics Nurse salaries currently range between $75,500 (25th percentile) to $121,500 (75th percentile) across the United States. The average pay range for an Informatics Nurse varies little (about $46,000), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Informatics Nurse job market in both Yakutpura, IN and the surrounding area is not that active, but at the state level for , companies are hiring. People working as an Informatics Nurse in your area are making on average $106,183 per year or the same as the national average annual salary of $106,183. ranks number 1 out of 50 states nationwide for Informatics Nurse salaries.

What About Benefits?

Nurse informaticists who were surveyed reported enjoying the following benefits:

• Retirement (401k, etc): 87 percent
• Medical/dental insurance: 75 percent
• Life insurance: 78 percent
• Long-term disability insurance: 61 percent
• Received an annual bonus in the past year: 34 percent.

Career Paths: Advancing Your Nursing Informatics Career

As the role of technology expands further into healthcare, the role of nurse informaticists will also expand. You may be hired to write EMR programs, teach new technology to clinical staff, or manage data systems. Titles you could hold as your career progresses include :

• Chief nursing informatics officer (CNIO)
• Nurse programmer
• Nurse manager
• Nurse educator
• Nurse vendor representative
• Nurse communicator

Where Nurse Informatics Work

Nursing informaticists frequently work in hospitals, health care facilities, consulting firms, universities and corporations. Some of their most frequent job titles include the following:

• Clinical analyst

• Informatics nurse specialist

• Director – clinical informatics

• Clinical informatics coordinator

Nursing Informatics and the Future

There’s no doubt that informatics is here to stay. Nurses who love computers, information systems, and data management would be smart to plug into this specialty, become expert, and leverage those skills and experiences for an exciting and well-paying 21st-century nursing career path.