In The Media Introduction To This Module It Was Sugge 083971

In The Media Introduction To This Module It Was Suggested That You As

In the media introduction to this module, it was suggested that you as a nurse have an important role in the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC). With a focus on patient care and outcomes, nurses may not always see themselves as contributors to the development of new systems. However, as you may have observed in your own experience, exclusion of nurse contributions when implementing systems can have dire consequences. In this Discussion, you will consider the role you might play in systems development and the ramifications of not being an active participant in systems development. To Prepare: Review the steps of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) as presented in the Resources.

Reflect on your own healthcare organization and consider any steps your healthcare organization goes through when purchasing and implementing a new health information technology system. Consider what a nurse might contribute to decisions made at each stage of the SDLC when planning for new health information technology. Post a description of what you believe to be the consequences of a healthcare organization not involving nurses in each stage of the SDLC when purchasing and implementing a new health information technology system. Provide specific examples of potential issues at each stage of the SDLC and explain how the inclusion of nurses may help address these issues. Then, 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. Be specific and provide examples.

Paper For Above instruction

The integration of nurses in the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is crucial for optimizing health information technology (HIT) systems, ultimately enhancing patient care outcomes and organizational efficiency. The SDLC typically comprises several phases: planning, analysis, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Each phase requires distinct contributions from healthcare professionals, especially nurses, whose insights are vital in ensuring that HIT systems meet clinical needs and support safe patient care.

Consequences of Excluding Nurses from the SDLC

Omitting nurses from involvement in each SDLC phase can lead to significant issues that compromise both system effectiveness and patient safety. During the planning stage, a lack of nursing input might result in inadequate identification of clinical needs or workflow requirements. For example, if nurses are not consulted when selecting new electronic health record (EHR) systems, the chosen platform may lack user-friendly interfaces tailored to clinical workflows, leading to resistance and errors during daily operations.

In the analysis phase, nurses' insights are critical for understanding real-world patient care scenarios. Without their input, system specifications may overlook essential features such as medication administration modules or alert systems, which can cause medication errors or overlooked patient vital signs. For instance, failure to include alert functionalities that nurses rely on could delay critical interventions.

During system design and development, excluding nurses can lead to interfaces that do not align with clinical procedures, increasing cognitive load and reducing efficiency. An example is an EHR interface that is cluttered or unintuitive, causing nurses to spend extra time charting instead of providing direct patient care.

In the testing phase, lack of nursing involvement might mean that usability issues remain unidentified before system deployment, resulting in workflows being disrupted in practice. Such issues could lead to increased documentation time or errors, compromising patient safety.

Deployment and maintenance stages also benefit from nurses’ feedback to troubleshoot real-time issues and ensure the system continues to meet clinical needs. Without their ongoing input, system modifications may neglect frontline concerns, reducing usability and adherence.

Role of Nurses in Addressing These Issues

Including nurses at each SDLC phase can mitigate many of these potential issues. Nurses' practical knowledge of patient care workflows ensures that systems are designed intuitively, facilitating seamless integration into daily routines. For example, involving nurses in the selection process can ensure that mobile access features are optimized, enabling bedside documentation and reducing errors.

During analysis, nurses can identify specific clinical decision support tools that are critical, such as allergy alerts or flash notifications, reducing adverse events. Their involvement in testing guarantees system usability, leading to improvements before full-scale implementation.

Ongoing feedback during deployment and maintenance allows for iterative adjustments, fostering improved system adoption and sustainability. This proactive engagement also promotes user buy-in, essential for successful system integration.

Personal Experience with HIT System Involvement

In my experience, I was not actively involved in the initial selection and planning of new health information systems within my healthcare organization. As a bedside nurse, I observed many system issues post-implementation—such as cumbersome interfaces and limited decision support—which hindered workflow efficiency and sometimes even affected patient safety. Had I been involved in the planning process, I could have provided firsthand insights into workflow challenges, advocating for features such as simplified interfaces or bedside documentation capabilities, which might have mitigated these issues.

The potential impact of including nurses in decision-making is substantial. Their perspectives can influence system design, ensuring that it supports real clinical practices. Conversely, lack of involvement often results in systems that, although technically sound, fail to align with the practical needs of clinical staff, leading to underutilization and increased resistance.

Overall, active participation of nurses in the SDLC enhances system relevance, usability, and safety, ultimately translating into improved patient outcomes and organizational efficiency.

References

• Adler-Milstein, J., &Jha, AK. (2017). HITECH Act Drove Large Gains in Hospital Electronic Health Record Adoption. Health Affairs, 36(8), 1416–1422.
• BlAir, J. D. (2020). Nurse involvement in electronic health record selection and implementation. Journal of Nursing Administration, 50(2), 85-89.
• Holden, RJ, et al. (2018). The importance of user-centered design in health information technology. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 77, 119-123.
• Oberle, K., & Shaw, T. (2018). Systems thinking and nursing informatics: Challenges and opportunities. Nursing Informatics, 23(4), 47-53.
• Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005, Pub.L. 109–41.
• Stevenson, J. E., et al. (2020). Engaging nurses in HIT decision-making: A pathway to safer and more effective systems. Journal of Healthcare Management, 65(3), 193-203.
• Venkatesh, V., et al. (2019). Toward a unified view of user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425-478.
• Wang, W. et al. (2019). Impact of nurse involvement in health IT implementation on patient safety and workflow. Nursing Outlook, 67(4), 410-418.
• Yen, P. Y., & Bakken, S. (2018). Review of Health Information Technology Adoption by Nurses. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20(10), e10255.
• Yen, P. Y., & Bakken, S. (2020). Implementing Electronic Health Records: Challenges and Opportunities for Nursing. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 44(4), 351-357.