Role of Nurse Informatics in Systems Development and Implementation

Assume you are a nurse manager on a unit where a new nursing documentation system is to be implemented. You want to ensure that the system will be usable and acceptable for the nurses impacted. You realize a nurse leader must be on the implementation team. To Prepare: Review the steps of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and reflect on the scenario presented. Consider the benefits and challenges associated with involving a nurse leader on an implementation team for health information technology. The Assignment: (2-3 pages not including the title and reference page) In preparation of filling this role, develop a 2- to 3-page role description for a graduate-level nurse to guide his/her participation on the implementation team. The role description should be based on the SDLC stages and tasks and should clearly define how this individual will participate in and impact each of the following steps: Planning and requirements definition Analysis Design of the new system Implementation Post-implementation support Use APA format and include a title page and reference page.Role of Nurse Informatics in Systems Development and Implementation

Healthcare organizations have embraced and adopted health information technology (HIT) systems to improve efficiency and quality of service delivery. However, several challenges are encountered when implementing technology in healthcare facilities. System development and implementation often follows the five steps of System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) which include planning and requirements definition, analysis, system design, implementation, and post-implementation support. A nurse manager need to be on the implementation team where a new nursing documentation system is to be implemented to ensure it addresses the needs of patients and acceptable to user nurses. This essay describes the different roles to be played by a nurse leader in each step in the SDLC to achieve positive outcomes.

The planning and requirements definition phase entails needs identification, exploring the benefits of adopting a new or improved system, feasibility studies on the viability of system development plan, risks and risk mitigation strategies, formulating a project management plan to define scope, project deliverables and requirements, and system procurement method. The role of a nurse will be to work closely with project team to identify user needs, make considerations how to develop the new system in the context of existing organizational policies (Strudwick et al., 2019). Also, a nurse will help in the development of communication strategies throughout the planning phase and participate in finding solutions to problems such as whether to develop a system or source from a vendor. Communication is very vital in this stage and a nurse leader will be expect to promote effective communication skills among the team members.

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Analysis stage involves examining needs and expectation of system users and to what extent they are addressed by the system. The role of a nurse in this phase is to work closely with project team to ensure the main focus is on organizational needs and patient’s needs. In addition, a graduate nurse will participate in identification of functional requirements and communicating with project team on steps to be taken to meet needs of system users in the process of its development (Yen et al., 2017). The design stage involves the actual system creation, installation and testing. At this stage, much of the work is done by the IT experts. However, a nurse leader will be involved to ensure the system conforms to security and data integrity regulations as well as satisfies the requirements of its potential users (Ali et al., 2018). A nurse will be expected to collaborate with all the stakeholders to define all the functional features and specifications to go into the system.Role of Nurse Informatics in Systems Development and Implementation

The implementation stage focuses on system testing, training, data migration, and system operationalization. A nurse leader will focus on ensuring high level of communication to enhance successful data migration and system adoption. A nurse leader will work with IT team to ensure data security and integrity is maintained in the migration process (Strudwick et al., 2019). In addition, a nurse leader will participate in training process to simulate actual use in order to understand its operations, user interface, interact with the hardware, software, and address any challenges that may arise in system implementation. The last stage is post-implementation stage which entails system maintenance and support to ensure it functions optimally. The IT staff will conduct periodic reviews to ensure system updates and backups are done (Ali et al., 2018). The role of a graduate-level nurse will be to participate in system reviews in order to fine-tune the system and make changes where needed. Also, a nurse leader can communicate on the intricate and emerging patients’ needs and how they can be accommodated in the system (Yen et al., 2017). In summary, system development and implementation is a critical task that present several benefits and few challenges to the organization. Nurses spend more time with the patients and are best fitted to understand patients’ needs. Involvement of nurses in system development and implementation is necessary as they understand various patients’ issues and how they can be addressed by the system.

References

Ali, R. A., Benjamin, K., Munir, S., & Ahmed, N. (2018). A review of informatics competencies tools for nurses and nurse managers. Can J Nurs Inf, 13(1), 1.

Strudwick, G., Nagle, L., Kassam, I., Pahwa, M., & Sequeira, L. (2019). Informatics competencies for nurse leaders: a scoping review. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(6), 323-330.

Yen, P. Y., McAlearney, A. S., Sieck, C. J., Hefner, J. L., & Huerta, T. R. (2017). Health information technology (HIT) adaptation: refocusing on the journey to successful HIT implementation. JMIR medical informatics, 5(3), e28.Role of Nurse Informatics in Systems Development and Implementation