The era of new technologies like artificial intelligence is opening up new opportunities for nurses choosing their career path and for experienced nurses looking to expand their skills. As a registered nurse for over 30 years, I have seen our profession expand dramatically beyond the traditional bedside role to a wide variety of specialties such as anesthesia, obstetrics, home care, and the growing field of public health informatics. and technology.
I have already seen a transformation in this area. When I wrote the Medication Adherence Algorithm, I helped mobilize nurses in medication adherence. Today, professionals across the country are using this algorithm to facilitate medication adherence with patients and clients in their clinical practice.
In the age of technology and artificial intelligence, which seem to invade every area of our lives, these advances are also affecting the field of nursing. We rely on data more than ever for our work, so we need to make sure we know how to use it. to use he.
For nurses who enjoy caring for people and are interested in data and numbers, there is a new career path that may have been overlooked but is quickly gaining prominence in healthcare and as a career path for nurses.
Public health informatics combines public health and data science to improve people’s lives. Nurses in this growing field can connect people, technology, and information to inform decision-making that improves health outcomes in communities.
Public health informatics allows you to analyze trends and use the latest technologies to make a difference in your community. By pursuing your education in this field, you can stay on top of the latest digital tools and trends while helping to improve the lives of others. A report published by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing stated that informatics and technology are essential components of nursing education in the 21st century.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor StatisticsThe related field of health information technologists and physician registrars has a job growth outlook of 16% by 2032, which is much faster than average. A variety of employers, from health IT startups to hospitals to public health departments and community health centers, need trained public health informatics specialists.
Across the country, universities are offering nurses opportunities to join the movement to advance public health. Opportunities are available in local communities as universities work to develop a workforce to serve communities that need to ensure that local citizens are represented and therefore served by data that defines health care in the age of artificial intelligence.
Bowie State University in Maryland, where I work, is an example of an exceptional and innovative program in public health informatics and technology, known as PHIT.The program offers a 120-credit undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) and an 18-credit post-baccalaureate certificate in Public Health Informatics Systems (PHIS) and is ideal for nurses looking to develop their skills at any stage of their career.
University of Minnesota PHIT Workforce Development ProgramsUniversity of the District of Columbiaand Jackson State University are also integrated into their nursing services.
This program at Bowie State and other colleges and universities across the country is funded by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Find a program near you if you’re interested in new career options or want to expand your data skills.
