The requirements, as described in Laureate Education video (2018), outline the various steps involved in bringing a system to life, including strategic execution, maintenance, design, and development. This paper aims to delineate the role of a graduate-level nurse in adding value to a team. The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a software methodology that ensures high-quality outcomes. SDLC is a structured approach for planning, designing, implementing, maintaining, and evaluating information technology projects (McGonigle and Mastrian, 2017). It is an iterative process that evolves continuously, as highlighted by Laureate Education (2018). When implementing a new electronic health record (EHR) system, it is crucial to involve key stakeholders and end-users to ensure the project’s success (McBride, Tietze, and Mari, 2019). Excluding nurses from each stage can lead to negative outcomes that do not benefit end-users or patients.
The primary phase of the systems development life cycle is the structural alignment and stability phase. SDLC incorporates a strategic system that helps identify problems and business needs. This phase includes a feasibility study to determine the viability of the project and allocate budgets for subsequent SDLC phases (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2018). The role of a nurse leader in an implementation team is crucial during this phase. Nurses and nurse leaders collaborate to gather data for the feasibility study, contributing to the project’s effectiveness. Once decisions are made, a project management plan is developed to facilitate implementation and identify project milestones (Singletary and Baker, 2019).
NURS 6051 Week 10 The Role of the Nurse Informaticist in Systems Development and Implementation
The next phase is the analysis phase, followed by the design phase using the “waterfall model.” The design phase focuses on developing a comprehensive system for future users. The involvement of nurse leaders in this phase is minimal, as most of the work up to this stage provides insights to refine requirements and address security concerns (Singletary and Baker, 2019).
Nurse leaders, as stated by McGonigle and Mastrian (2018), can contribute to data entry, system policies, workflow, and coordination during the new system’s implementation. In this phase, the role of a graduate-level nurse includes evaluating the implementation of the improved project. Once the system is operational, maintenance activities are initiated and led by the information technology staff (Singletary and Baker, 2019). Nurse leaders play a crucial role in this phase by ensuring that all design deliverables align with the team’s vision, shaping the new system.
Reference
Laureate Education (Producer). (2018). Systems Implementation [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
McBride, S., & Tietze, Mari. (2019). Nursing informatics for the advanced practice nurse: patient safety, quality, outcomes, and interprofessionalism. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2017). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Singletary, V., & Baker, E. L. (2019). Building Informatics-Savvy Health Departments: The Systems Development Life Cycle. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 25(6), 610–611. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1097/PHH.0000000000001086
