THE ROLE OF THE NURSE INFORMATICIST 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.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Chapter 9, “Systems Development Life Cycle: Nursing Informatics and Organizational Decision Making” (pp. 191–204)
Chapter 12, “Electronic Security” (pp. 251–265)
Chapter 13, “Achieving Excellence by Managing Workflow and Initiating Quality Projects”
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (n.d.a). Health IT evaluation toolkit and evaluation measures quick reference guideLinks to an external site.. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://digital.ahrq.gov/health-it-evaluation-tool…
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (n.d.b). Workflow assessment for health IT toolkitLinks to an external site.. Retrieved January 26, 2022, from https://digital.ahrq.gov/health-it-tools-and-resou…
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.
Use the Safe Assign Drafts to check your match percentage before submitting your work.
Role Description for Nurse Informaticist on New Nursing Documentation System Implementation Team
Overview:
As a graduate-prepared nurse informaticist, my role on the implementation team will be to ensure the nursing perspective and workflow are adequately represented and optimized throughout all stages of the system development life cycle (SDLC). Specifically, I will participate in planning and requirements definition, systems analysis, design, implementation, and post-implementation support (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022).
Planning and Requirements Definition:
In this initial stage, I will conduct a thorough workflow assessment of current nursing documentation practices using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Workflow Assessment for Health IT Toolkit (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, n.d.b). This will identify pain points, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement. I will also survey frontline nurses to understand their needs, preferences and change readiness. With this input, I will help define functional and system requirements to guide analysis and design.
Analysis:
During systems analysis, I will review proposed system designs and provide feedback on ease of use, workflow integration and impact on nursing tasks. I will identify and troubleshoot any potential barriers to nurse acceptance and adoption. I will ensure nursing metrics and regulatory requirements are addressed (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022).
Design:
In the design stage, I will work closely with developers to map current workflows into optimized electronic workflows. I will prototype and test design iterations with nurse end users. I will validate designs meet requirements defined in planning and address issues identified in analysis.
Implementation:
Leading up to and during go-live, I will develop an implementation plan including end user training strategies, super user support, documentation and help resources. I will train nurse super users and be available on-site for go-live support. I will monitor for issues and lead efforts to refine workflows as needed post-launch.
Post-Implementation Support:
After go-live, I will continue to solicit nurse feedback and identify opportunities for optimization. I will monitor key performance indicators and system utilization. I will communicate regularly with stakeholders and vendors to ensure ongoing nurse needs are met and issues are resolved in a timely manner.
In summary, through full participation in each SDLC stage guided by nursing informatics principles, my role will be instrumental to the success, safety, efficiency and nurse satisfaction with the new system. Please let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions.
References:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (n.d.b). Workflow assessment for health IT toolkit. https://digital.ahrq.gov/health-it-tools-and-resou…
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
