2011 Nurse Infomatics Workforse survey results

[cougarnurse]

Anyone ever get the survey? http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/217124.php

The HIMSS 2011 Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey, supported by the HIMSS Nursing Informatics Community, builds on research that HIMSS released in 2004 and in 2007. In order to gain a better understanding of the background of nurse informaticists, the issues they address on a daily basis and the tools they turn to for completing their jobs, HIMSS conducted a Web-based survey. Nurse informaticists were issued a series of electronic invitations in December, 2010 and January, 2011. A total of 660 usable responses were received to this survey.

As in previous studies, the 2011 survey continues to suggest that nurse informaticists play a critical role in the implementation of various clinical applications including clinical/nursing documentation and clinical information systems, computerized practitioner order entry (CPOE) and electronic medical/health records. In comparison to surveys conducted in 2004 and 2007, the 2011 salary data suggests a substantial increase for nurse informaticists as the average salary increased by 17 percent from 2007 and 42 percent from 2004. In 2011, electronic medical/health records were among the top two highest mentioned applications (following clinical/nursing documentation) for implementation for the first time since the survey was initiated in 2004.

Other key survey findings and comparisons to 2004 and 2007 include:

Respondents: The majority of the 660 nurse informaticists who participated in this research continue to work in a hospital setting-48 percent work at a hospital and another 20 percent work at the corporate offices of a healthcare system.

Clinical Background: In 2011, the respondents tended to have as much clinical experience as those surveyed in 2004 and 2007, with less than half having 16 years or more clinical experience. In both 2004 and 2007, approximately half of the respondents indicated they had at least 16 years of clinical experience prior to beginning their informatics career. More than two in five (44 percent) of respondents reported that at least part of their background was derived from working in critical care, followed by those working on a medical/surgical floor (43 percent).

Informatics Education: The informatics education and training question is asked slightly differently in 2011, however, as the two previous surveys suggest that specific informatics training continues to be lacking. Fifteen percent have received on-the-job training and more than half of the 2011 respondents reported having a post graduate degree (56 percent), which includes Masters in Nursing or other field/specialty and PhD in Nursing or other field/specialty. And 15 percent mentioned they are pursuing taking an informatics course (e.g., online or within their institution).

Duration of Informatics Career: Nurse informaticists in the 2011 survey have had longer careers than those who responded to the 2004 and 2007 surveys as more than 39 percent of respondents report they have been a nurse informaticist for ten years or more. This suggests an increase in the length of career as the discipline continues to mature. Nursing Informatics was first recognized as a nursing specialty by the American Nurses Association in 1992.

[Chris Smith]

Wow! The article goes on to say:
The average salary of 2011 respondents is $98,702, compared to $83,675 in 2007 and $69,500 in the 2004 surveys, demonstrating the increasing maturity and value of the specialty.

I work in the field and according to this survey, 40% of the respondents are working in hospitals. I showed these to my colleagues and we laughed because such high salaries are not really seen in hospitals, but in the consulting world. Matter of fact, my recruiting friend tells me that most hospital jobs start in the 60's and peak in the high 90's, unless you're going for management positions.