Information Management and Nursing marks an intersection of fields of study that merge in Nursing Informatics. If ever there was a need to call upon information specialists possessing intimate knowledge of the inner cogs of the nursing practice, that time is now. Large hospitals and healthcare institutions especially are squealing with the machinations of digitizing and linking massive electronic data sets together. Just one small component of this mass digital networking is electronic nurse charting.
The professional role of a Nurse Information Specialist is varied and dependent upon the particular place of employment. However the overall scope of the field includes:
Since information technology and the potential for growing great electronic infrastructures is still loaded with possibility, it stands to reason that the exciting Nursing Informatics field is in constant flux.
Prospective nurse informatics students have a variety of study options. Informatics programs exist at the graduate nursing level, post-grad, and professional level. Explore the Informatics programs from conventional nursing schools, university schools of nursing and from online nursing schools. This is a popular distance-based program, an option that affords ultimate convenience and flexibility for working professionals.
Some Nursing Informatics programs have no previous nursing prerequisite, but the true purpose of the program is to mesh practical nursing work flow and care with new information systems. In reality the most effective NI professional will have some experience with bedside patient care and possess insight into the practical obstacles most nurses deal with daily.
As varied as are the roles for information nurses, so too are the potential job situations. Almost every type of healthcare facility today requires, or will soon require, the expertise of an RN with Information Systems savvy. You could find compelling work in hospitals, private practice offices, healthcare businesses, insurance companies, corporate environments, nursing homes and continued care facilities, corrections, public or community health organizations, and more.