Inclusion of Nurses in the Systems Development Life Cycle.

Inclusion of Nurses in the Systems Development Life Cycle

Consequences of a healthcare organization not involving nurses in each stage of the SDLC when purchasing and implementing a new health information technology system.Inclusion of Nurses in the Systems Development Life Cycle.

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There is a need to include nurses at each stage of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC). That is because nurses comprise the majority of care providers within a health care system, and thus would be the majority of the systems end users. The SDLC is complex innovation and placing it within a complex health care system creates opportunities for failures. Including nurses helps to maximize the potential for successful implementation. Overall, including nurses ensures that the SDLC has the infrastructure to build and manage nursing knowledge while instilling accountability with regards to evidence-based practice (McGonigle&Mastrian, 2018)Inclusion of Nurses in the Systems Development Life Cycle.

Potential issues at each stage of the SDLC and how the inclusion of nurses may help address these issues.

There are seven stages in the SDLC. The first stage is planning. Potential issue in this stage is failure to understand the scope of the problem so that the solution becomes ineffective. Nurses help to better understand the problem. The second stage is system analysis and requirements. Potential issue in this stage is failure to consider a more effective solution. Inclusion of nurses ensures that all possible solutions are presented and considered. The third stage is systems design. Potential issue in this stage is failure to consider the specific information needs of nurses as end users. Nurses help to address this concern by presenting their information needs for the system.Inclusion of Nurses in the Systems Development Life Cycle. The fourth stage is development. Potential issue in this stage is failing to identify the training needs of nurses as end users. Including nurses ensures that their knowledge levels can be assessed and training needs identified. The fifth stage is integration and testing. Potential issue in this stage is presence of bugs and errors. Nurses helps to address the issue by identifying bugs and errors in testing. The sixth stage is implementation. Potential issue in this stage is the system being implemented during peak hours for nurses. Including nurses ensures that they are consulted so that implementation occurs during off-peak hours. The final stage is operations and maintenance. Potential issue in this stage is adding new capabilities that slow down nurses. Including nurses ensures that any efforts to fine tune the system and boost performance would not slow down nurses (Balgrosky, 2015).Inclusion of Nurses in the Systems Development Life Cycle.

Explain whether you had any input in the selection and planning of new health information technology systems in your nursing practice or healthcare organization and explain potential impacts of being included or not in the decision-making process.

I had some input into the selection and planning of new health information technology systems. The input involved having focus group discussions to present opinions on what we would require as essential and additional elements in the system to facilitate the delivery of nursing care services. Failure to include nurses could have resulted in a system that hindered rather than supported nurses in delivering care.Inclusion of Nurses in the Systems Development Life Cycle.

References

Balgrosky, J. A. (2015). Essentials of Health Information Systems and Technology. Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.

McGonigle, D., &Mastrian, K. G. (2018). Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge (4^th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.Inclusion of Nurses in the Systems Development Life Cycle.