Mississippi Nurse Informatics Certification - MS

By Jennifer Williams, allied health world Contributing Writer
Published: March, 7 2010

Nursing informatics involves using computers and technology to advance and aid the effectiveness of nursing. Sound like something that might be of interest to you? Well, let’s take a look at what you would have to do to get into this career field.

All nursing informaticists are required to be registered nurses. While you don’t actually have to have a state license to act as an informaticist, you do have to have licensure in Mississippi to act as a registered nurse.

To do this, you must take the NCLEX test, National Council Licensure Examination, and get a passing score. You should know in advance that this test can take several hours to complete, and that the fee is $200 to take it. The NCLEX is proctored by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the NCSBN. By showing proof of your education, you can apply to sit for the test.

After taking the NCLEX, you then must take the ANCC exam, or American Nurses Credentialing Center. Upon successful passage of this test, you will be given the title of RN-BC, which means that you can work as a registered nurse in Mississippi. The test will cost you $390, and you must renew your certification every 5 years.

There is one other credential that you should be informed about and that is the Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems, or the CPHIMS, which you can get from an organization called the Health Information and Management Systems Society, or HIMSS. This certification is not required but is meant for nursing informaticists to prove their competency. The charge for the test is $375, and the credential needs to be renewed every 3 years by taking 45 credits of continuing education. There is not a specific Mississippi nursing informatics certification.