Nurse Informatics Certificate (Post-Master’s)
| Program Location
|
Distance Education/Online |
| Program Credits
|
18 Credits
|
| Program Length*
|
3 Trimesters, 48 Instructional Weeks
|
| Time to Complete
|
12 Months
|
* Total program length may vary. WCU distance education programs may not be available to residents in all states.
No longer enrolling effective January 9, 2023 start.
Clinical Hour Requirement: this track requires a total of 200 precepted clinical hours.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Codes: 29-1141.00
, 25-1072.00, 11-9111.00, 15-1121.01
The West Coast University accredited online Post-Master's Nursing Informatics program prepares students for the various roles and responsibilities of the nurse informaticist, including user involvement in information systems, electronic health records, system implementation and liability issues, and incorporation of the tools and skills to design and improve the use of informatics in practice, education, administration and research.
Program Objective: This program helps prepare graduates to assist in the creation, analysis, and testing of applications utilized in electronic health records, provide support and training and act as a liaison between all departments involved in the introduction and use of healthcare technology, as well as facilitate the analysis of clinical data for performance improvement programs and enhance the continuity of care.
The curriculum is in alignment with Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) which is focused on education reform and meets the educational requirements for certification through ANCC.
Admission Requirements
Applicants for the Nursing Informatics (Post-Master's) Certificate Program must:
- Have graduated from an accredited master's or doctoral program in nursing.
- Provide proof of a current unobstructed Registered Nurse (RN) license from the United States.
- Submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions recognized by the United States Department of Education. Applicants submitting non-U.S. or non-English transcripts should refer to the International Admissions section of the catalog.
- Have a cumulative graduate GPA of 2.7.
- Applicants with an undergraduate degree GPA of 2.5-2.69 may be considered for probationary admission after meeting the following admissions requirements:
- The applicant must provide a letter of intent.
- The applicant must be approved for admission following an interview with the Program Dean/Director.
- The applicant must satisfy program prerequisites.
- A student admitted under the probationary admissions pathway must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all coursework attempted over the first trimester (two terms). Students who meet this standard will be converted to a full admit status and will be subject to the standard Satisfactory Academic Progress requirement for the duration of their program. Students failing to meet these requirements following the first trimester (two terms) will be withdrawn from the university.
- Students accepted under the probationary admissions pathway will be considered regular students and eligible for Title IV, if the student otherwise qualifies for funding, for the first trimester of their program of study while completing the requirements for full admission to their program.
- One year of direct patient care nursing experience within the past five years is preferred.
- English proficiency for all applicants whose first language is not English will be required. Consult with Nursing and Student Affairs for any questions.
Nurse Informatics Certificate (Post-Master's) Curriculum
Nurse Informatics Certificate (Post-Master's) Coursework
| NURS 677 | Intro to Healthcare Informatics | 3 |
| NURS 655 | Database Systems, Design and Informatics | 3 |
| NURS 656 | Project Management in Healthcare Informatics | 3 |
| NURS 658 | Interoperability and Standards | 3 |
| NURS 659 | Implementation, Management, and Evaluation of Healthcare Systems | 3 |
| NURS 675L-A | Health Informatics Practicum I | 1.5 |
| NURS 675L-B | Health Informatics Practicum II | 1.5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18.0 |
Nurse Informatics (Post-Master's) Certificate Program Costs
For program costs, please see the Distance Education Tuition and Fees section.