The VCU School of Nursing is expanding its Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) offerings with a new concentration in nursing informatics, designed to prepare nurses to lead the integration of health care technology and systems to improve care quality, safety and outcomes. The 3.5-year part-time, online program is ideal for bachelor's-prepared nurses seeking to advance their careers in health care technology, data management and system-level leadership.

Graduates of the program will earn a D.N.P. with a concentration in nursing informatics, equipping them to implement and evaluate health information systems that support care teams, engage patients and drive innovation across clinical, administrative and educational settings. Students will learn how to improve the way nurses collect, understand and use data by studying topics like human-computer interaction, human factors engineering and database design.

“This concentration is designed for nurses who want to shape the future of health care by leveraging technology to improve patient outcomes,” said Patricia Kinser, Ph.D., professor and dean of the VCU School of Nursing. “It will educate and position our students to drive large-scale transformation in health care by integrating nursing knowledge with the power of technology and data.”

Highly skilled nurse informaticists are needed to help make the right thing the easy thing for our nursing workforce.

Students in the new program follow a personalized curriculum tailored to their individual career goals, whether they are pursuing specialized clinical roles or administrative leadership. They will build expertise through a combination of coursework and opportunities with VCU Health, where strong clinical partnerships and placements provide real-world experience in designing, implementing and evaluating technology systems that improve workflows, support care teams and enhance patient outcomes.

“Nurses occupy a central role in the provision of health care, and consequently, they play a pivotal role in the collection and communication of health data,” said Terry Jones, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, associate dean of graduate programs for the School of Nursing. “It is imperative that we have a critical mass of nurses equipped to lead the development and implementation of information systems that support nurses in this role. Highly skilled nurse informaticists are needed to help make the right thing the easy thing for our nursing workforce.”

The program addresses the need for nurse leaders who can bridge clinical expertise with technological innovation to drive meaningful change in how health care is delivered. Its flexible, online structure empowers working nurses to deepen their knowledge and expand their impact, all while continuing to serve patients and contribute to the demands of the health care workforce.

Applications for the program are now open. For more information, including admission requirements and deadlines, visit the concentration in nursing informatics web page or contact Alex Fisher, assistant director of recruitment, at vcu_nurse@vcu.edu or (804) 827-0046.