The U.S. National Library of Medicine defines health informatics as “the interdisciplinary study of the design, development, adoption, and application of IT-based innovations in healthcare services delivery, management, and planning.” Because the changing landscape of modern healthcare is largely fueled by advancements in technology and electronic documentation, knowledge of health informatics is more crucial now than ever.
Nurses, being the eyes and ears of every hospital, can greatly improve their patients’ outcomes by becoming educated in health informatics. For example, Health IT.gov reports that when healthcare providers have access to electronic health records (EHRs), patients receive better care, medical errors can be reduced or prevented and patient outcomes improve.
Better Patient Outcomes
Advancements in documentation have led to a world in which hospitals, doctors and nurses can gather and share information about their patients with relative ease. The American Hospital Association reports that sharing patient healthcare data benefits patients and providers by strengthening care coordination between physicians, nurses, caregivers and patients.
Similarly, coordination between different healthcare providers, insurance companies and pharmacies has become more efficient with these advancements in record keeping.
Cost Savings in Healthcare
The American Hospital Association also claims that better patient outcomes mean fewer wasted resources correcting mistakes, and a better chance for a patient to remain healthy after being successfully treated.
Not only is this good for patient health, but it is also good for healthcare providers who end up saving money by reducing costs in time and resources for patients and insurers by avoiding duplicate services and reducing time needed by administrative and clinical staff to complete record-keeping tasks.
Salaries for Informatics Nurses
Earning a master’s degree in health informatics, or any other master’s in a nursing specialization can open many doors and lead to significant salary increases. In the workforce survey by the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), 68% of respondents reported working for a hospital or multifacility health system with more than half working at a Magnet designated hospital, possibly indicating the increased value informatics provides to hospital achievements.
ZipRecruiter reports the national average salary for an informatics nurse in 2021 is $102,230 in the United States. Gaining a good introductory working knowledge of health informatics in an RN to BSN program is a great place to start, whichever nursing path you choose.
No matter what kind of nursing career you envision for yourself, health informatics will play a central role. Innovations in electronic medical records and automated medical equipment will continue into the future, so it is important for every nurse to have at least a baseline knowledge of how to make the best use of these modern tools. The RN to BSN program at NKU offers HIN 355: Health Informatics as a first course in this important aspect of nursing.
Learn more about the Northern Kentucky University online RN to BSN program.
Related Articles
How Long Does It Take to Go from ADN to BSN?
Related Testimonials
RN to BSN Student Krista Harmon Deepens Appreciation for Nurses of All Specialties
Kentucky Native Cheryl Dyer Returns to NKU Via Online RN to BSN Program
Dr. Michelle Teschendorf Leading NKU RN to BSN Program Into Future
Sources:
Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS): Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey
HealthIT.gov: Improved Diagnostics and Patient Outcomes
ZipRecruiter: Informatics Nurse Salary
