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RN to MSN – Informatics

Health informatics is a growing field in the nursing world, and one in which workers are in high demand. If students are currently an RN with an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree, joining an RN to MSN program and concentrating in informatics is a great option if they are interested in technology and data handling.

With a degree in informatics, students qualify to work in a number of positions in the world of medicine. Health informatics specialists are needed in hospitals, clinics, private practices, government programs, non-profit organizations, insurance companies, clinical research facilities, schools and colleges, medical manufacturing companies, and nursing homes, to name just a few of the many places that have a need for these types of nurses. Basically, if a company or facility deals with patient records, students could work there with a degree in informatics.

The classes students take as part of an RN to MSN program vary depending on the school they attend, but all start with a foundation in nursing. Students learn advanced skills to be prepared to diagnose and treat patients at a much higher level than is allowed with RNs who just have a two- or four-year degree. From there, students build upon a foundation of nursing knowledge to learn about the ever-changing work of informatics.

Informatics deals specifically with data storage and handling, and students could help implement new systems to keep patient records safe, but easily accessible by the right people. New technology is becoming available every day in this field, and doctors are beginning to embrace health, or mobile health — a way to pass information securely using cell phones, PDAs, and similar devices. Better informatics systems means fewer errors, so this is a very important part of nursing.