ABSTRACT
Nursing informatics is a growing and evolving specialty whose expertise is increasingly in demand. In February of 2018 there were 4,568 informatics jobs advertised on the American Nursing Informatics Association website (ANIA, 2018), 1,426 posted on the job-search website Indeed (Indeed, 2018), 251 on Glassdoor (Glasssdoor, 2018), and 131 on Career Builder (Career Builder, 2018). As organizations continue to implement and optimize electronic health records (EHRs) and embrace advances in technology, 134informatics nurses will be needed to ensure effective system design and clinician support. Yet, nurses interested in working in the area of informatics, or who have completed an informatics graduate program, are oftentimes challenged with landing their first position in the field. Every journey needs a beginning and that first position in the field is just a starting point for what can be a very rewarding and fulfilling experience. Whether you are a clinician interested in transitioning into an informatics role or someone who has just graduated from an informatics program, it can be difficult getting into that first job to start your journey. This chapter will provide tips and advice for nurses who are pursuing that first informatics job. It will cover some of the challenges often seen with “getting your foot in the door” and provide advice on how to leverage what you already know. It is hoped that following this advice will lead to a call for an interview and a well-negotiated job offer.
