Nursing Informatics

Nursing is one of the largest parts of the healthcare industry. Many students are opting for this field due to the increasing demand and positive employment outlook. Nursing can be divided into a number of specialties. As technology is increasingly being integrated into all areas of the healthcare field, nurses need to have a sound understanding of latest technological changes in service delivery. More attention has been laid upon the integration of IT and nursing, creating a field popularly known as nursing informatics. For those who are unaware of nursing informatics definition, it can be defined as the area which involves the implementation of technological support systems for clinical support.
 

Informatics nursing degree programs
 
Nursing schools now offer informatics nursing as a separate specialization area, laying more emphasis upon this emerging field. Students can opt for nursing informatics at associate, bachelor, and master’s level. There are also a wide variety of certificate programs and short courses available in nursing informatics. It is important that a student first acquires in depth understanding of the nursing field.
Usually students will study a wide range of theoretical based subjects in a nursing informatics degree. These will cover all areas of the field and make sure students understand what major technological advancements are taking place. Some of subjects studied have been mentioned below:

• Database design
• Interactive healthcare
• Implementation of management information systems
• Clinical information systems
• Assessment and analysis of information systems
• Research in nursing
• Nursing issues and trends
• Statistics for the health profession

Usually students will be required to undergo a practical research project. This will help them gain hands on experience and practically apply information system solutions. A bachelor degree and a master’s degree may include internships as a part of their curriculum.
 
Career prospects
 
An informatics nurse can pursue careers in various organizations such as hospitals, corporate offices, military facilities, health insurance companies, medical research facilities, and health care vendors. The annual income a nurse can make in this field ranges from $48,000 to $94,000. The exact level of income will depend upon the level of qualification earned, experience, license, and employer/organization.