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CAREER OUTLOOK

CAREER OUTLOOK

In Partial fulfillment of the course NCM 111

Nursing Informatics

Romulo II F. Basañes

St. Anthony’s College, 5700 Antique

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CAREER OUTLOOK
Introduction

Today, we are in the age where technology is becoming prevalent and a lot of it has

been applied in various work fields, from the simplest cafeteria you know to the highest

organizations in business, law firms, and even in the medical fields. We are going to focus on

one particular sub unit in Nursing that includes the use of technology, to make nurses

workload a bit more simple but at the same time would make them an efficient nurse without

having to face a heavy task when facing their patients or doing their work in general.

Nursing Informatics is relatively new, unlike its forefathers in the medical field, such

as Nursing in general, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Biology, Medicine, and the likes.

However, Nursing Informatics would also date back during the time of the Crimean War,

where Florence Nightingale uses statistics just as stated in the first video. Let us take time

explore this very curious course and learn how it can mold a person into an effective nursing

informaticist, its characteristics, academic preparations, and career options. We will also

learn how we can apply all of these characteristics that can help an individual or even

ourselves to become an effective nurse informaticist if that is what we desire.

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From what I observed in the videos I watched, which were experienced nursing

informatics specialists, is that they a very good communication skill. I think that is one

characteristic someone should possess to become an efficient nursing informaticist, or in any

work in general. Being able to communicate effectively is one of the most important life

skills to learn. Communication is defined as transferring information to produce greater

understanding. It can be done vocally (through verbal exchanges), through written media

(books, websites, and magazines), visually (using graphs, charts, and maps) or non-verbally

(body language, gestures, pitch of voice, and tone). All of these means of communication are

essential skills that are vital for a successful career. Having strong communication skills aids

in all aspects of life – from professional life to personal life and everything that falls in

between. From a business standpoint, all transactions result from communication. Good

communication skills are essential to allow others and yourself to understand information

more accurately and quickly.

Another skill one should acquire to become an efficient nursing informaticist is to be

proficient in technology. Technological Proficiency is the ability to use technology to

communicate effectively and professionally, organize information, produce high quality

products, and enhance one’s own ability to think and collaborate. Another term that we like

to call these people are “tech savvies”. These tech savvies acquire various skills in the fields

of technology that makes them productive in their work. These include being able to analyze

big data, being skilled in programming, and project management as these are also essential in

the work of a nursing informaticist.

Lastly, being organized is also key to becoming an effective nursing informaticist. By

keeping organized, you will save time looking for things and will have more time to work on

important tasks. As organization can improve the flow of communication between you and
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your team, you can also make your team more productive. After all, better communication

leads to better results. Also, organization and punctuality go hand-in-hand. Consider setting

calendar alerts, for example, to ensure you do not get too caught up in a task and lose track of

time. And lastly, you can ensure you meet deadlines. When task after task begins to pile up, it

isn’t too hard to forget one small, yet important task. Don’t miss an important deadline on a

project because you got sidetracked with another urgent item. Set calendar alerts so you will

never miss a deadline again – or better yet, surprise your manager and complete your task

ahead of schedule.

So you see, all of those skills are somehow linked to each other, having one skill isn’t

enough to make you efficient at work and every skill makes another skill manifest. It is

important for us to always strive to improve. If we lack one skill, then we can invest time in

refining ourselves as perseverance is also key to success.

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Obtaining a degree in nursing from an accredited program is the first step to becoming

a registered nurse (RN). An associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a diploma will suffice in

some cases, though a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is required by some employers.

A bachelor’s program generally requires four years to complete and offers additional

education in physical and social sciences, communication, leadership and critical thinking.

A master’s degree or additional education in nursing informatics may be needed. In a

2017 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) survey, it was

reported that over 57% of informatics nurse respondents had a post-graduate degree.

After receiving a nursing degree, a prospective nurse must pass the National Council

Licensure Examination (NCLEX) given by the National Council Licensure Examination.

While every state uses the NCLEX as a standard, policies regarding additional licensing

requirements may vary from state to state.

After obtaining an RN license, applicants can then become certified as a nurse

informatics specialist. RNs looking to do so must pass the Informatics Nurse Certification

Examination provided by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This exam

assesses individual knowledge and comprehension of informatics and requires that the

following criteria be met before testing:

-A current, active RN license within a U.S. state, territory or the professional, legally

recognized equivalent in another country

-A bachelor's degree or higher in nursing or a bachelor's degree in a relevant field

-At least two years of full-time experience working as a registered nurse

-A minimum of 30 completed hours of continuing education in informatics in the last

three years

-Meet one of the following practice hour requirements:

-At least 2,000 hours of informatics nursing within the last three years
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-A minimum of 1,000 hours in informatics nursing plus at least 12 graduate-level

semester hours of academic credit in informatics courses

-Completion of a graduate program in informatics nursing with a minimum 200

practicum hours of informatics nursing under faculty supervision.

Career Opportunities

As data becomes increasingly incorporated into the practice of health care, new

opportunities are created for nurses who want to play a larger role in managing and

leveraging this information. These positions are found in a variety of settings, including

hospitals, medical groups, clinics, consulting companies, health care product corporations and

long term care facilities.

Personally, I would not consider myself as a nursing informaticist because I think it’s

not fit for me. I would rather stick to becoming a nurse or proceed to medicine instead as I

like to help patients in a way a nursing informaticist help me become efficient and to decrease

my workload and to me, seeing those patients smile in front of you and expressing their

gratitude can be really rewarding.

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Conclusion

I really believe that Nursing Informatics is an underrated topic and becoming a

nursing informaticist is not really in high demands. People should not narrow to what they

think regarding this topic that it’s easy for someone to become a nurse informaticist just

because they are good with technology. Becoming so would also require lots of work and

experience the same way regular nurses would go through and it is not something to be

underestimated since a nursing informaticist can be really skillful and versatile in their work

fields and they are not someone to be disregarded. Nursing informaticists are as important in

the medical field as doctors, nurses, medical technologists, radiologic technologists,

pharmacists, physical therapists, and dentists.

References

https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/careers/soft-skills/communication/

https://julissadigitalportfolio.weebly.com/technological-proficiency.html

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/technical-skills-list-2063775

https://www.monster.ca/career-advice/article/benefits-of-keeping-organized-at-work

https://healthinformatics.uic.edu/blog/career-spotlight-nurse-informatics-specialist/

https://www.coloradotech.edu/degrees/studies/nursing/articles/how-to-become-a-nurse-

informatics-specialist