Nursing informatics has become a critical part of our healthcare system. As hospitals and facilities increasingly adopt healthcare technologies, they rely on informatics nurses to be the lynchpin in using and applying these technologies to improve patient care.
Let’s explore the dynamic field of nurse informatics. We’ll delve into a nurse informatics job description and outline roles and responsibilities for this rapidly evolving field.
You’ll also gain insights into how informatics nurses are revolutionizing healthcare through their unique combination of clinical expertise and technological knowledge. Lastly, we’ll discover educational pathways and career opportunities.
What Is Nursing Informatics?
Nurse informatics is a specialty that combines nursing and technology. The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines nursing informatics as “the integration of nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice.”1
What Is the Role of Nursing Informatics?
Nurse informaticists work with computer systems and patient data to monitor trends and analyze errors. Healthcare practitioners typically associate the field of nurse informatics with three main roles1:
- The clinical informatics nurse who uses health information technology.
- The nursing informatics specialist who creates, facilitates, tests and implements new information technology.
- The informatics nurse consultant who helps select systems, manages projects and redesigns workflows.
However, the field of nurse informatics continues to expand. It includes positions such as chief nursing information officer, educator, researcher, software engineer, policy developer, business owner and clinical analyst.
Nursing Informatics Certification
To be eligible for a nursing certification in informatics, have the following2:
- A bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree
- At least two years of practice as a registered nurse
- 30 hours of continuing education in nursing informatics
- Meet one of the following requirements:
- Have practiced a minimum of 2,000 hours in informatics nursing practice
- Have practiced a minimum of 1,000 hours in informatics nursing practice and completed at least 12 semester hours of credit that are part of a graduate-level nursing informatics program
- Have earned a graduate degree in nursing informatics
Review the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) eligibility requirements for more information. Once you have completed the above requirements, you can take the certification exam through a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program through the ANCC or another institution. Your certification in nurse informatics is valid for up to five years.2
Growth of Informatics in Nursing
Federal regulations require hospitals and healthcare facilities to adopt technologies and systems that support electronic healthcare records (EHR). An EHR is a digital version of a patient’s medical history maintained over time by healthcare providers.
The EHR adoption continues to grow as institutions strive to meet these federal requirements. The global EHR market is said to have a projected growth of $52.03 billion by 2033.3
The global electronic health record market is driven by an increasing demand for modern healthcare facilities and the need to streamline clinical and administrative processes. Additionally, the growing population of elderly individuals worldwide and the rise of chronic diseases are fueling the adoption of EHR systems, as they offer comprehensive patient data management and improved healthcare delivery.4
This need has created unique opportunities for informatics nurses at the forefront of using EHR technology. Informatics nurses play an important role in implementing these technologies within healthcare organizations.
Nursing Informatics Career Outlook
Informatics nurses are specialized registered nurses* (RNs.) The employment for RNs is projected to increase by 6% between 2023 and 2033, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).4
Increasingly, it is challenging to enter the informatics field as there is limited on-the-job training and the role requires a background in nursing. The majority of informatics nurses gain experience in nursing, earn an MSN or DNP, and specialize in informatics.
There is a growing need for informatics nurses and certifications in nursing informatics. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) says informatics nurse specialists are the “driving force behind health innovation & technology to realize the full health potential of every human everywhere.” HIMSS cites that more than 68 percent of HIMSS survey respondents had either a master’s or doctorate.5
In addition, there is a heightened need for nursing informatics leaders. This trend is evident in healthcare organizations, with over half of informatics nurses reporting that their employers now have a Chief Nursing Informatics Officer (CNIO) or another senior nursing informatics leader.6 That figure is up from about 41% in 2020.5
How to Become an Informatics Nurse
As technology continues to shape the future of healthcare, the need for nurse informaticists will continue to grow. This demand creates rewarding opportunities for nurses ready to incorporate technology and improve processes, data and patient outcomes.
To embark on the exciting career path of nurse informatics:
- Gain experience as a registered nurse and pursue advanced education* in nursing informatics
- Meet certification eligibility requirements, including practice hours and continuing education
- Obtain and maintain certification through recognized institutions
By following these steps, nurses can position themselves at the forefront of healthcare innovation.
*Nursing Informatics is not currently offered as a specialty at USAHS. Please call or visit our website for available nursing programs and specialties.
Sources
- American Nursing Association, “What Is Nursing Informatics,” ANA Nursing Resources Hub, July 5, 2023, https://www.nursingworld.org/content-hub/resources/nursing-resources/nursing-informatics/#:~:text=The%20American%20Nurses%20Association%20(ANA,and%20wisdom%20in%20nursing%20practice.
- American Nurses Credentialing Center, “Informatics Nursing Certification (NI-BC™),” ANCC, 2024, https://www.nursingworld.org/our-certifications/informatics-nurse/.
- Spherical Insights LLP, “Global Electronic Health Records Market Size To Worth USD 52.03 Billion By 2033 | CAGR of 5.06%,” Yahoo! Finance, April 18, 2024, https://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-electronic-health-records-market-190000072.html.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Registered Nurses: Summary,” BLS, April 17, 2024, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm.
- Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, “2023 Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey,” HIMMS, March 2023, https://www.himss.org/sites/hde/files/media/file/2023/04/05/2022-nursing-informatics-workforce-survey.pdf.
