Transitioning from bedside nursing to nurse informatics is a promising opportunity for nurses with an interest in healthcare technology. Similar to positions in bedside nursing, positions in nurse informatics are highly influential, as their focus is geared toward improving healthcare network systems and patient outcomes.
With nursing informatics, nurses transfer their hands-on knowledge into a more analytical role. For many experienced nurses, the opportunity to create a positive impact in the healthcare field in an office-based setting is appealing, especially after spending several years working directly with patients.
Fortunately, the outlook for nurse informaticists is promising. Discover how a degree in healthcare informatics and experience in bedside nursing can help you become a successful informatics nurse.
Why Pursue Nurse Informatics?
Bryant University’s Master of Science in Healthcare Informatics & AI program empowers professionals to lead the future of healthcare. As a STEM-designated program, it offers international students the opportunity to thrive in a globally relevant field, with extended optional practical training (OPT) benefits that enhance career prospects in the U.S. and beyond.
Through targeted coursework and personalized faculty mentorship, you’ll gain the expertise to bridge clinical and technical perspectives, optimize systems, and create patient-centric solutions. Nurse informatics experts are at the forefront of transforming healthcare, and with Bryant’s focus on real-world application and innovation, you’ll be prepared to lead this change.
Salary and Job Outlook for Nurse Informaticists
Similar to many other industries, the healthcare industry is adopting more digital tools and incorporating the latest technology to improve workflows and maximize provider output. Demand for nurse informaticists has increased with the increased implementation of technology.
Average Informatics Nurse Salary
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for health information technologists and medical registrars was $62,990 as of May 2023. The median wage for professionals in this field can vary depending on their industry.
- Company and enterprise management: $77,170
- Support services and administration: $67,920
- State, local, and private hospitals: $62,580
- Physicians’ offices: $50,790
The BLS reports that roughly 47% of nurse informaticists work in hospital settings, which makes hospitals the largest employer for this position.
Job Outlook in Nurse Informatics
The need for informatics nurses is expected to grow along with the expansion of the digital healthcare landscape. Employment in nurse informatics positions is expected to grow by 16% between 2023 and 2033, faster than average for all occupations, according to the BLS.
What Is Nursing Informatics?
Nursing informatics uses advances in healthcare technology systems to enhance patient care services and outcomes. From managing patient portals to updating healthcare databases, the field of nursing informatics incorporates elements of information technology (IT) and analytic sciences to bolster healthcare networks. The different responsibilities in nurse informatics include the following:
- Developing and implementing electronic health records: A lot of nursing informatics responsibilities revolve around EHRs. Informatics nurses may work with IT professionals to create, implement, and optimize EHRs within a healthcare network to improve care provider workflows.
- Overseeing data analytics: Nurse informaticists frequently gather and analyze clinical data to identify areas of improvement within healthcare technology systems. Analytics remains influential in healthcare through various modes of implementation in the field.
- Training healthcare staff: When healthcare facilities introduce new technology into their network, informatics nurses help train staff. Nursing informatics professionals are a crucial component, ensuring that healthcare systems run effectively for both providers and patients. They may serve as liaisons between nursing staff and IT teams.
- Helping maintain security compliance: Informatics nurses may monitor information systems to confirm that they are up to date with security regulations and industry standards. This responsibility is critical to keeping patient data and health information private and secure.
How to Become an Informatics Nurse
The path to becoming an informatics nurse can be unique for each individual, as various backgrounds can transition into nurse informatics. Many nurses who have spent several years in bedside care roles, such as hospital emergency room nurses, surgical nurses, and nurses in physicians’ practices, look toward healthcare informatics as a viable option for moving away from direct patient care and advancing their careers.
A common route to becoming an informatics nurse is to complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing program, pass the nursing licensure exam, gain experience as a bedside nurse, and then pursue further education in health informatics.
1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing
For many careers in nursing, including nursing informatics, a bachelor’s degree in nursing is the minimum education requirement. Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited program provides individuals with invaluable healthcare education and experience, laying the foundation for a successful career.
2. Pass the Registered Nurse Licensing Exam and Gain State Licensure
Before an individual can practice as a licensed registered nurse (RN), they have to pass the nationally recognized National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). State boards of nursing use results from this exam to determine licensure eligibility.
3. Develop Expertise With a Master’s Degree in Health Informatics
Completion of an advanced degree program, such as a Master of Science (MS) in Healthcare Informatics &AI program, can give individuals the additional experience and skills necessary to become an informatics nurse. Coursework explores healthcare and IT fundamentals, as well as how to gather and implement healthcare data that drives impactful decision-making in the field.
4. Explore Opportunities for Continuing Education
Each state has different requirements for RN licensure. To maintain licensure, nurses must keep up with requirements set by their state’s board of nursing. Pursuing professional education courses is one way to foster career growth in nurse informatics and maintain licensure. Exploring continuing education courses in IT, healthcare systems, and nursing can help informatics maintain up-to-date RN licensure.
Pursue a Career in Nurse Informatics With Bryant University
Through optimizing online systems and creating patient-centric solutions, nurse informatics greatly benefits the healthcare industry. Nursing informatics experts analyze and communicate important data that’s critical to bridging the gap between clinical and technical perspectives in healthcare.
With a highly flexible program that uses targeted coursework and faculty mentorship, Bryant University’s MS in Healthcare Informatics & AI degree program is suitable for a broad range of professional career goals.
Take the next step in your journey and shape the future of healthcare with Bryant University today