Involving a Nurse Leader in Implementation Team for Health Information Technology

Systems Development Life Cycle
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Systems Development Life Cycle
Introduction
Nurses' integral role in choosing and implementing a healthcare organization information system is crucial to the system's efficacy. This process, referred to as Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), includes various steps: the initiation and concept, planning, requirements definition, design and development, testing, training and implementation, operations and maintenance, and disposition. The SDLC provides a practical project management model to enhance the quality of information systems. Using the SDLC project management model is increasingly crucial within the contemporary healthcare practice environment that emphasizes quality improvements of outcomes. Nurse leader involvement in the implementation team for health information technology (HIT) has various benefits and challenges. The report predominantly discusses the role of graduate-level nurses to guide their engagement within the implementation team for a new nursing documentation system based on the SDLC phases and tasks.
Benefits and Challenges of Nurse Leader Involvement
Leaders play a significant role in ensuring successful HIT implementation and adoption. For example, they provide support, clearly communicate the visions and objectives, establish governance structures, design training programs, identify and appoint champions, address work processes changes, and do follow-ups. The nurse leader guides people and manages the structures and systems to ensure successful HIT adoption. Challenges associated with nurse leader involvement in the adoption process include a lack of awareness and confidence concerning their roles in the HIT implementation framework (Laukka et al., 2020). For example, a lack of confidence among nurse leaders regarding HIT adoption makes it difficult to guide and support graduate-level nurses toward optimal implementation thresholds.
Roles of a Graduate-Level Nurse
Planning and Requirements Definition
Planning is the most crucial step of the project because it gives direction in implementing the new nursing documentation system. In this stage, the graduate-level nurse's role is to identify objectives and create shared deliverables of the system to gain strategic support, commitment, and buy-in from other healthcare professionals. The nurse also engages in interprofessional collaborations and open communication to guarantee clinical engagement and early acceptance (McKay & Vanaskie, 2018). The graduate-level nurse would also confirm the project visibility from diverse organizational, economic, and technical perspectives.
Analysis
In the analysis phase, the graduate-level nurse task includes prioritizing the system requirements, designing and appraising the alternatives, reviewing the standard procedures related to the implementation, and advising the management. More importantly, the nurse should identify various issues associated with implementing the new nursing documentation systems, including changes in communication, user needs and cognitive facets, design and infrastructure requirements, and consider reconfiguring the existing organizational processes and policie...