Contact: Julie Lilliston
MSL Chicago
for Chamberlain College of Nursing
P: 312.861.5229
julie.lilliston@mslgroup.com

Chamberlain College of Nursing Offers New Master of Science in Nursing Informatics Specialty Track
School Adds Three Expert Faculty Members to Lead New Technology-Driven Track for Nursing Professionals

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.—April 8, 2011— Expanding roles and technological advances in healthcare have increased the demand for nurses to be well-versed in informatics, which includes the use of healthcare information technology. In fact, the number of nurses taking the Informatics Nurse certification exam with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has more than doubled since 2005. To meet the need for advanced nursing education in this field, Chamberlain College of Nursing is launching its Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Informatics Specialty Track. The program adheres strongly to the ANCC’s certification examination, ensuring that graduates will be prepared to become certified in nursing informatics.

With approval of the HITECH Act in 2009 and funding towards adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHR) technology, the Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT anticipates that 50,000 new health information technology jobs will be created within the next five years. This rapidly evolving environment requires nurses to possess the knowledge and understanding to leverage new technologies to better manage information and facilitate decision-making.

Chamberlain’s new MSN Informatics Specialty Track builds the foundational skills essential to informatics nurse specialists with coursework that includes the practice of nursing informatics, management of data and information, healthcare information workflow and project management. The new track is designed to prepare students in both the patient and technological sides of healthcare by learning to interpret, analyze and utilize EHR technology and ways to provide greater efficiency and effectiveness in healthcare practices.

“Nurses are the critical conduits to enhancing patient care outcomes and in meeting the new demands of healthcare, technological or otherwise,” said Dr. Diana Meeks-Sjostrom, dean of MSN Degree Program for Chamberlain College of Nursing. “Chamberlain is proud to offer the MSN Informatics Specialty Track, designed by the industry’s top scholars, which will allow advancing nurses to quickly adapt and continue to meet the challenges and embrace the opportunities in the ever-evolving field of healthcare.”

To drive the new MSN Informatics Specialty Track curriculum and teaching, Chamberlain has added three well-known and esteemed faculty experts to its roster: 

• Toni Hebda, PhD, RN, BSN, MNEd, MSIS – Dr. Hebda joins Chamberlain with more than 30 years of experience in the fields of nursing and nursing education and has published more than 15 articles in prestigious nursing journals and handbooks on topics such as informatics competencies, the TIGER Initiative, nursing and information systems and computer-assisted nursing instruction.
• Kathleen Hunter, PhD, RN-BC – After practicing in critical care units for 12 years, Dr. Hunter entered the field of nursing informatics by working with end-users and information systems design before taking on a senior informatics policy position, where she led efforts to recognize nursing informatics as a distinct specialty.
• Dee McGonigle, PhD, RN, FACCE, FAAN – Dr. McGonigle began her nursing career as an intensive care unit staff nurse in an urban teaching hospital and was introduced to the field of informatics while working towards her master’s degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She co-founded the Online Journal of Nursing Informatics (OJNI), a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal she continues to lead as editor-in-chief.

Full biographies for Dr. Hebda, Dr. Hunter and Dr. McGonigle can be found at www.chamberlain.edu/MSNinformatics.

Chamberlain College of Nursing’s MSN Degree Program
The current MSN online program at Chamberlain is a post-baccalaureate professional degree designed to prepare nurses for expanding roles in healthcare and enhance opportunities for professional advancement. In addition to the completion of the core nursing courses, MSN students can select one of three specialty tracks:  MSN Education Track, MSN Executive Track or MSN Informatics Track. The educator track prepares students to teach in an academic or clinical practice setting, while the executive track provides students with the foundational skills essential for nursing leadership positions. Additionally, qualified Chamberlain students have the opportunity to earn both a MSN degree from Chamberlain and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management.

The six-semester MSN Informatics Specialty Track offers classes online to support nurse professionals interested in pursuing their master’s degree while juggling responsibilities at work and home. Applications are currently being accepted for the July 2011 summer session. Program availability varies by location.

For more information about Chamberlain College of Nursing or to enroll in classes, call 888-556-8CCN (8226) or visit www.chamberlain.edu/msn.

About Chamberlain College of Nursing
Chamberlain College of Nursing offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in nursing. Campuses are currently located in Phoenix, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; Addison and Chicago, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; Columbus, Ohio; Houston, Texas; and Arlington, Virginia.

Chamberlain College of Nursing is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, ncahlc.org. HLC is one of the six regional agencies that accredit U.S. colleges and universities at the institutional level. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program at the Addison, Arlington, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Jacksonville, Phoenix and St. Louis campuses and the Master of Science in Nursing degree program are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, 202.887.6791). The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program at the St. Louis and Columbus campuses and the Associate Degree in Nursing program are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree programs at the Phoenix and the Addison campuses are candidates for accreditation by NLNAC. Candidacy is the first step toward NLNAC accreditation. (NLNAC, 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, 404.975.5000). Accreditation provides assurance to the public and to prospective students that standards of quality have been met.

Chamberlain College of Nursing 2450 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202 is certified to operate by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, 101 N. 14th Street, 10th Floor, James Monroe Building, Richmond, VA 23219, 804.225.2600. Chamberlain College of Nursing has provisional approval from the Virginia Board of Nursing, Perimeter Center, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Henrico, VA 23233-1463, 804.367.4515.

Program availability varies by location. Chamberlain reserves the right to update information as it becomes available. Information is current at the time of posting. For the most updated accreditation information, visit chamberlain.edu/accreditation.

Chamberlain College of Nursing, LLC is a part of DeVry Inc. (NYSE: DV), a global provider of educational services. ©2011 Chamberlain College of Nursing, LLC. All rights reserved. www.chamberlain.edu.