Merging Data and Patient Care: The Role of RN to MSN Nursing Informatics Professionals
Nurses who enjoy working with technology and thrive on solving complex problems may find an online RN to MSN nursing informatics degree the perfect fit. But what does a career in this field entail exactly?
Monitoring the Use of Electronic Health Records
While these innovations are promising, nurses must also know how technology can impact patients. As with any powerful tool, it can have a negative side. For example, it can highlight racial and socioeconomic disparities in delivering and perceiving healthcare.
Nursing informatics professionals can analyze data and develop communication strategies that help bridge these gaps. They work as educators, researchers, software engineers, and chief nursing officers for medical organizations. Most RN to MSN Nursing Informatics online often include statistics and health assessment courses, so graduates are prepared for these roles. Additionally, many nursing leadership roles require ANCC Informatics Nursing Board certification. To qualify, you must have a valid RN license and a graduate degree in nursing.
Educating Healthcare Professionals
Online RN to MSN Nursing Informatics programs typically include at least 200 hours of practicum courses. This minimum requirement ensures graduates can use their skills in various healthcare settings. Most MSN Nursing Informatics graduates are employed at hospitals and multi-facility health systems, but some have found employment at government agencies, private companies, insurance firms, and universities.
Nurse informatics professionals work to teach other healthcare workers about the use of data and technology. This helps to reduce medical errors by providing clear, concise information about the ramifications of documentation mistakes. Additionally, nurse informatics professionals work to create and implement critical healthcare technologies. For example, they have helped create algorithms that detect signs of abuse in electronic health records so that victims can be immediately assisted.
Implementing Technology
Nursing informatics professionals are vital in helping other healthcare team members learn to use new information technology applications. They are also important in developing communication and information technology systems for healthcare.
Many RN to MSN Nursing Informatics programs focus on preparing students for ANCC certification in nursing informatics. They usually include at least 200 hours of practicums in their curriculum. These hours are the minimum required to qualify for ANCC certification. Practicum sites often include hospitals, clinics, and quality improvement departments.
RN to MSN Nursing Informatics Professionals help improve their organizations’ efficiency and reduce patient wait times. They utilize advanced analytics strategies to streamline processes and boost staff productivity. They also use their skills to create predictive models that enhance and save lives. This is especially helpful when identifying risks, such as sepsis or readmission risk.
Creating Action Plans
As a nursing informatics professional, you analyze data and information systems in medical corporations to create and implement policies that can improve patient outcomes and boost overall performance. You can also create programs that support new methods of healthcare delivery, including telehealth services and augmented reality technology.
Technology is now a fundamental component of healthcare, and nurse informatics professionals implement IT strategies that impact clinical processes, routine and emergency procedures, patient portals, and external health information exchanges. Additionally, they oversee technological training for nurses.
Nursing informatics professionals are a vital part of the modern healthcare system, using their knowledge of information technology to enhance patient care and organizational efficiency. Their responsibilities include teaching nurses and other medical professionals, researching and creating communication tools, implementing technology, monitoring the use of electronic health records, and analyzing data.
