Informatics: For the tech-savvy
Nursing informatics is an ever-changing and exciting specialty, but “no two days are alike, and some find that appealing, while others find that challenging,” said Ellen Pollack, MSN, RN, chief nursing infor- matics officer, UCLA Health, Los Angeles. Achallenge is finding nurseswho are experienced
clinicians, fluent with new and emerging technolo- gy, effective change agents and innovators, Pollack said. Nurses who have successfully transitioned to informatics thrive on change, have an interest in continuous learning and possess strong leadership and project-management skills, she said. “We have nurses who have come from a variety
of specialty areas which helps ensure our team has a broad understanding of the user experience and our clinicians’ needs,” Pollack said. “We also have a few nurses who came from IT backgrounds before becoming nurses and have found a way to merge those two careers in a meaningful way.” Many nurses on theUCLAinformatics teamstarted
out as super users, and Pollack suggests nurses vol- unteer to become super users, if interested in the specialty. “That way they can get to know the infor- matics team and can gain experience implementing or optimizing EHRs (electronic health records) or other computer systems,” she said. She also recommends nurses attend conferences,
such as the ones offered by the American Nursing Informatics Association, to network and learn more about the field and participate in committees orwork groups focused on optimizing EHR. AtUCLA, a bachelor’s degree is required for infor-
maticspositions,however amaster’sdegree ispreferred. “Getting amaster’s degree innursing informatics is very helpful, but for thosewho have degrees inother areas, certification is a good option,” Pollack said.
Perioperative: For high-energy nurses
WhileORis a highly sought-after specialty, it’s not one RNs can just walk into, said Marty Higgins, MS, RN, NE-BC, director of surgical services, TheMedical Center of Plano, Texas, a 30-yearORnurse. “You need a good training programor internship.” OR nurses like to care for one patient
at a time, want to be challenged and stim- ulated and are drawn to “the latest and greatest technology,” she said. “Good OR nurses have high energy, can think critically, prioritize, multitask and, basically, never stop,” she said, and that couldmean it might be a nurse coming from the ED, ICU or med/surg, for instance. Preop nursesmust possess great communication skills because
they constantly teach and affirminforma- tionwith patients and families, and PACU nursesmust have excellent assessment skills, according toHiggins. “Previous ICUnurses thrive in the PACU setting because they are very comfortable monitoring patients and intervening when needed,” she said. Higgins added well-honed time man-
agement and organizational skills are crucial in preop and PACU because both have high-patient volume and constant patient turnover. The two settings are in high demand with a low RN turnover because they offer nurses the type of nursing practice they prefer and more regular schedules, even though there is
on-call scheduling in the PACU. Since the PACUrequires more advanced critical care skills, new nurses generally aren’t hired there, and Higgins recommends RNs develop those skills in another area and become ACLS-certified. Because the preop setting is not as skill-driven, an RN who has goodmed/surg skills can transfer more easily to preop. “There’s nothing like sheer drive in the process of transitioning to another specialty,” she said. “If youwant to move, you can find a way.” •
Janice Petrella Lynch, MSN, RN, is nurse editor/ nurse executive.
READ the extended version of this story at
Nurse.com/Article/Doors-Opportunity.
2016 •
NURSE.com/Careers 17
Case management: Follow patients’ prog-
If you like to problem-solve and have excellent critical and creative thinking skills, then case management may be a good career path, said Colleen Morley, MSN, RN, CMCN, ACM, director of case manage- ment, St. Bernard Hospital, Chicago. “For anyone who ever wondered on a regular basis how the patient fared after discharge, the specialty is definitely for them,” she said. “Depending on the setting, you can see a patient progress from acute to post-acute through recovery and be a part of that continuum of care.” It has been said RNswith ICUor EDbackgrounds have excellent critical
thinking skills that apply well to the utilization review portion while RNs withmed/surg backgrounds seemto handle the larger caseload better,Morley said. “But there’s really nomagic formula or standard for which specialty is best for CMor how many years of experience you need,” she said.
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Case management requires a love of learning, the ability to change
and adapt on a moment’s notice, excellent organizational skills and dedication to the best outcome for the patient, according to Morley. “The best person for the case manager role is someone who can think outside the box while staying inside the lines demarcated by the payer or patient’s resources; one who not only has a plan A or B, but also a plan Q, R and S, just in case; one who can build relationships with community resources and is always learning about what services are available, just in case,” Morley said. Morley recommends nurses exploring CM as a career path shadow
a case manager in the setting they prefer. She suggests they talk with nurses at their local CM professional organization about what they do and how they do it. If CMs are available at the workplace, Morley recommends meeting with them. Certifications are available from a number of organizations, some based on the practice setting of the case manager, according to Morley.
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