Online Master’s Degree in Nursing Informatics

An online Master’s Degree in Nursing Informatics has become a much-valued asset in the medical industry. An accredited online nursing informatics masters degree is typically designed to prepare those with a background in computers or medicine to integrate these two tightly-connected fields in new, invaluable ways. Though an online bachelor’s degree in nursing informatics is enough for an entry-level job in the industry, the added experience provided by a good online masters program in nursing informatics can distinguish graduates quite boldly from their competition.

Online Master’s Degrees in Nursing Informatics Requirements

The successful nursing informatics degree online student enjoys mathematics and has a solid understanding of computer science and health administration systems. Usually those studying to obtain accredited online masters degrees in nursing informatics are also rigorously quantitative problem solvers and are good with technology. Students in top online masters programs in nursing informatics will have the opportunity to turn these traits into a useful professional persona.

Many online masters nursing informatics candidates have a bachelor’s degree in related fields including

• Nursing
• Computer Science
• Information Technology
• Health Administration
• Bioengineering

In addition, a lot of online school students have prior work experience as nurses, researchers, or computer scientists.

An online master’s in nursing informatics is a prerequisite to pursuing an online PhD in nursing informatics.

Online Nursing Informatics Master’s Degree Education

Good online master’s degree programs in nursing informatics typically take between 2 to 3 years to complete. The types of nursing informatics degrees offered by the best nursing informatics master’s programs online include:

• Master of Science in Nursing Informatics (MS in Nursing Informatics)
• Master of Arts in Nursing Informatics (MA in Nursing Informatics)

Information on Nursing Informatics Courses

The best online masters degree programs in nursing informatics focus on the integration of computer science and medicine. The courses required to obtain a nursing informatics master’s degree online are designed to work across this interface, to teach students how to apply computer technology and optimization principles to common challenges that arise in the medical environment. Online master’s degree nursing informatics courses will give students the opportunity to develop these characteristics, and to apply to them to real-world situations.

Courses common to top online masters degree programs in nursing informatics include:

• Computer Programming
  In this online master in nursing informatics course, students become well versed in multiple programming languages to effective tackle software challenges.
• Systems Optimization
  Students learn how to use computer software to optimize multiple channels within medical organizations.
• Nursing Administration
  This online master in nursing informatics course exposes students to common administrative functions performed by nursing professionals in the context of large medical organizations.
• Information Technology
  Students learn how to manage and troubleshoot various information systems, as well as how to optimize their function for medical practice.
• Operation Dynamics
  This course teaches students about the effects that decisions have on the operations of seemingly disparate divisions of larger medical complexes.

Specializations and Concentrations

Because nursing informatics is a broad field, in order to become an expert in a specific niche, some online master’s nursing informatics students will pursue specialties or concentrations in areas including:

• Database Architecture
• Medical Networks
• Insurance Systems

Careers in Nursing Informatics

Graduates of online master programs in nursing informatics have a wide range of career options to choose from. Popular choices among online masters degree nursing informatics graduates include:

• Researcher
  Researchers design and conduct experiments related to the integration of computer systems into medical networks. Researchers can make $45,000 per year or more, with healthy growth projected into 2018.
• Computer Scientist
  These professionals can work with medical agencies to implement, troubleshoot, and instruct employees on how to use things like advanced record keeping systems. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer scientists make $55,000 or more on average, with a projected job outlook of 24 percent until 2018.
• Medical Systems Consultant
  These professionals are hired, sometimes as self-employed workers, to provide expert advice to medical organizations on the implementation and longevity of computer programs and other optimization tools. Medical systems consultants make $50,000 or more per year, with competitive growth expected in the next eight years.
• Network Administrator
  Network administrators develop, set-up, and maintain medical databases. This involves securing highly sensitive data and keeping servers in fast, efficient operation. Administrators can make $55,000 per year or more, with continuous growth expected between 2008-2018.
• Medical Software Developer
  Medical software developers work on engineering teams to help create novel, optimized and easy-to-use healthcare systems. These professionals make $58,000 per year or more with the right training and credentials.

Both medicine and computer science are hot fields with many opportunities for employment. Students graduating with a master’s degree from a top accredited online school in nursing informatics enjoy stable careers with lots of opportunity for movement.