What is an Informatics Nurse Specialist?
Job Description & Duties Apply knowledge of nursing and informatics to assist in the design, development, and ongoing modification of computerized health care systems. May educate staff and assist in problem solving to promote the implementation of the health care system.
What Do Informatics Nurse Specialists Do On a Daily Basis?
- Provide consultation to nurses regarding hardware or software configuration.
- Design, develop, select, test, implement, and evaluate new or modified informatics solutions, data structures, and decision-support mechanisms to support patients, health care professionals, and their information management and human-computer and human-technology interactions within health care contexts.
- Identify, collect, record or analyze data that are relevant to the nursing care of patients.
- Apply knowledge of computer science, information science, nursing, and informatics theory to nursing practice, education, administration, or research, in collaboration with other health informatics specialists.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, and participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in informatics.
- Plan, install, repair or troubleshoot telehealth technology applications or systems in homes.
Things an Informatics Nurse Specialist Should Know How to Do
Informatics Nurse Specialists state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Types of Informatics Nurse Specialist
- Health Informatics Specialist
- Public Health Informatician
- Informatics Nurse
- Nurse Informaticist
- Business Consultant, Clinical Informatics
Are There Job Opportunities for Informatics Nurse Specialists?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 600,500 jobs in the United States for Informatics Nurse Specialist. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 54,400 new jobs for Informatics Nurse Specialist by 2026. There will be an estimated 44,900 positions for Informatics Nurse Specialist per year.
The states with the most job growth for Informatics Nurse Specialist are Utah, Colorado, and Washington. Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, Maine, or Mississippi. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Informatics Nurse Specialist Salary
The salary for Informatics Nurse Specialists ranges between about $54,360 and $142,220 a year.
Informatics Nurse Specialists who work in District of Columbia, New Jersey, or California, make the highest salaries.
How much do Informatics Nurse Specialists make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $84,950 |
| Alaska | $70,390 |
| Arizona | $88,970 |
| Arkansas | $71,990 |
| California | $103,930 |
| Colorado | $96,030 |
| Connecticut | $94,530 |
| Delaware | $96,460 |
| District of Columbia | $106,790 |
| Florida | $85,050 |
| Georgia | $91,060 |
| Hawaii | $80,100 |
| Idaho | $78,550 |
| Illinois | $89,370 |
| Indiana | $79,750 |
| Iowa | $84,300 |
| Kansas | $78,520 |
| Kentucky | $71,500 |
| Louisiana | $72,560 |
| Maine | $81,670 |
| Maryland | $97,720 |
| Massachusetts | $94,510 |
| Michigan | $83,900 |
| Minnesota | $92,920 |
| Mississippi | $66,790 |
| Missouri | $83,720 |
| Montana | $76,380 |
| Nebraska | $77,240 |
| Nevada | $80,580 |
| New Hampshire | $93,620 |
| New Jersey | $107,540 |
| New Mexico | $84,660 |
| New York | $106,320 |
| North Carolina | $93,480 |
| North Dakota | $76,110 |
| Ohio | $89,420 |
| Oklahoma | $79,950 |
| Oregon | $89,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $95,990 |
| Rhode Island | $99,470 |
| South Carolina | $80,200 |
| South Dakota | $75,810 |
| Tennessee | $77,330 |
| Texas | $97,900 |
| Utah | $84,840 |
| Vermont | $80,190 |
| Virginia | $102,290 |
| Washington | $96,860 |
| West Virginia | $74,010 |
| Wisconsin | $82,480 |
| Wyoming | $77,200 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Informatics Nurse Specialists
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Informatics Nurse Specialists:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- JavaScript
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Python
- Microsoft Access
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Microsoft Visio
- Structured query language SQL
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- UNIX
- R
- MEDITECH software
- Practical extraction and reporting language Perl
- Salesforce software
Becoming an Informatics Nurse Specialist
Are there Informatics Nurse Specialists education requirements?
What work experience do I need to become an Informatics Nurse Specialist?
Who Employs Informatics Nurse Specialists?
Informatics Nurse Specialists work in the following industries:
Related Careers
Those interested in being an Informatics Nurse Specialist may also be interested in:
References:
Image Credit: U.S. Army graphic via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.