At which campus can I study this program?
Program Description
This 9-credit course series is designed to provide nurses with informatics knowledge and to prepare them to practice in information and technology rich health care environments. Those who complete the certificate will be prepared to assist in the implementation of informatics tools in healthcare environments such as electronic health records, clinical decision support tools, database management and data mining, patient safety technologies such as Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA), RFID technologies and smart pumps. The ethical management of private health information and legislative aspects such as HIPAA and the HITECH act are also included.
What is Nursing Informatics?
Nursing informatics (NI) is the specialty that integrates nursing science with multiple information and analytical sciences to identify, define, manage and communicate data, information, knowledge and wisdom in nursing practice. For many people, NI, and healthcare informatics in general, are about technology. This is especially true of electronic health records (EHRs) that are required of all care facilities. (Source: American Nurses Association, Nursing Informatics: Scope and Standards of Practice, 2nd Edition, 2015)
You Might Like This Program If...
The Nursing Informatics Certificate might be for you if you are interested in increasing your knowledge of healthcare information technologies or want to maximize use within your organization, as well as better understand and overcome the barriers that arise with the integration of technology innovations into healthcare delivery. Enrollment in this certificate also allows Nursing students to gain an additional area of concentration while pursuing the B.S.N. degree.
Program Requirements
To earn an undergraduate certificate in Nursing Informatics, a minimum of 9 credits is required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Prescribed Courses | ||
| NURS 357 | Introduction to Nursing Informatics | 3 |
| NURS 458 | Ethical Challenges in Healthcare Informatics | 3 |
| NURS 460 | Advanced Concepts in Clinical Nursing Informatics | 3 |
Prerequisites Required.
Certificate Learning Objectives
- Explore the use of the computer and health care technologies for nursing applications in selected areas of nursing practice.
- Synthesize an ethical framework for dealing with selected healthcare informatics dilemmas.
- Discover the competencies, skills, roles, and standards of informatics nursing practice.
Academic Advising
The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.
Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.
READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY
University Park
Student Success Center
Undergraduate Advising
109 Nursing Sciences Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-2229
nursing@psu.edu
World Campus
Undergraduate Academic Advising
100 Innovation Blvd
Suite 225
University Park, PA 16803
814-863-3283
advising@worldcampus.psu.edu
Schuylkill
Marianne Adam
Nursing Program Coordinator
200 University Drive
Schuylkill Haven, PA 17972
570-385-6061
mta133@psu.edu
Career Paths
With the development of new technologies and the integration and expansion of these tools throughout all levels of healthcare, professionals with focused training and experience in Informatics are increasingly essential to healthcare organizations.
Careers
There is steady job growth in informatics positions in health care. Graduates of the Nursing Informatics Certificate Program obtain positions within various organizations including:
- hospitals and healthcare systems
- public health agencies
- consulting firms
- health care product or technology vendors
- home health agencies
- managed care or insurance companies
- government and military healthcare settings
A comprehensive understanding of information systems and applications is essential for nurses interested in or currently working in management and leadership roles in health care.
Opportunities for Graduate Studies
Baccalaureate-educated Nurses may want to consider pursuing an advanced nursing degree with a specialization in Nursing Informatics. Professionals with graduate degrees that include the essentials of Nursing Informatics can explore job advancement opportunities as information officers, health systems analysts, IT training managers, and project managers. Nurses with this background are highly competitive for roles in nursing leadership within a variety of healthcare organizations.
Professional Resources
Contact
University Park
STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER
UNDERGRADUATE ADVISING
109 Nursing Sciences Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-2229
nursing@psu.edu
https://www.nursing.psu.edu/undergraduate-certificates/
World Campus
STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER
UNDERGRADUATE ADVISING
109 Nursing Sciences Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-2229
nursing@psu.edu
Schuylkill
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
200 University Drive
Schuylkill Haven, PA 17972
570-385-6061
mta133@psu.edu