Nursing Career Spotlight: Nurse Informaticist
Nurse informatics can feel mysterious from the outside. But once you understand the role, it makes a lot of sense for nurses who want to use clinical experience in a non-bedside setting.
At its core, a nurse informaticist (sometimes called a clinical informatics nurse) works at the intersection of nursing and technology. They design workflows, optimize electronic health records, build reports, and support teams through system changes.
In this Nursing Career Spotlight, we’ll break down:
What nurse informaticists actually do day to day
The different settings they work in (health systems, vendors, consulting, and more)
Typical education and experience requirements
Pay considerations and tradeoffs
Who this role tends to be a good fit for
My goal is to give you a realistic picture so you can decide whether the nurse informaticist path makes sense for you.
What Does a Clinical Informatics Nurse Do?
A nurse informaticist is a nurse who works at the intersection of healthcare and technology. Instead of providing direct patient care at the bedside, informaticists focus on improving how care is documented, communicated, and managed through clinical systems.
Informatics nurses often work with electronic health records (EHRs), clinical decision support tools, reporting systems, and workflow processes to make sure that technology supports safe, efficient patient care. They act as a bridge between clinical staff and IT teams, translating clinical needs into technical solutions and making sure the technology actually works for the people using it.
What the Role Is Not
There are a few misconceptions about informatics nursing, so it helps to clarify what this role is not:
It’s not “IT work.”
Nurse informaticists use clinical knowledge to guide technical decisions. They don’t typically do help desk-style troubleshooting.It’s not purely data analytics.
While informatics roles often involve reports and dashboards, the core focus is usually improving workflows and systems (not being a full-time data scientist).It’s not always remote.
Some informatics roles are remote, but many are based in hospitals or health systems where close collaboration with clinical teams is needed.It’s not “easy” just because it’s not bedside.
Informatics can be very complex, requiring strong communication, problem-solving, and technical understanding.
Where Do Nurse Informaticists Work?
Nurse informaticists can be found in a wide variety of settings because nearly every healthcare organization relies on technology to support patient care. The exact environment will depend on the type of informatics work they do. Some roles are more clinical, while others are more technical or administrative.
Here are some of the most common places nurse informaticists work:
Hospitals & Health Systems
This is the most common setting for nurse informaticists. In this environment, they often support the EHR, help optimize workflows, and work closely with clinical teams to improve documentation, safety, and efficiency. They may also help implement system updates, support go-lives, and serve as a bridge between nurses and IT.
EHR Vendors
Some informatics nurses work for companies like Epic or Cerner, helping develop and support the software that hospitals use. These roles often involve system build, testing, training, and implementation support. This can include working with multiple health systems to customize solutions.
Consulting Firms
Consulting firms hire nurse informaticists to help health systems with EHR implementation, optimization, data reporting, workflow redesign, and change management. These roles can involve project-based work, travel, and working with multiple clients on different timelines.
Government & Public Health
Informatics nurses can work for state or federal agencies, supporting public health data systems, reporting, and large-scale healthcare initiatives. This work may focus on population health, quality reporting, or public health surveillance systems.
Insurance & Health Plans
Health plans often need informatics professionals to help manage clinical data, support utilization management, quality reporting, and improve care coordination. These roles may also involve analyzing trends and supporting clinical programs from a data perspective.
Telehealth & Digital Health Companies
With the growth of telehealth and remote monitoring, many digital health companies hire nurse informaticists to help design clinical workflows, support platform integration, and ensure safe clinical use. These roles may also include supporting product development and user experience from a clinical perspective.
Research & Academia
Some informatics nurses work in academic medical centers or universities, supporting clinical research systems, data collection, and research-based EHR projects. These roles often blend clinical expertise with research data needs and may involve supporting grant-based work or academic programs.
What Nurse Informaticists Do Day-to-Day
The day-to-day work of a nurse informaticist is often less reactive than bedside nursing, but it still comes with its own kind of intensity. Instead of responding to patient needs in real time, informaticists are usually managing systems, workflows, data, and communication across teams.
On any given day, a nurse informaticist might:
Review and triage system change requests or issue tickets
Analyze workflow challenges and propose system improvements
Test EHR updates or new build configurations in a sandbox environment
Create or update documentation, training materials, or quick reference guides
Support go-lives, upgrades, or system rollouts
Meet with clinical leaders, IT teams, vendors, and other stakeholders
Build or review reports and dashboards to support clinical decisions
Provide training or support for staff using clinical systems
While nurse informatics roles may not involve the physical strain of bedside work, the role often requires significant cognitive load. Informaticists must manage multiple priorities, balance competing needs from different teams, and make sure system changes are safe, practical, and user-friendly.
How the Day Can Vary by Setting
Hospital-based informatics roles may include a mix of clinical support, system optimization, and meetings with clinical teams. These roles often involve real-time problem solving when workflows or documentation issues arise.
Vendor-based informatics work often centers around system build, testing, and implementation support. The pace can be project-driven with defined deadlines and deliverables.
Consulting roles tend to be highly project-based, with frequent client communication, timelines, and travel. These positions often require quick adaptation to different organizational needs and workflows.
Public health or government roles may focus more on reporting, data systems, and large-scale initiatives. The work can involve policy considerations and cross-agency collaboration.
Insurance or health plan roles often involve data analysis, quality reporting, and supporting clinical programs. These roles may be less “real-time” but can involve heavy data and reporting responsibilities.
Digital health or telehealth roles often focus on product workflows, clinical integration, and user experience. Informaticists in these settings may support product development and testing in addition to clinical implementation.
One important thing to know: while informatics roles are often seen as more predictable than bedside nursing, they still require flexibility. Technology changes, organizational priorities shift, and new initiatives can quickly change what’s urgent.
Who this Role is a Good Fit For
Nurse informatics roles tend to work best for nurses who enjoy improving systems, supporting teams, and working behind the scenes to make care safer and more efficient (even when the impact isn’t always immediate or visible).
Many nurses already use informatics skills at the bedside, even if they don’t recognize them as such. For example, nurses who often suggest documentation improvements, help others navigate the EHR, or naturally notice workflow bottlenecks may already be demonstrating informatics strengths.
This role often aligns well with nurses who have strengths in:
Systems thinking and process improvement
Problem-solving and troubleshooting
Communication and translating clinical needs into technical language
Organization and project management
Attention to detail and clinical accuracy
Patience and persistence
Coaching and supporting others through change
These strengths are often developed organically through bedside practice and become more intentional in an informatics role.
→ If you’re curious about tech roles but don’t have a formal tech background, check out my post on how nurses can break into healthcare tech even without prior experience. It’s a great place to start!
Work Style Considerations
Nurse informatics roles often suit nurses who:
Are self-directed and comfortable managing their own time
Can balance multiple projects and competing priorities
Are comfortable with technology and learning new systems
Enjoy collaborating with different teams and stakeholders
Can stay calm under pressure when systems or workflows aren’t functioning as intended
Are patient with iterative change (because technology changes slowly sometimes)
When This Role Might Not Be the Best Fit
This role may feel challenging if you:
Prefer hands-on, direct patient care
Don’t enjoy technology or data
Prefer a role with immediate feedback or clear “wins”
Dislike meetings, documentation, or project work
Get frustrated when change happens slowly or when multiple stakeholders have competing priorities
None of these are shortcomings. They’re simply preferences that matter when choosing a role.
How to Become a Nurse Informaticist
Informatics roles are formal positions with defined expectations, but the path into them isn’t always linear.
Many nurses who move into informatics roles have built experience that demonstrates systems thinking, clinical credibility, and an ability to translate clinical needs into technology solutions — often long before they hold an official informatics title.
Backgrounds Many Nurse Informaticists Come From
While informatics roles differ by setting, hiring teams often see similar backgrounds among successful candidates. These may include nurses who have:
Nurses who served as unit-based EHR superusers or champions
Nurses who led workflow or process improvement initiatives
Nurses who supported EHR optimization or upgrade projects
Nurses with strong experience in quality improvement or documentation improvement
Nurses who transitioned internally within a health system into informatics-adjacent roles
These backgrounds reflect patterns, not prerequisites. There’s no single “right” way to arrive at an informatics role.
One final note here: One of the most common things I hear from nurses in informatics roles is that they broke in by keeping an eye on internal openings and expressing interest when opportunities came up. In many cases, hiring teams prioritize clinical experience and EHR exposure over formal informatics credentials. So timing and visibility can matter a lot!
Experiences Employers Often Value in Informatics Candidates
When hiring nurse informaticists, employers typically look for evidence of technical comfort, systems thinking, and strong communication - especially in situations where clinical and technical teams need to collaborate.
Examples of experiences that are commonly valued include:
Serving as an EHR superuser or unit-based champion
Supporting go-lives, system updates, or optimization projects
Participating in workflow mapping or process redesign
Helping develop or update clinical documentation standards
Supporting data collection, reporting, or dashboards
Participating in committees focused on technology, quality, or clinical documentation
These experiences help demonstrate readiness for informatics responsibilities and are often transferable across different informatics roles and settings.
Education, Experience & Certifications for Nurse Informaticist
Nurse informatics roles vary widely in terms of education and certification requirements. Some positions require advanced degrees or specific credentials, while others prioritize clinical experience and EHR familiarity.
Education
Most nurse informatics roles require at least a BSN. Some positions, especially leadership or advanced informatics roles, may prefer or require a master’s degree (often in nursing informatics, health informatics, or a related field).
That said, many informatics nurses transition into the role without a master’s degree, especially when they’re able to demonstrate strong clinical experience and technical aptitude.
Certifications
Certifications are not always required, but they can help demonstrate knowledge and commitment to the field. Common certifications include:
ANCC Informatics Nursing Certification (RN-BC) — This certification requires a minimum number of hours working in an informatics role, so it’s something you’d pursue after you’re already working in informatics.
AMIA Certification — AMIA credentials also require informatics-related experience, making them more relevant for nurses who are already working in or adjacent to informatics roles.
Epic certification — Common for roles supporting Epic systems and often obtained through an employer rather than independently.
Project management certifications (PMP, CAPM) — Not informatics-specific, but often valued due to the project-based nature of informatics work.
Other Helpful Training
Even if a formal degree or certification isn’t required, many informatics nurses benefit from training in:
Data basics (Excel, SQL, reporting tools)
Project management fundamentals
Workflow mapping or process improvement methods
Clinical documentation and quality reporting
Nurse Informaticist Salary: What to Expect
As with many non-bedside nursing roles, nurse informaticist compensation varies widely. Two nurses with the same title can have very different pay depending on how the role is structured, the setting, and the scope of responsibility.
National Pay Range (Broad Estimate)
Across settings, nurse informaticist salaries often fall roughly between $80,000–$120,000+ per year, with meaningful variation above and below that range depending on experience, employer, and location.
This is a broad estimate, not a guarantee, and should be viewed as a starting point rather than a benchmark.
How Pay Differs by Setting
Pay for nurse informaticists varies based on employer type and role scope.
Hospital-based roles are often comparable to or slightly higher than experienced bedside positions, while vendor, consulting, and health tech roles may offer higher compensation due to project-based or system-level work. Public-sector and insurance-related roles tend to have more standardized pay and may trade higher salaries for stability, benefits, or predictable schedules.
Common Tradeoffs to Consider
Pay vs. schedule
Some informatics roles offer more predictable hours than bedside nursing but may not immediately result in higher pay.
Pay vs. flexibility
Roles with remote or hybrid flexibility may trade higher salaries for autonomy and work-life balance.
Pay vs. scope
Higher-paying roles often come with broader system responsibility, project leadership, or increased complexity.
Growth Potential Over Time
Many nurse informaticists increase earning potential by:
Taking on system-wide or leadership responsibilities
Developing deep expertise in a specific EHR or platform
Transitioning into vendor, consulting, or strategy-focused roles
Combining informatics with quality, analytics, or project management work
Salary note: Compensation varies significantly by region, organization, and individual experience. Reviewing local job postings often provides the most accurate picture.
Pros & Cons of Being a Nurse Informaticist
Like any nursing role, nurse informatics comes with tradeoffs. What feels like a major benefit to one nurse may feel like a downside to another, depending on work style, interests, and priorities.
Pros
Less physical strain than bedside nursing
Informatics roles typically don’t involve direct patient care, lifting, or long periods on your feet.Opportunity to influence care at a systems level
Instead of impacting one patient at a time, informaticists help shape workflows and systems that affect entire units or organizations.Growing demand across healthcare
As healthcare becomes more data- and technology-driven, informatics skills continue to be in demand.More predictable schedules (in many roles)
Many informatics positions offer more regular hours than bedside nursing, though this varies by setting.Strong long-term career flexibility
Informatics experience can open doors to roles in leadership, consulting, health tech, quality, or analytics.
Cons
Less direct patient interaction
Nurses who value hands-on care may miss daily patient contact.Heavy cognitive and administrative workload
The work often involves meetings, documentation, testing, and coordination across teams.Change can be slow
System improvements may take months (or longer) to implement due to approvals, testing, and competing priorities.Requires comfort with ambiguity
Informatics work often involves evolving requirements, incomplete information, and balancing competing stakeholder needs.Not always higher-paying right away
Some nurses transition laterally or take a short-term pay adjustment before earning potential increases.
Is Nurse Informatics a Long-Term Career or a Stepping Stone?
For some nurses, informatics becomes a long-term specialty. For others, it’s a strategic shift that builds transferable skills like systems thinking, project management, and cross-functional collaboration. Many nurses use informatics as a stepping stone into roles like leadership, quality, analytics, or health tech. Some move back into clinical work later.
Time spent in informatics often builds transferable skills, such as systems thinking, project management, and cross-functional collaboration. These skills can support transitions into areas like clinical leadership, health technology, quality, analytics, consulting, or hybrid roles that blend clinical and non-clinical work.
There’s no “correct” timeline or end goal. What matters is how the role fits your needs, interests, and capacity at a given point in your life.
Careers in healthcare are rarely linear. Informatics can be a long-term path, a strategic pivot, or a role you step into (and out of) as your priorities change.
Final Thoughts
Nurse informatics applies clinical experience at a systems level. For nurses who enjoy problem-solving, improving workflows, and thinking beyond individual patient interactions, this role can offer a meaningful and flexible career path.
At the same time, it’s not an all-or-nothing decision. You don’t have to have a perfectly mapped-out plan, a certification, or a lifelong commitment to take a step in a new direction. What matters most is understanding your strengths, values, and what you want your career to support in this season of life.
→ If you’re feeling curious about informatics (or any career shift) but unsure where to start, my workbook Own Your Career: A Nurse’s Guide to Growth & Change is designed to help you get clarity. It walks you through reflecting on your skills, priorities, and options so you can make intentional career decisions that actually fit your life.
Because there’s no single “right” nursing path, only the one that works for you.
Disclaimer: The content shared here is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, financial, or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional regarding your personal needs.
