UT Tyler to Offer Executive Certificate in Nursing Informatics

TYLER — UT Tyler’s Center for Executive Education will offer a new Executive Graduate Certificate in Nursing Informatics for nursing students this fall. According to Associate Professor of Nursing, Dr. Melinda Hermanns, the field of nursing informatics integrates nursing science, computer science, and information technology in order to communicate data and knowledge in nursing practice. “Although a nurse informaticist is a specialty in nursing, the individual identifies him or herself first and foremost as a nurse. It is through the nursing lens that the nurse informaticist works closely with IT (Information Technology) and provides a unique perspective to utilize technology to improve patient outcomes,” Hermanns said.

The Executive Certificate in Nursing Informatics will consist of 15 credit hours completed in the span of three semesters. The program is open to nursing students who have received a BSN or higher. A majority of the coursework will be completed online, as the student must only maintain a presence on campus for a short intensive period each semester. The remainder of the coursework is then delivered online. “UT Tyler has always been innovative and visionary, and I think this program represents administration’s forward-thinking in recognizing the need for certified nurse informaticists in the community,” Hermanns said.

Within 12 months, these graduate students will complete the required work for their certificate, along with some of the eligibility requirements to become certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in Nursing Informatics. According to the Health Information and Management Systems Society, the median salary for a Nurse Informaticist is $88,000. Preparation for the role also provides new career opportunities. “In nursing, you are mostly working with patients one-on-one, but with nursing informatics, you have the opportunity to impact potentially hundreds of lives,” Hermanns said.