For nurses, the idea of getting into a job before having qualifications seems counterintuitive. After all, we start our nursing careers by going to school. This is so we can receive appropriate training before taking care of patients. However, in business and technology, people often start by getting on-the-job experience. In these areas, the purpose of going back to school for degrees and certifications is to help take careers to the next level.

Nursing Informatics aligns with the business and technology fields. Hiring managers prioritize experience over education, which is backwards from what nurses are used to. That is one reason I recommend nurses start by getting experience in Nursing Informatics before worrying about going back to school. Here are three more reasons.

Reason #1: How do you know you will like it if you have not tried it?

When I was thinking about becoming a nurse, a lot of people recommended I volunteer at a hospital or nursing home to see what nurses do. The idea behind it was to make sure I actually like nursing work before committing time and money to nursing school. Jumping into school first is a very expensive way of seeing if a new field fits you.

I give the same advice to aspiring Informatics Nurses. Before committing to a master’s degree or certificate program, try working on a project team. Just as working in Labor and Delivery or the Operating Room is not for every nurse, Nursing Informatics is not a fit for everyone. The best way to see if it is a fit for you is to try it out by being part of a project.

Most healthcare organizations have dozens of projects going on at any given time. These projects can range from technology focused, to process improvement, to data and reporting. Volunteer to be a subject matter expert or super user for a new system. These are great ways to experience what is like to be an Informatics Nurse. Plus many nurses launch their Nursing Informatics careers through these roles even without a degree or certification in this specialty.

Reason #2: Better understand which degrees and certifications will help boost your career

Where degrees and certifications can help is with boosting your career once you are in Nursing Informatics. In technology and business, the right degree or certification can help you take your career to the next level.

Nurses often want to know exactly what they should go back to school for to get that career boost. The answer to that depends on what area of Nursing Informatics you pursue. Similar to how ‘Nursing’ is not just one area with one skill set, Nursing Informatics branches off into many different career paths. This is another reason why getting some relevant experience first is helpful. This way you know which direction you want to go.

Do you like project management and organizing teams? The Project Management Professional certification has been a popular one, but is starting to be replaced by Certified Scrum Master.

Do you like data analysis? IBM and Google offer low cost Data Analytics Professional Certifications through Coursera. These programs take 6-11 months to complete. Google at least gives you the option to share your information with employers like University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and global consulting company Cognizant.

Do you like quality and process improvement? You can get certified as a Healthcare Quality Professional by the National Association for Healthcare Quality. You can also go for Lean Six Sigma certification, which is one of the most sought after and highly paid certifications in the business world.

Or you may get into a systems trainer role, which was my first Nursing Informatics job. You may find you love adult education which has its own sets of degrees and certifications. My point is that the best thing you can do is to start getting experience in the Nursing Informatics space. Then you will be able to make an informed decision about continuing education.

Reason #3: Get paid to learn instead of paying to learn

Any time a nurse can get someone else to pay for their education, they should go for it. To be clear, I do not just mean formal education. By learning on the job, you are getting a company to pay you to learn. They are paying you for your time, including time you spend on projects that build your resume and help you gain new skills.

If you also work for a company that pays for employees to go back to school, you might be tempted to jump into a Nursing Informatics program since there is no financial cost to you. I would still recommend starting with some project experience for a least a few months before you do that. You may decide you want the company to pay for a different degree that better aligns to the area of Nursing Informatics you like best.

For example, after I became an Informatics Nurse I realized I wanted to climb the career ladder. But when I looked at the leaders in my company, many of them had a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA). If I had project experience, I would have realized that earlier and gotten the company to pay for the MBA program instead.

Key Takeaways:

Nursing Informatics is a field where experience matters more than education in most cases. This is why I recommend aspiring Informatics Nurses start by getting onto a project team first. You can parlay that experience into other Nursing Informatics roles. But beyond that getting experience first will help you see if this type of work fits you, make more informed decisions about continuing education, and minimize your upfront investment.

Thinking about getting into Nursing Informatics but want more guidance? Check out From Bedside Nurse to Informatics Nurse: A How-To Guide in our online store, or by clicking here!