Every career has its perks and downsides, and working in nursing informatics is no exception. While the field is exciting, challenging, and diverse, being a nursing informatician can present a few road bumps along the way.

First, let’s run through five advantages when working as an informatics nurse.

Pro: Better Educational Methods

Even as you read this article, technology is changing the way people are taught and how they interact with one another. New software applications are constantly being introduced and improved upon to make education more convenient and accessible for the population.

Online nursing informatics programs are more favored than ever, with many participants enrolling in various disciplines just to enhance their careers. Nursing informatics is just one of these programs, and it’s been proven to be highly advantageous for many working professionals.

Given that most online programs are self-paced, this allows students to learn at their own speed. Aside from this, students no longer have to travel and be physically present for classes, making their time even more highly utilized.

Pro: Improved Patient Care and Delivery of Services

Intertwining technology with healthcare means a more efficient way of managing and delivering the latter. These days, communication is more important than ever. A timely and real-time healthcare process can facilitate better care delivery.

For instance, telehealth consulting is increasingly becoming popular. Recent health outbreaks have pushed the importance of technology into the mainstream. This has resulted in many patients using device-enabled methods for consultations.

Using digital records, both providers and patients enjoy a faster way of communication even without physically facing each other. Medical check-ups and medication are then dispensed on digital platforms, making the whole process smooth and efficient.

Pro: Enhanced Treatment and Post Treatment Services

Nursing informatics is not limited to patient record-keeping. It also includes using new machines and equipment to provide better treatment options for patients.

For example, drug management methods are changing the way providers and patients assess and improve their medical treatments. Electronic versions of health records make the process easier, with data warehousing providing the much-needed online storage for the information.

When all parts of this setup work together, everything is coordinated to deliver a seamless experience for providers, patients, and pharmacies. As a result, providers can accommodate more patients and patients receive better care treatment and check-ups.

Pro: Better Data Recording and Safekeeping

When records are kept manually, there are several possible dangers to this method. For example, physical records can be lost or misplaced. This would make the patient’s healthcare information impossible to retrieve. Plus, it allows unauthorized access to sensitive personal health information.

On the other hand, electronic health records (EHRs) allow healthcare providers to retrieve essential information within seconds. Through critical data warehousing, patient information and healthcare records can be used almost anywhere to monitor healthcare issues, treatments, and overall progress.

Additionally, online and digital healthcare information is secure yet accessible to authorized personnel. This allows healthcare providers a more convenient way to obtain vital information while retaining patient confidentiality.

Pro: More Fulfilling on a Professional and Personal Level

Some people work better with fewer instances of physical interaction with their colleagues and supervisors. A career in nursing informatics provides a venue for people looking to work mostly indoors yet wanting to make valuable contributions to society.

Given that the field is vast and diverse, nursing informaticians can be found at every employment level. From specialists to directors, nursing informatics plays a pivotal role in defining, managing, and implementing healthcare protocols that impact society as a whole.

Aside from providing valuable contributions to the healthcare population, nursing informaticians typically take in higher paychecks. Studies show that they belong to the top quarter of the highest-paid careers, regardless of industry.

Con: Technology Setup and Internet Access

It has to be noted that not everyone works well with technology. While there are many advancements, not everyone is connected to the internet or familiar with how it works. As a result, getting all of the healthcare population online can be a challenge, especially for the government.

Even as people are slowly logging in to the online community, there is still some hesitation when it comes to keeping their healthcare records secure from invasive hackers. This is one of the biggest drawbacks in healthcare that affects health informatics greatly.

However, there are some encouraging developments that have encouraged people to submit their private healthcare information online. However, until everyone is fully connected through technology, this can be an issue for many nursing informaticians.

Con: Equipment Repairs and Failures

Despite its numerous advancements, technology still has one hurdle that needs addressing from time to time: malfunctioning equipment. While repairs can be made, they still get in the way of providing valuable healthcare services.

This can be challenging for companies that rely mostly on technology for their operations. When one piece of equipment or machine malfunctions, it can create a domino effect that impacts all services, even if they are not entirely connected to the equipment.

When working with technology, it’s always best to have people around to fix technical issues that may arise. Aside from this, having spare machines or equipment as backup options is recommended. Finally, regular maintenance checkups work best to keep everything in tip-top shape.

Con: Can Cause High Dependency

Another challenge when working mostly with technology is the high level of dependence on machines, equipment, and electricity. Additionally, there are issues concerning weather, natural disasters, and internet access that can affect the nursing informatics industry.

This can lead to potential problems, such as interrupted healthcare services or information access. As a result, patients may experience healthcare lapses from erroneous or absent data.

However, this concern can be amended by utilizing backup power generators and internet access. Under these conditions, nursing informaticians can still provide essential healthcare services with fewer interruptions.

Con: May Reduce Critical Attention to Details

Technology can be a two-edged sword. Due to its efficiency in collecting and managing data, healthcare providers can become too dependent on it without using critical ways of thinking and assessing.

Ideally, technology should lessen the chances of medical errors, but it does not guarantee an error-free system. A dependency on technology could lead to complacency among healthcare informaticians.

Given that there is room for human error, nursing informaticians should always ensure data accuracy. Healthcare data collection for assessments and diagnoses of treatments and care plans should therefore be checked multiple times.

Con: Can Be Expensive

Working with technology means constant improvements on current healthcare methods, which can be costly upfront as well as during operations. Aside from acquiring the technology, resources are required to keep them working efficiently and correctly.

These resources include electricity and internet access. Aside from this, it can take time to adapt to new technologies, which can lower overall efficiency and increase costs. Plus, it also takes up resources to conduct training, along with preventative maintenance costs.

Additionally, there is the possibility that equipment and machines will improve and change over time. This will require getting rid of obsolete machines and acquiring new ones, incurring more costs aside from additional staff training and upskilling.

Conclusion

Nursing informatics is exciting, challenging, and fulfilling in so many ways. It depends mostly on how you plan to advance your career. While the industry can be stressful at times with demanding work hours, it also allows you to carve out your own path. Nursing informatics will always provide job rewarding job opportunities long as you continuously learn and improve your current skills.