Characteristics and clinical experiences of informatics nurses on their transition to the specialty: Results of a national convenience survey

Background: Meaningful Use has accelerated the need for technology in healthcare requiring more nurses from different backgrounds to leave direct patient care to assist with the evolution of bedside technology and electronic documentation making it important to understand the characteristics and perceptions of this growing cohort during this transition.Patricia Benner's model From Novice to Expert provided the framework for this research on nurses who have made the transition to the non-clinical specialty of Nursing Informatics.Objectives:The objective of this research was to obtain a snapshot of the “make-up” of Informatics Nurses and to find out if the years of nursing experience directly relates to the perception of the transition from healthcare provider to Informatics Nurse. The experience of the transition from one setting to another is important because factors such as having a mentor could facilitate the process and create a more positive experience.Method: A 17 item survey with questions about the nurses' educational and work background and transition to the role of the Informatics Nurse was developed and posted on the American Nursing Informatics Association (ANIA) e-list serve from May 22, 2012 to June 5, 2012.Results: The convenience sample of 300 respondents had diverse backgrounds and skill levels. There is a significant finding that the respondents that did have a mentor did have an easier transition than those who did not.(p= 0.01)While the years that a respondent was a nurse and how long it took them to transition to their new role was not statistically significant.(p=0.38)Conclusion: Technology is necessary in public health to identify trends and decrease the overall cost of healthcare. Public Health nurses are needed to become Informatics Nurses to help track these trends. The processes that occur during this transition require further study but the data already shows that more mentors are needed in this field.