The era of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, offers new prospects for nurses just choosing a career path and experienced nurses looking to expand their skills. In my more than 30 years as a registered nurse, I have seen our profession dramatically expand beyond traditional bedside roles into various specialties, including anesthesia, obstetrics, home health care, and the ever-growing field of public health informatics. And technology.
I have seen change in this field before: I helped nurses improve their adherence when I wrote the Medication Adherence Algorithm, and now professionals across the country use it to improve adherence for their patients and clients in their clinical settings.
In this new era where technology and artificial intelligence are permeating every area of ​​our lives, these advancements are also seeping into the field of nursing. We rely on data in our work more than ever before, so we need to know how to leverage it. use that.
For nurses who love caring for people and are fascinated by data and numbers, there’s a new career path that may have been overlooked in the past, but is rapidly gaining importance in healthcare and as a professional path for nurses.
Public health informatics combines public health and data science to improve people’s lives. Nurses in this growing field connect people, technology, and information to make decisions that improve health outcomes across communities.
Public health informatics allows you to analyze trends and utilize the latest technology to serve your community. An education in this field puts you at the forefront 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 He said informatics and technology are essential components of nursing education in the 21st century.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMeanwhile, related fields like health information technicians and health registrars are expected to see a 16% job growth through 2032, much faster than average. A wide range of employers, from health IT startups to hospitals, public health departments, and community health centers, need professionals trained in public health informatics.
Universities across the country are offering nurses the opportunity to join the movement to advance public health, and local communities are being offered opportunities as universities strive to develop a workforce that will serve communities that need to ensure their residents are represented and served by the data that will define health care in the age of artificial intelligence.
My workplace, Bowie State University in Maryland, is one example of a leading and innovative program in Public Health Informatics Technology, known as PHIT.The program offers a 120-credit Bachelor of Science in Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) and an 18-credit post-baccalaureate certificate in Public Health Informatics Systems (PHIS), making it ideal for nurses looking to build skills at any stage in their career.
University of Minnesota PHIT Human Resource Development ProgramUniversity of the District of ColumbiaJackson State University It is also integrated into the nursing department.
The program, implemented at Bowie State University and other universities across the country, is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).
If you’re interested in new career options or expanding your data skills, check out programs near you.
