This article was updated on January 30, 2024.
Written by Michael Feder
This article was reviewed by Raelene Brooks, Dean, College of Nursing.
Healthcare organizations regularly gather patient data, but what do they do with it? Healthcare professionals understand that nursing informatics affects every stage of the data usage process. People with careers in nursing informatics collect patient data, isolate trends in the data and analyze those trends. The analyses inform more efficient processes that impact patients’ quality of care.
Nursing informatics leverages science and data analytics to collect, sort and analyze patient information. No matter the format patient data takes — electronic medical records, diagnostic tests, even vital signs — nursing informatics helps other medical professionals draw conclusions from data trends that can inform better patient care.
Professionals in nursing informatics often take leadership roles. They may be responsible for  that include:
Graduates of nursing informatics programs have knowledge and skills in using data to analyze trends in population health to evaluate healthcare disparities. They can also assess regulatory healthcare technology needs to ensure they are evidence-based and demonstrate improved patient outcomes.
The nursing informatics specialty integrates nursing science, computer science and information science. Nurses who develop these skills use them to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge and wisdom in nursing practice. Nursing informatics plays a critical role in the healthcare system in the following ways:
Nursing informatics is crucial for many healthcare organizations. Effective nursing informatics can benefit patients, medical professionals and healthcare businesses. As the medical landscape evolves, nursing informatics becomes increasingly essential.
When looking at employment projections for this profession, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes nurse informatics within the occupation of registered nurses as medical and health services managers. BLS projects employment for registered nurses to , which is roughly 193,100 each year. Further, this national average includes all career stages and may not accurately reflect the number of positions relative to nursing informatics.
The BLS Projected Growth for 2022-2032 is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data reflects the BLS projections of national (not local) conditions. The data points are not specific to °®ÎŰ´«Ă˝ students or graduates.
Nursing informatics is more than a niche specialty. It’s an essential component of modern healthcare. Providers can see nursing informatics’ value in its impact on patient care, healthcare systems and public health.
Nursing informatics can improve patient care by enhancing the . Accurate records enable better decision-making and reduce the risk of medical errors. That can lead to more-personalized care plans, especially when data highlights patterns and trends for individual patients.
It’s not just patients and individual providers who benefit from informatics. Healthcare systems are increasingly reliant on digital technology. Nursing informatics is the key to managing those complex systems. Organizations that embrace informatics can streamline workflows and improve communication, especially when handling sensitive patient data.
By analyzing large data sets, nursing informatics can help stakeholders identify public health trends and inform policy decisions. Consider the role of . Nursing informatics played a role in tracking the virus’s spread. It also informed public health decisions and how to manage resources.
Nursing informatics and statistics can also play a role in . Physicians, insurance companies, governments and, of course, patients all have a vested interest in improving life expectancy. Nursing informatics can give greater insight into how to decrease population mortality. As more providers collect and share data, it allows for better predictions about patient outcomes.
Current nurses can benefit from expertise in informatics via , whether that’s becoming a nursing director or clinical manager. These roles don’t just influence patient care on a larger scale. They also play a significant part in shaping healthcare’s future in the following ways:
Typically, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is required to work in nursing informatics. This requires interested candidates to first be a registered nurse. Becoming an RN requires graduating from an approved diploma nursing program, earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), or earning a BSN, and obtaining licensure as a registered nurse in at least one state. If an RN has not already earned their BSN, they may choose to enter an RN to BSN program to earn their bachelor’s degree.
If you’re eager to go beyond data collection and basic skills in this field, you may wish to consider a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Informatics. First, registered nurses must obtain their bachelor’s degree. The master’s degree teaches advanced nursing theory and research to provide the foundation for nurse leaders to help influence the future of nursing and healthcare.
Nursing informaticists maintain a variety of responsibilities. The exact duties of nursing informatics professionals often vary. Common day-to-day duties include the following tasks:
Those are just several responsibilities that a professional in nursing informatics may have. There may be more.
Professionals in nursing informatics rely on a variety of skills in a clinical environment. These can include the following skills:
°®ÎŰ´«Ă˝â€™s required courses for its Nursing Informatics track can help you develop these needed skills. Classes for this track include:
Some of the positions along this career trajectory include the following paths:
Nursing informatics describes a subset of health informatics. °®ÎŰ´«Ă˝ offers a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Informatics. In this program, students learn information systems, research, advocacy, advanced nursing practice, operations and continuous quality improvement. Career outcomes with this degree include becoming a clinical director or manager, or a nursing director.
Are you a nurse or nursing professional who wants to learn how to get into nursing informatics? The Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Informatics may help you pursue that goal. If you’re ready to start, apply to the programĚý´Ç°ůĚýrequest additional information.
A: Nursing informatics integrates nursing science, computer science and information science. This subset of healthcare helps manage and communicate data, information and wisdom for nurses. Hospitals and clinics use informatics to support their patients, nurses and other healthcare providers in decision-making.
A: Those with an education in nursing informatics work in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, consulting firms, schools, government agencies or nonprofit settings.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and its Writing Seminars program and winner of the Stephen A. Dixon Literary Prize, Michael Feder brings an eye for detail and a passion for research to every article he writes. His academic and professional background includes experience in marketing, content development, script writing and SEO. Today, he works as a multimedia specialist at °®ÎŰ´«Ă˝ where he covers a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to IT.
Dr. Raelene Brooks, dean of the College of Nursing, has been a registered nurse for more than 25 years and practiced extensively in the areas of ICU, trauma and critical care. Her publications include a focus on nursing education, critical care and diversity, equity and inclusion. She is a leader in creating, guiding and launching innovative curriculum.
This article has been vetted by °®ÎŰ´«Ă˝'s editorial advisory committee.Â
Read more about our editorial process.
Read more articles like this:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â