Seeking Info about Informatics

I am working on my masters degree and have really taken a liking to information technology. I plan on taking several health informatics courses for my electives and would like some more information about this field. What are the different areas Informatacists are used and what are the typical "job duties"? Where do you see this field going in a few years? Which courses/education have you found to be most useful for the job functions of an informatacist?

Thanks fellow nurses!!
helps if you have a degree in computer science although not really necessary. I am an RN but have been a computer analyst/network engineer for 10 years in a hospital before becoming a nurse. Helps if you know microsoft products well. Some hospitals are different in the technology that they use and may send you to training on it. I found computer systems in hospitals challenging cuase there is ahuge mix of legacy and newers systems trying to talk to each other. Get used to databases (commonly used). hope that helps

Health informatics is just starting to come into its own as a distinct, recognized field. I'm actually heading in that direction myself, as I find it fascinating. Information on this area of study and work is still a bit unorganized, because the field itself is still growing and coalescing as technology and data analysis become more a part of health care at all levels. Here are a few links to interesting sites about health informatics, where it is heading as a field, and the types of positions and job prospects. http://www.biohealthmatics.com/careers/hicareer.aspxhttp://hi.conestogac.on.ca/resources/careershttp://www.explorehealthcareers.org/en/Field.2.aspxI hope that helps! Feel free to PM me if you want to talk about this.

Thanks for the responses! I just finished a database course in my master's program. Wow! I definitely need to work on that a bit more! Prior to that course I had no experience with databases but I see how complex yet beneficial they can be. I have debated about going back for a bachelors in computer science but. . .Thanks for the links TDCHIM. I think health informatics is going to be incorporated into so many, if not all, aspects of healthcare.

I'm glad the links were helpful. I definitely agree with you about the overall incorporation of informatics into health care. There's already a major trend in that direction, and IMO the mass transition into EHR systems is only going to accelerate that trend! It sounds as though HIM would be an area of considerable interest to you overall, given your enjoyment of IT and background in health care. There are a lot of ways to add experience in this field into your current educational plan. The AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association) website might be useful to you: www.ahima.org I wish you the best of luck with school!

Hi,I am currently getting my PhD in Nursing with a focus on informatics. Nursing informatics is really a wide field that overlaps with many other disciplines (public health informatics, consumer health informatics, biomedical informatics, etc). Nurse informaticist work both in and out of the hospital, in public and community health settings, in corporate settings, for foundations and NGOs. The nursing informatics section on this web site has some good information. I would also suggest checking out the following resources to get a good understanding of the full diversity of what is covered in nursing informatics.Nursing informatics working group of the American Medical informatics association: https://www.amia.org/working-group/nursing-informaticsAmerican nursing informatics association: http://www.ania-caring.orgCIN: http://journals.lww.com/cinjournal/pages/default.aspxSummer institute in nursing informatics: http://nursing.umaryland.edu/sini/My undergrad degree is in computer science (I am a second degree nurse) which I have found helpful but I know many people who are successful in NI without a computer science background. Though I agree with the previous poster that a strong understanding of how databases work is important. Any course work that helps you understand how data is collected and used for research is also useful.Feel free to PM me as well with more questions!

I wish Nursing schools would offer more courses on infomatics for Nurses. My facility has started to utilize computers in med passes and charting but the systems seem cumbersone and time consuming I'm convinced that if staff nurses were consulted on systems, systems could be develped that were much more efficient. Many Nurses are not exposed to computers in school and are intimidated by them. So consultants are hired to develop systens for nurses that are often inefficient.

Here's a great opportunity:The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) post-baccalaureate Applied Health Informatics Program is now open for healthcare professional applicants. The program will be offered totally online. There are no face-to-face residency requirements for this 9 month programThe nine-month program, to be offered online this fall pending Maryland Higher Education Commission review and endorsement, is designed to help students from multiple healthcare disciplines update and upgrade health information technology (HIT) skills to meet the burgeoning market demand for skilled HIT specialists. The program -- which is funded through a $3.75 million grant from the U.S. economic stimulus package (ARRA) Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act -- also offers $10,000 tuition support for qualifying students. Applications are being accepted at this time for the first cohort that will matriculate in August, 2010. Students will be awarded 12 graduate level credits from Johns Hopkins upon successful completion of the program.Applications for Fall 2010 are being accepted through August 9, 2010. Questions and inquiries may be referred to the Office of Admissions and Student Services at 410-955-7548 or [email protected]. For more information, visit Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing | Academics | Post Degree Options |

Quote from MissionHere's a great opportunity:The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) post-baccalaureate Applied Health Informatics Program is now open for healthcare professional applicants. The program will be offered totally online. There are no face-to-face residency requirements for this 9 month programThe nine-month program, to be offered online this fall pending Maryland Higher Education Commission review and endorsement, is designed to help students from multiple healthcare disciplines update and upgrade health information technology (HIT) skills to meet the burgeoning market demand for skilled HIT specialists. The program -- which is funded through a $3.75 million grant from the U.S. economic stimulus package (ARRA) Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act -- also offers $10,000 tuition support for qualifying students. Applications are being accepted at this time for the first cohort that will matriculate in August, 2010. Students will be awarded 12 graduate level credits from Johns Hopkins upon successful completion of the program.Applications for Fall 2010 are being accepted through August 9, 2010. Questions and inquiries may be referred to the Office of Admissions and Student Services at 410-955-7548 or [email protected]. For more information, visit Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing | Academics | Post Degree Options |

Great info!! I have lots of research to do now.

I forgot to add in my first post that the NIWG-AMIA group has a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/NIWG.AMIA. You do not have to be a member of AMIA to join the group and it should give you access to a lot of good information, especially if you are interested in nursing informatics research.

Thanks again for all the info and links. I especially like the NIWG link. Thanks!!:redpinkhe