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The advancement in technology has changed the way many processes are carried out. The emergence of the World Wide Web has made it possible for information to be shared more efficiently. Record keeping has amazingly made it simple for records to be stored in a manner that makes it easily accessible. Some of the fields which are successfully integrating information technology include the nursing field.
Nursing Informatics is a new specialty designation in the Nursing discipline for which there is yet to be developed a specific system of credentialing, training, and certification. This new specialty career is an integration of the two disciplines namely Information Technology (IT) and Nursing. In assessing quality of life among different specialties within the Nursing practice, it is clear that Informaticists enjoy a better work-life balance compared to that of traditional nurses.
The Nurse Informaticist is becoming a new role model in the Nursing field as an increasing number of younger nurses set their new career goals to get into this specialty. The American Nurses Association defines Nursing Informatics as “…a combination of computer science, information science, and nursing science designed to assist in the management and processing of nursing data, information, and knowledge, to support the practice of nursing and the delivery of nursing care” (American Nurses Association 1). An informaticist is often described as a person who understands both Nursing and Information Technology. Senior informaticists may be involved in developing, maintaining, and supporting database architecture to meet organizational needs and achieve interoperability of healthcare information systems.
The current statistics on this new discipline show that it is a promising career choice within the Nursing field. In a recent publication, the Bureau of Labor and Statics (BLS) projects that “Careers in healthcare technology are among the 20 fastest-growing occupations and employment of health information technicians and managers is expected to increase by 18% through 2016” (BLS 1). This positive projection may be the reason why young nurses and IT professionals seem to be attracted to the educational path of health informatics. Another good reason is the monetary rewards and benefits of this career. In another survey published by the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS), “The average salary of 2007 respondents is $83,675; compared to $69,500 in the 2004 survey, demonstrating the increasing maturity and value of the specialty” (HIMSS 1). Based on this survey, perhaps a six-digit salary for Chief Information Officers (CIO) is not unlikely, nor is it far-fetched to expect a $100,000 salary for a mid-level or senior Informaticist.
Compared to traditional nursing practice, this new specialty is also attracting more candidates for a few logical reasons. For Constantino Castillo, who was an emergency room nurse prior to becoming an informaticist, this new career field was the escape route towards a more relaxed and rewarding work setting. The same reasoning may lead traditional nurses, who are looking for a better work environment and an improved quality of life, to transition into a career in health informatics. For younger nurses, the appeal of a technology-enhanced workplace may well be a rewarding challenge in this techno age. For others, the promise of job security in a high-demand field may be a key motivator in their career decision.
To assess the quality of life in this profession, I carried out an interview with four nurses; two of them are traditional nurses working in a hospital environment that involves direct patient care, one is a medical informaticist at the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the other is a Nursing Director at Innova Healthcare System. My objective was to gauge their satisfaction levels at work and happiness at home (work-life balance).
I used a modified questionnaire drawn up from our previous class notes which helped in assessing several factors namely General Satisfaction, Stress, Personal and Professional Advancement, Monetary Rewards and Benefits, and Quality of Life in general. The result showed that all the nurses are satisfied with their work, and have a good life-work balance despite the odd shifts and long hours. They stated that challenges and stress factors are expected in any nursing practice but then each interviewee has a slightly different way of dealing with job stressors. Jordana Thomas, a staff nurse said, “I separate home from work; when I’m home I devote my time to family matters, when at work I devote my time to my team, to my patients, and to my professional creed.”
Judging from individual responses and knowing them as long-time friends, the interviewees showed satisfaction with their work accomplishments, recognition, and advancement opportunities. The monetary aspect of being a nurse seemed to be a secondary motivator for all interviewed, however, none of the nurses seemed comfortable at discussing financial figures. Nurse Informaticists fare best in terms of financial rewards and their quality of life is significantly more manageable than that of a traditional nurse. Constantino Castillo, a Nurse Informaticist who also worked as an ER nurse, gave an optimistic overview about quality of life by saying, “As an informaticist, I am able to set or choose my work schedule. After eight hours of work, I have plenty of time for my family and relaxation. There is big room for advancement in this field. The ultimate objective for me is to become the CIO.” When asked how he compares informatics to his previous work environment, he answered enthusiastically: “This is a big improvement from working in the ER where my 12-hour shift can easily become a 24-hour workday….” While work situations vary dramatically depending on many factors, traditional nurses constantly deal with unpredictable challenges and stressors in the workplace. Job satisfaction and workplace quality of life in any nursing practice can vary from day to day, especially in direct patient care environments. Any day can turn out to be a very hectic day due to the number of patients and urgency of care needed in any given situation. Ideally, a nurse on duty wouldn’t want to be in a situation where more than one of her/his patients would need critical care at the same time. Unfortunately, a day doesn’t always turn out to be uneventful in the life of a nurse. Workplace quality of life diminishes when the workplace suddenly turns into medical emergency situations. According to an interview with Rosario Todd, a nurse manager, “work quality of life and job satisfaction among nurses is dramatically improved by interpersonal relationships with medical staff, perceptions of their workload, and their evaluation of the appropriateness of the system of nursing is practiced. Other notable factors to be considered are organizational morale, monetary rewards, advancement opportunities, and appreciation or recognition of achievements among other things.”
In most nursing specialties such as the ones that involve direct patient care, 12-hour shifts are quite common, thus making it hard for nurses to have quality time with family before and after work hours. The same may not be said about the nurse informatics workplace. Informatics is more on the management or office side and their workload may not include direct patient care.
With this exploration, I am led to believe that the intersection of information technology and nursing fields will re-shape the future of healthcare delivery by enabling doctors and clinicians to perform their jobs in a more efficient manner with the use of informatics and technology. Therefore, in this age of techno-revolution, there will be an increased demand for health informatics specialists. There will be great job opportunities in this exciting and high-demand field, and so informaticists will continue to enjoy the quality of work-life balance that some traditional nurses can only hope for.
Works Cited
American Nurses Association. The Scope of Practice for Nursing Informatics. Washington, DC: American Nurses Publishing, 1994. Print.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Registered Nurses, on the Internet: U.S. Department of Labor.Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition. Web.
Castillo, Constantino. Personal Interview. 2011. HIMSS. Nursing Informatics Survey. Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, 2007. Web.
Thomas, Jordana. Personal Interview. 2011.
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