CNIOs gain ground

The chief nursing informatics officer (CNIO) role is becoming more popular, according to a recent survey conducted by Witt/Kieffer, an executive recruitment and consulting firm in Oak Brook, Illinois. The 2016 survey reflects the perspectives of 100 nursing informatics stakeholders and healthcare leaders. More than half of respondents (51%) reported that their organizations have a CNIO, compared to 28% of respondents to a similar survey conducted in 2011 (an 82% bump). Use of the CNIO title saw even greater growth: 14% of respondents to the 2016 survey serve in this capacity, compared to just 4% of respondents in 2011 (a 250% increase).

The CNIO “combines traditional frontline care duties with innovative evidence-based processes and practices that are applicable to nurses,” the survey report states. The profession’s top duties include implementing and optimizing EMR and clinical systems, as well as strategizing at the intersection of nursing and IT, according to the results.

Source: Witt/Kieffer