Mapping an IT career: the future of nursing

In today's health care environment, nurses are finding themselves working in nontraditional roles and settings. Some fear technology will all but replace them. In some cases--given the speed at which technology has and continues to advance--that fear is well placed. For nursing to remain viable as a profession, it must incorporate information technology (IT) not only into today's practices, but also into tomorrow's unfolding roles, from advancing practice with new technology-based delivery models to moving away from direct patient care to become informaticians. Nursing administrators and managers must also embrace technology, for their ability to direct IT policy will directly influence their chances for career advancement. But what is required to map an IT career? How is the value of experience balanced against the need for education? Will nursing's core competencies remain constant over time?