According to the media introduction to this module, you, as a nurse, play a critical role in the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Nurses may not always view themselves as contributors to the development of new systems due to their focus on patient care and outcomes. However, as you may have observed in your own experience, leaving nurse contributions out of system implementation can have dire consequences.
Involving nurses in new technologies integration is always a profound step towards ensuring that they are conversant with system changes and embrace new technologies. Nurses, as majority end-users, should be engaged throughout the systems development life cycle (SDLC) since the successful implementation of new technologies depends on the extent of their engagement (McLean et al., 2015). For a graduate-level nurse to participate and make a positive impact, it is vital to understand what should be done at every stage of the SDLC, and the roles of the nurse vary from one step to the other.
Implementing a new nursing documentation system can be viewed as a project. As the initial step, planning obliges the implementation team to develop a project plan that defines the scope and deliverables of the project (Singletary & Baker, 2017). Central to the implementation of the system is composing the requirements document. The nurse’s role in the initial phases is checking whether the critical plan elements have been included. It is also crucial to propose ways that ensure that the intended change streamlines the current processes and improves efficiency.
The analysis step examines the effectiveness of existing technologies. It looks at what works and what should be avoided. As the end-users of health information technologies, nurses should provide details concerning the challenges and benefits of using the current systems. Their contribution implies that they can show how the new system should respond to nurses’ immediate needs.
In this step, the implementation team develops a plan for improving the current system, as recommended in the analysis phase. The most relevant components of the proposed system should be identified while describing how they can integrate into an efficient whole (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015). The nurse participates by submitting the necessary operational mechanisms that the new documentation system should incorporate to enhance performance. Nurses should take part in ongoing testing and refining. Involving nurses would ensure that the new system will be responsive to nurses’ data input and output needs.
Implementation is a critical step in making system changes. It is the stage where the new technology is put into application (Sengstack & Boicey, 2015). Nurses are usually trained to ensure that they can optimize the new system in providing quality services. A nurse’s role is to provide insights regarding the necessary changes in workflow, policies, and procedures in applying the new technology. The immediate impact of nurses’ participation is coming up with a system that fits the organizational practice and culture.
The main element of post-implementation is systems maintenance and support. Nurses should be involved in identifying and fixing problems that hinder the new system’s efficiency. After implementation, health care facilities should work closely with system developers to ensure that it is working as expected. As this happens, the nurse should be identifying and reporting bugs that affect the functionality of the new technology. Involving nurses at this level helps to initiate corrective and preventive measures.
Nurses are at the core of new technology implementation in health care facilities. Their involvement forms an integral part of the SDLC. They can help identify the new system’s needs based on the benefits and problems experienced using the current system. As they give insights, the entire implementation team gets information that directs it in the analysis, design, and other critical phases of system development and implementation. Overall, the successful implementation of new technology, such as the documentation system, relies primarily on nurses’ commitment.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (Eds.). (2015). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
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