The informatics programs are the brainchild of assistant professor of clinical and associate dean for masters programs Todd Ambrosia, D.N.P., M.S.N., F.N.P.-B.C., F.N.A.P., who teamed up with professor of clinical and associate dean for health studies Martin M. Zdanowicz, Ph.D., M.Ed., M.A., and Ph.D. candidate in nursing Christine Lippincott, R.N.-B.C., M.S., to develop the programs.
The fields of nursing and health informatics represent the confluence of healthcare, information science and computer science to manage and communicate data, information and knowledge in nursing and healthcare practice. At SONHS, the two programs will share a common core of five fundamentals courses, but will differ in the type of students to be trained and their ultimate career goals.
The MSN-NI requires an RN degree for admission and will educate nurses to work on applications of informatics to the world of nursing and nursing management. The MSN-NI will be unique in its focus on the role of nursing leadership within clinical informatics.
The MS-HI program has a broader scope and is open to applicants who do not have a nursing credential. Health informaticists are generalists prepared to work in diverse settings such as pharmacies, hospitals, medical insurance agencies, pharmaceutical companies and public health agencies, while nursing informaticists work in settings that are directly related to nursing care.
The MSN-NI consists of 34 credit hours, including 27 lecture credits and a 3-credit informatics internship which culminate in a 4-credit Capstone project and final leadership retreat. The MS-HI consists of 33 credit hours, including 27 lecture credits, a 3-credit elective and a 3-credit Capstone. Either program can be completed in 12 months of full-time study or 24 months of part-time study.
Capstone projects may include efforts such as designing and evaluating databases, or data mining for a public health project. For example, we anticipate that some of our Informatics students will be working professionals in healthcare settings; their Capstone projects might be real-life applications around projects relevant to their current work.
Applicants to the new degree and certificate programs are expected to include working professionals in the healthcare and information technology fields, people already in the informatics field who want to focus their work on healthcare, and career changers from diverse backgrounds. Evening courses will make the program accessible to students already in the workforce, and the part-time option can help facilitate completion of the degree.
“Growth projections for informatics are phenomenally high, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows excellent career opportunities and salaries for this field,” says Dr. Zdanowicz. “And because the ACA requires use of electronic health records, it is bringing tremendous opportunities in informatics across the health care field.”
The University of Miami’s mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of the diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world. http://www.miami.edu
Established in 1948 as South Florida’s first collegiate nursing program, the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Miami has a distinguished tradition of preparing nurses to provide compassionate quality care to local, national and international communities. Nursing students at the undergraduate and graduate levels are educated by renowned scholars, and exposed to a broad range of clinical experiences and cutting-edge research. Since its inception, the program has provided diverse educational opportunities for over 6,000 nursing professionals at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels. The curriculum includes degree programs leading to the BSN, the MSN, the Ph.D. and DNP degrees, as well as the BSHS (Bachelor of Science in Health Science) and BSPH (Bachelor of Science in Public Health). For more information, please visit the school website at http://www.miami.edu/sonhs.
