When the American Nurses Association asked its members to identify the drivers of change they believe will influence nursing, they named science and technology as one of the top five. “Digital tools will reshape the expectations of consumers/patients,” the survey reported, and “technological advances will transform nursing practice.”1
An online MSN program with a nurse informatics specialization can prepare you for that future vision, allowing you to meld your passion for nursing science with technological innovation. In Walden University’s online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program with a specialization in Nursing Informatics, you’ll learn how to integrate nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data.
The knowledge you gain through an MSN degree program with a nursing informatics specialization can prepare you to play a vital role in enhancing patient care and give you a seat at the table in helping healthcare practitioners and administrators leverage innovation and technology.
Walden’s master’s in nursing online courses provide a glimpse into the specialty knowledge you’ll gain while studying to be a nurse informaticist:
Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare
Students in this course establish foundational knowledge for understanding and practicing nursing informatics in healthcare settings. Students:
- Explore models and theories that support nursing informatics.
- Examine the use of information technology to support decisions that promote safety and quality in patient-centered care.
- Differentiate concerns about information protection and system integrity.
- Engage in assignments through which they focus on nursing practice in healthcare applications, thus acquiring the necessary skills to improve the management of healthcare through informatics nursing practice.
Supporting Workflow in Healthcare Systems
Effective knowledge and information flow are critical in the coordination of patient care. Nurses are at the center of care coordination for patients, and informatics nurses are central to the design and development of information systems that support workflow in nursing practice. Students in this course:
- Examine the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of electronic information systems in healthcare systems.
- Compare, contrast, and critique methods of system design.
- Focus on workflow modeling, including assessment of current state workflow and the design of future state workflow.
- Examine workflow design best practices to support the implementation and optimization of electronic health records.
Information and Knowledge Management
This course introduces students to:
- Relational databases and techniques for extracting data and creating knowledge from healthcare data sets.
- Tools for sampling and analyzing data, and methods for describing, summarizing, and presenting data. There is specific focus on understanding how data analysis may be used for positive social change.
Learn More About Health Informatics Careers
If you’re considering a career as a nurse informaticist, these findings from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s 2020 Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey may be of interest as you plan your future:2
- 66% of the 1,359 respondents had a master's degree.
- 58% earned certification.
- 94% were satisfied or highly satisfied with their nurse informatics career choice.
- 24% held the title of nursing informatics specialist.
- 68% worked in hospitals or healthcare systems.
- 61% had more than five years of informatics experience.
- The three top job responsibilities were: systems implementation, 44%; systems optimization/utilization, 41%; and systems development, 31%.
Among postgraduate education choices, Walden University is at the top of the class as No. 1 in Master of Science in Nursing graduates in the U.S.3 Walden’s Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)-accredited online MSN program offers several pathways to an MSN with a specialization in Nursing Informatics, including:
- RN to MSN track, for registered nurses who hold a hospital diploma, associate degree in nursing, or bachelor’s degree (other than a BSN)
- BSN to MSN track, for RNs who already hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
- RN to BSN Accelerate Into Master’s (AIM), for registered nurses who want to earn credits toward their MSN while completing their BSN
With a master’s in nursing online, you can step into a job with strong career satisfaction ratings2 and join the vanguard of nurse informaticists making a difference in healthcare by effectively managing and communicating data, information, and knowledge.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) online with a Nursing Informatics specialization. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.
1Source: www.nursingworld.org/~48dd3a/globalassets/docs/ana/ana_preparingnurses4.pdf
2Source: https://www.himss.org/sites/hde/files/media/file/2020/05/15/himss_nursinginformaticssurvey2020_v4.pdf
3Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) IPEDS database. Based on the most recent year of completions survey data available, using CIP code family 51.38 “Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing” for Master’s degrees (Award level 7). Available at https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data. (Retrieved January 2021; may consist of or include provisional release data.)
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing (BSN), master’s degree program in nursing (MSN), post-graduate APRN certificate program, and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Walden University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (www.ccneaccreditation.org).