Informatics Nurse Specialists

Employers

Informatics nurse specialists work in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. They are also employed in health care consulting firms, universities, and corporations. The job closest to that of informatics nurse specialists that the U.S. Department of Labor provides data on is computer systems analysts, and there are 527,200 employed in the United States. About 21,140 worked in hospitals, many of whom perform duties unrelated to health informatics, making informatics nurse specialists a relatively small, specialized—but growing—field. Medical records specialists, related professionals, hold approximately 191,500 jobs, primarily in hospitals, doctors' offices, and nursing homes.

Starting Out

The career of informatics nurse specialist is not an entry-level position. Many have prior experience either in nursing and/or have an advanced degree and certification. The job also requires prior experience handling electronic health care records. Informatics nurse specialists network with other nurses and health care professionals through their jobs and through professional associations such as the American Nursing Informatics Association, among others. Many find out about job opportunities through referrals from colleagues and associates in the field. Ask your school's career services office for assistance with locating employment openings and internship opportunities.