Informatics Nurse

You can apply for an Informatics Nursing Certification (RN-BC) after you have worked full-time for two years as an RN. You need to complete 30 hours of continuing education in informatics nursing, or hours of experience in informatics nursing, or have earned a graduate-level degree in informatics nursing.

You can also advance by getting an MSN degree in Nursing Informatics.

• Build and maintain clinical application programs
• Analyze patient care data and use results to improve patient outcomes
• Participate in the research or design of new technology 
• Train staff on the use of new technology and how to troubleshoot
• Serve as a liaison between nursing staff and technology departments
• Manage hospital or facility-wide projects

• Projects that assure compliance to national laws and standards such as HIPAA, FDA, and Joint Commission
• Preparation of medical data system policies, procedures, and training materials 
• Translate between IT department and medical/nursing staff
• Staff educator on the use of devices, EMRs, and medical orders entry systems
• Project manager to analyze workflow to determine the best implementation method 
• Analyze ergonomics and human-computer interaction (HCI) principles for informatics design

1. Complete an ADN or BSN program in nursing
2. Pass the NCLEX-RN exam and apply for your RN license
3. Have two years of experience working as an RN
4. Apply to work as an informatics nurse or take courses to learn informatics nursing
5. Apply for an Informatics Nursing Certification (RN-BC) after meeting prerequisites

American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)

• Mission: "AMIA aims to lead the way in transforming health care through trusted science, education, and the practice of informatics."
• Cost: $380 annually. Young Informatics Professional (YIP) membership fee is $210. "This membership type is open to recent graduates (within the last 18 months) of any undergraduate, graduate, or post-doctoral program." 
• Perks: Receive discounted rates for AMIA's four annual conferences. Connect with 5,000+ informaticians and expand your professional network. Earn CME/CE and MOC credits by attending AMIA conferences and reading journal articles. Be part of a separate nurse branch called Alliance for Nursing Informatics (ANI)
  

American Nursing Informatics Association (ANIA)

• Mission: "To advance nursing informatics through education, research, and practice in all roles and settings."
• Cost: $79 Regular (RN) / Associate annually, or 2 Years for $148 Regular (RN) / Associate.
• Perks: Receive the Journal of Informatics Nursing, published quarterly, which has free contact hours. Attend regularly scheduled, free webinars to earn contact hours. Receive reduced registration rate for the ANIA Annual Conference.

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

• Mission: "Reform the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology."
• Cost: $199 annually, for health professionals
• Chapter: $39 annually. 
• Perks: Receive member pricing on the HIMSS Global Health Conference, regional events, webinars, bookstore, and the HIMSS Learning Center