https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2026/11/09/poursuivent-carrieres-en-informatique-infirmiere
Exploring the role, reviewing the opportunities, and assessing the educational pathways
By Manal Kleib, Gillian Strudwick, Tracy Shaben, Pauline Paul, Farah El-Gaweesh, & Elizabeth Darko
November 9, 2026
istockphoto.com/AndreyPopov
The role of a nurse informaticist in the clinical setting is to ensure that digital health technologies align with actual nursing workflows to enhance patient outcomes.
Canadian health care is rapidly evolving with the integration of electronic medical records (EMRs), telehealth platforms, smart medical devices, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. A recent survey shows that almost all nurses across practice settings use a form of these digital health technologies and appreciate their value for enhancing communication and care coordination (Canada Health Infoway, 2024). The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), in a joint position statement with the Canadian Nursing Informatics Association (CNIA), has called on the profession to embrace and champion this digital health transformation, emphasizing the value of informatics to all nurses (CNA & CNIA, 2024).
There is a growing interest in nursing informatics (NI) among Canadian nurses, but many do not know about the different NI roles that nurses can assume. The purpose of this article is to provide guidance for nurses and graduate students interested in pursuing NI as a career path. While there are different titles for nurses working in NI such as nurse informatician or nurse informatics specialist, we will use the “nurse informaticist” title throughout this article. The discussion will unfold by exploring the nurse informaticist role, job opportunities available, and educational pathways for NI.
Nursing informatics and nurse informatics roles
As a specialty area, NI refers to the “science and practice [that] integrates nursing, its information and knowledge, with the management of information and communication technologies to promote the health of the people, families, and communities worldwide” (The International Medical Informatics Association Nursing Informatics, 2009, para. 2). While not every nurse will become a specialist, all nurses benefit from developing informatics competencies (Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, 2025). This allows them to better influence the design of the technologies that they use in their everyday practice.
Many nurse informaticists in the field today developed their expertise through years of hands-on experience with health technologies at the bedside (Bassett, 2025). While these professionals primarily work in hospitals, they also assume roles in academia, research, administration, policy, and even with information technology (IT) vendors (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society [HIMSS], 2023). The role of a nurse informaticist in the clinical setting is distinct from IT personnel who focus on the technical infrastructure, IT maintenance, and troubleshooting. Instead, nurse informaticists act as a bridge between the clinical staff and IT teams. They ensure that digital health technologies align with actual nursing workflows to enhance patient outcomes. For example, they improve the usability of EMRs by identifying inefficiencies and streamlining documentation, which reduces the administrative burden and allows nurses to spend more time in direct patient care (HIMSS, 2023; Kleib et al., 2026).
Educational and professional pathways
Developing a career in NI requires a strategic combination of academic education, clinical experience, and professional certification. Depending on your current experience level and career goals, there are several pathways available in Canada.
Academic education: While most positions accept a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree is increasingly becoming preferred for those in informatics leadership positions. Below is a sample of certificates and graduate degrees available.
Professional certification: Nurses interested in NI who have already obtained clinical practice experiences, but prefer not to complete a graduate degree, may consider obtaining professional certification to validate their NI expertise to employers. For example, the Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems – Canada (CPHIMS-CA), issued jointly by HIMSS and Digital Health Canada, validates professionals’ competencies against international and Canadian standards.
Professional associations:Joining relevant professional associations is an effective strategy for staying current with the rapidly changing technological landscape, expanding your network, and learning from researchers and professionals active in the field. Below are a few examples that nurses and graduate students may consider joining.
- CNIA: As the national voice for NI in Canada, CNIA provides resources, webinars, and a community of peers dedicated to the field.
- Digital Health Canada: This national organization connects professionals across all disciplines of digital health, offering excellent networking and professional development opportunities beyond nursing.
- CASN Digital Health Interest Group: CASN has championed several projects to support NI capacity building in Canada. As part of its nurse educator interest groups, CASN has created a unique digital health interest group. In this forum, nurse educators, students, and nurses in non-educator roles have opportunities to discuss ideas, share expertise, build research and scholarship capacity, and contribute to advancing digital health and NI education.
Conclusion
Ultimately, entering the field of NI is more than just a career transition; it is an invitation to lead and take on a larger role in influencing health policies. Despite variations in titles (i.e., nurse informaticist, informatician, or informatics specialist), these specialist nurses are key to bridging the gap between clinical care, digital innovations, and technological infrastructure. Different pathways are available for nurses and graduate students to develop their NI expertise.
References
Bassett, M. (2025). Perspectives on a career in nursing informatics. Nursing, 55(5), 41–44. https://doi.org/10.1097/NSG.0000000000000188
Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing. (2025). Nursing informatics entry-to-practice competencies for registered nurses (2nd Ed). https://www.casn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Informatics-Entry-to-Practice-Competencies_2025_EN.pdf
Canada Health Infoway. (2024). The 2023 Canadian survey of nurses: use of digital health technology in practice – quantitative research report. https://www.infoway-inforoute.ca/en/component/edocman/6481-2023-canadian-survey-of-nurses-use-of-digital-health-technology-in-practice/view-document?Itemid=103
Canadian Nurses Association, & Canadian Nursing Informatics Association. (2024). Nursing practice in digitally enabled care environments [Joint position statement]. https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/policy-advocacy/policy-support-tools/position-statements
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. (2023). The 2023 Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey. Northern Ohio HIMSS. https://northernohio.himss.org/sites/hde/files/media/file/2023/04/26/ni-workforce-survey.pdf
Kleib, M., Darko, E., Strudwick, G., Shaben, T., & Paul, P. (2026). The roles and contributions of informatics nurses in clinical practice: a qualitative study. Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 44(3), e01469. https://doi.org/10.1097/cin.0000000000001469
The International Medical Informatics Association Nursing Informatics. (2009). IMIA-NI definition of nursing informatics updated. https://imianews.wordpress.com/2009/08/24/imia-ni-definition-of-nursing-informatics-updated/
Manal Kleib, RN, PhD, FCAN, is an associate professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta.
Gillian Strudwick, RN, PhD, FAMIA, FCAN, is a senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Tracy Shaben, RN, MN, is a senior informatics consultant at Alberta Health Services.
Pauline Paul, RN, PhD, is a professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta.
Farah El-Gaweesh is an undergraduate nursing student at the University of Alberta.
Elizabeth Darko, RN, MN, is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta.
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