What are the responsibilities and job description for the Informatics Nurse position at NORTON COUNTY HOSPITAL?
Primary Accountability:
The Informatics Nurse integrates nursing science with computer and information sciences to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in clinical practice. In a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) environment, this role serves as a key liaison between software vendors and the facility. The individual is responsible for optimizing the Electronic Health Record (EHR), streamlining workflows, ensuring regulatory compliance, and training multidisciplinary staff to enhance patient safety and operational efficiency.
Qualifications:
- Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Kansas
- Previous healthcare IT experience in a rural hospital EHR or informatics certification preferred
- Previous 3 years as a bedside nurse
- BLS required; ACLS, PALS and TNCC certified preferred
Major Duties:
- System Optimization & Maintenance: Customize, test, and update clinical templates, order sets, and documentation screens within the EHR.
- Workflow Integration: Analyze clinical processes across clinical departments to eliminate redundancies and improve documentation accuracy.
- Education & Support: Develop training materials and conduct onboarding and ongoing education for nurses, providers, and allied health staff. Provide on-floor troubleshooting during system upgrades.
- Data Analysis & Reporting: Query and analyze clinical data to support quality improvement initiatives, patient safety tracking, and administrative decision-making.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all clinical systems meet HIPAA security standards, CMS Critical Access conditions of participation, and state-specific healthcare regulations.
- Vendor & IT Liaison: Translate clinical needs into technical specifications when communicating with software vendors, IT and administration.
- May require occasional on-call hours for critical system updates or downtime events.
- Expected to participate in the quality measures of the department and facility, and contribute to maintaining and enhancing quality standards and practices for NCH
- Additional duties as assigned by the supervisor.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Deep understanding of clinical workflows, medical terminology, and patient care standards in a rural hospital setting.
- Proficiency in data management, spreadsheet software, and basic reporting tools.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical clinical staff.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently in a multi-hat environment.