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.}   

Clinical Hour Requirement:  this track requires a total of 200 precepted clinical hours.

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 29-1141.00

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:

1. Have graduated from an accredited master's or doctoral program in nursing.  
2. Provide proof of a current unobstructed Registered Nurse (RN) license from the United States.    
3. 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.  
4. Have a cumulative graduate GPA of 2.7. 
   1. Applicants with an undergraduate degree GPA of 2.5-2.69 may be considered for probationary admission after meeting the following admissions requirements:  
      1. The applicant must provide a letter of intent.  
      2. The applicant must be approved for admission following an interview with the Program Dean/Director. 
      3. The applicant must satisfy program prerequisites and achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all coursework attempted over the first trimester (two terms).  Students failing to meet these requirements following the first trimester (two terms) will be withdrawn from the university.
5. One year of direct patient care nursing experience within the past five years is preferred. 
6. 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.