Career Advice: From IT to Nursing?

[rbunu]

Greetings All!

I am currently working as a clinical appilcation analyst. Its been about 6 months now since I started this job. I am already looking towards the future.

I was wondering if anyone could share some wisdom with me regarding advantages and disadvantages in acquiring an RN, with plans to lead myself to an Informatics/Clinical Application Specialty.

I already have a BS in Comp Sci. Are there any other worthwhile options to persue a more clinical/patient based position?

Excited to be posting,
RBunu

[EdStern]

Run don't walk but run to your nearest recruiting office... oh I mean RN admissions office. No, really it's a great match. I started in healthcare, moved to IT and I'm now back. The nursing industry needs you and you'll have a job for life as an RN more than a techie even

Now some warnings...

Don't just "become" a nurse if you're sole (or soul) focus in life is techie stuff. If you take this leap, you'll end up putting in some time (year or years) in the trenches as a nurse first before your "RN" and tech backgrounds can be of true value. So this means you'll actually have to like patients (or like them while you're with them).

You see just getting the RN doesn't mean you truly understand nursing or for that matter nurses. Remember that most schools really just prepare you to learn more. It's not like getting a degree in something like computers or biology. Your nursing program will give you a background, and until you actually start caring for patients and working in the world of nursing will you really "get it.

[rwingo]

I agree with Ed.

Just getting your RN will not magically make you an informatics nurse. IMHO, you need a minimum of 3-5 years of RN practice to give you the clinical foundation to make sense of nursing informatics and healthcare informatics.