Careers in Healthcare IT

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Careers in Healthcare IT

• Jenny Elrod RN, MSN, CPHIMS

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Objectives

• To define Information Systems (IS) and Nursing
  Informatics
• To understand the various organizational
  structures of IS and Nursing Informatics
• To identify a centralized versus decentralized
  model
• To differentiate clinical and non-clinical roles
  in healthcare IT
• To discuss strategies for career advancement
• To provide examples of a successful job search

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Why we do what we do

• To improve the health of our patients by
  optimizing information management and
  communication by
• Designing and using IT to support all clinical
  areas
• Designing useful decision support systems
• Managing educational resources
• Enhancing lifelong learning
• Supporting nursing research

Staggers, N., Thompson, C.B. (2002). The
evolution of definitions for nursing informatics
A critical analysis and revised definition.
Journal of the American Medical Informatics
Association, 33(1), 75-81.
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Definitions

• Information Systems
• Information technology that is used to gather,
  process, store and disseminate information.
  Includes clinical applications, desktop and
  other business applications, network,
  infrastructure, security, telecom, etc.
• Nursing Informatics
• integrates nursing science, computer science,
  and information science to manage and communicate
  data, information, knowledge and wisdom in
  nursing practice.

American Nurses Association (2008). Nursing
informatics scope and standards of practice.
Published by Nursebooks.org, Silver Spring, MD.
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Organizational Structures

• Consider the following
• Single hospital or Multi-hospital system
• Size ( beds)
• Physicians
• Type (Academic, Teaching, Community)
• Level of technology implementation
• Is Information Systems Centralized or
  De-centralized?
• Is Clinical Informatics part of IS or Operations?
• Reporting structures (dotted vs. solid line)
  oversight vs accountability
• Career paths defined?
• Who are decision makers versus decision
  influencers?
• Physician office IT where does it fit?
• Is Biomed (Clinical Engineering) integrated?

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Centralized vs. De-Centralized

• Centralized
• IS Informatics are integrated and work as one
  department
• In multi-hospital systems may be designated as
  corporate with site responsibility
• Success requires clear and defined communication
  paths
• Decentralized
• IS Informatics are separate departments
• May have reporting structure through operations
• Success requires clear and defined communication
  paths

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Clinical Non-Clinical Roles

• Example Clinical Roles (requires clinical
  degrees)
• Clinical Analyst / Senior Clinical Analyst
• Applications Analyst
• System Administrator
• CPOE consultant
• Clinical Intelligence Consultant
• Mgr/Director Informatics or Clinical Information
  Systems
• CMIO / CNIO
• Example Non-Clinical Roles (requires tech degree)
• System Analyst
• System Administrator
• Support Engineer
• Network Administrator
• Project Manager
• Manager/Director Information Systems
• VP IS / CIO

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Strategies for Career Advancement

1. Need to be a worker bee for a while to gain
   credibility
2. 2-3 years in a position
3. Work on different products giving you different
   care area experience (i.e. critical care,
   perioperative, perinatal applications)
4. Learn a new skill, dont limit yourself (i.e.
   medical device
5. Always set milestones (dates) and deliver them on
   time
6. Pay attention to detail
7. Communicate regularly be clear and concise
8. Titles do make a difference
9. Attend conferences and network, network, network!
10. Moving up and moving on

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A Successful Job Search

• Resume
• Highlight your product portfolio experience
• Tailor resume to the job your applying for
• If you want a leadership position, dont state an
  objective but a career summary of accomplishments
• Consider the Industry
• Hospital, vendor, consulting firm, law firm, etc.
• Software development, project management,
  support, leadership, implementation keep an open
  mind
• Interviews
• Research the company the leadership
• What awards have they earned? (e.g. Magnet)
• What is their vision?
• What vendors are they using?
• Ask questions about the organizational structure?
• Is the leadership team new? Organic growth?
• What career advancement opportunities are
  available?

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Questions?