Chamberlain College of Nursing Offers New Master of Science in Nursing Informatics Specialty Track

Expanding roles and technological advances in healthcare have increased the demand for nurses to be then-versed in informatics, which includes the use of healthcare information research. As a matter of fact, the number of nurses taking the Informatics Nurse certification exam with the American Nurses Credentialing Center has more than doubled since 2005. To meet the need for advanced nursing education in this field, Chamberlain College of Nursing is launching its Master of Science in Nursing Informatics Specialty Track. The program adheres strongly to the ANCC's certification examination, ensuring that graduates will be prepared to become certified in nursing informatics.

The HITECH Act in 2009

With approval of the HITECH Act in 2009 and funding towards adoption of Electronic Health Records innovation, the Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT anticipates that 50,000 new health information research jobs will be created within the then and there five years. This rapidly evolving environment requires nurses to possess the knowledge and understanding to leverage new technologies to better manage information and facilitate decision-making.

Chamberlain's new MSN Informatics Specialty Track builds the foundational skills essential to informatics nurse specialists with coursework that includes the practice of nursing informatics, management of data and information, healthcare information workflow and project management. The new track is designed to prepare students in both the patient and technological sides of healthcare by learning to interpret, analyze and utilize EHR innovation and ways to provide greater efficiency and effectiveness in healthcare practices.

The current MSN online program at Chamberlain is a post-baccalaureate professional degree designed to prepare nurses for expanding roles in healthcare and enhance opportunities for professional advancement. Should the contingency arise to the completion of the core nursing courses, MSN students can select one of three specialty tracks: MSN Education Track, MSN Executive Track or MSN Informatics Track. The educator track prepares students to teach in an academic or clinical practice setting, during the executive track provides students with the foundational skills essential for nursing leadership positions. Additionally, qualified Chamberlain students have the possibility to earn both a MSN degree from Chamberlain and a Master of Business Administration degree from DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management.