FAQ about nursing informatics

Nursing, Mar 2002 by Newbold, Susan K

WORKING IN nursing informatics, I get a lot of questions from nurses about what it is, what I do, and how to learn about becoming an informatics nurse. If the field piques your interest, learn more about it by reading these "frequently asked questions" (FAQs).

Q. What is nursing informatics?

A. First of all, think "information," not "computers." Yes, computers are a tool that we use, but we're the link between two areas:

* nursing information and data

* communication and information technologies.

The goal of nursing informatics is to make sure that the data within a computerized record system is changed into information clinicians can use. For example, the number 120 (a simple piece of data) means nothing by itself until we turn it into information by adding context: Systolic blood pressure is 120. Now that's information a nurse can use to make a decision.

Q. What does a nurse in this specialty do?

A. The roles vary. Education, project management, product design and development, consulting, system selection, system testing, system implementation, research, maintenance, evaluation, and theory formulation are among the many jobs an informatics nurse can undertake. For a good overview, check out the job descriptions listed at http://www.amia-niwg.org/Job_Descriptions/Job_ Descriptions.html, from the Nursing Informatics Work Group.

Q. Are college courses in this field available?

A. Yes, colleges have started offering programs, some on-line. For a list, E-mail nursing@lww.com.

Q. Is certification in nursing informatics an option?

A. Yes, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has offered certification in this field since 1992. Here are the basic requirements:

* a BSN or a baccalaureate in a relevant field

* an active RN license in the Unites States or one of its territories

* practice as a licensed RN for at least 2 years

* practice for at least 2,000 hours in the field of informatics within the last 3 years (there are other requirements that apply to nurses who've taken graduate courses or programs in this field)

* 30 contact hours of continuing education applicable to nursing informatics within the last 3 years.

For a copy of the Informatics Nurse Certification Catalogue, call the ANCC at 1-800-284-2378.

Review courses are available, including the Weekend Immersion in Nursing Informatics (http://www.nursing.umaryland.edu/~snewbold/wini.htm).

Q. How well does nursing informatics pay?

A. No recent figures are available, but estimates range from $35,000 to over $100,000, depending upon site (for example, hospital or consulting company), responsibilities, and amount of travel.

Q. What resources are available for nurses in this field-professional organizations, publications, electronic mailing lists?

A. Professional organizations include the American Medical Informatics Association Nursing Working Group (AMIA) at http://www.amia-niwg.org, the Capital Area Roundtable on Informatics in Nursing at http://www. caringonline.org, and the National League for Nursing at http://www.nin.org. Publications include Computers in Nursing (http://www.nursingcenter.com/journals), the Online Journal of Nursing Informatics (http://www. hhdev.psu.edu/nurs/ojni/index.htm), PDA cortex (formerly RNpalm) The Journal of Mobile Nursing Informatics (http://www.pdacortex.com), and The Informatics Review (http://www.informatics-review.com). You can join the nrsing-1 electronic list at http://mailman.amia. org/listinfo/nersing-1; just key in your E-mail address and password.

Q. What's the job outlook?

A. Excellent. More and more health care organizations are installing information systems, and they recognize that nurses are important team members from conception and installation to maintenance. According to U.S. News & World Report, informatics is among the fast-growing health care careers to watch.

BY SUSAN K. NEWBOLD, RN,BC, MS, FAAN

Independent Consultant

Baltimore, Md.