The Role of the Nurse Informaticist in Systems Development and Implementation
As healthcare organizations increasingly adopt electronic health records (EHRs) and other clinical technologies, the role of the nurse informaticist has become vital in guiding system implementations from a nursing perspective. Nurse informaticists draw from knowledge of nursing practice, clinical workflows, change management principles, and health information technology to serve as subject matter experts on implementation teams. Their involvement helps ensure new systems are optimized for nursing needs and workflows to maximize benefits and user adoption.
Planning and Requirements Definition
During the initial planning stages of an EHR implementation, the nurse informaticist conducts focus groups and interviews with frontline nursing staff. This allows them to understand current documentation processes, pain points, and desired functionality in a new system (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022). Feedback is synthesized to define nursing-specific requirements included in requests for proposals and vendor selection. For example, a recent study found nurse informaticists helped identify key nursing workflows like medication administration that required customization in a new EHR (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, n.d.a).
Analysis
Once vendor proposals are received, the nurse informaticist reviews demonstrations and prototypes to evaluate how well options meet the defined nursing needs. Any gaps between requirements and proposed system capabilities are documented and discussed with vendors for refinement. For instance, one nurse informaticist ensured a vendor modified their prototype based on feedback to better support clinical decision support at the point of care (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022, Chapter 9).
Design and Implementation
Continued input is provided during system design and build phases. This focuses on optimizing elements like nursing documentation, order entry, communication tools and alerts to mirror real world workflows as closely as possible and reduce disruptions (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, n.d.b). The nurse informaticist also trains super users and end users, customizing education based on nursing roles.
Post-Implementation Support
Quality monitoring by the nurse informaticist includes auditing nursing documentation and administering satisfaction surveys. This helps identify tweaks needed to workflows, build on successes, and address lingering issues. For example, one study found a nurse informaticist’s post-live monitoring revealed needed adjustments to streamline admission assessments in a new EHR (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022, Chapter 13).
In conclusion, the nurse informaticist role serves as an invaluable bridge between clinical nursing practice and health information technology implementations. By guiding systems development and change management from a nursing perspective, they help maximize the benefits of new technologies for patients and providers alike. With nurse input, implementations are more likely to achieve desired outcomes.
References:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (n.d.a). Health IT evaluation toolkit and evaluation measures quick reference guide. https://digital.ahrq.gov/health-it-evaluation-tool…
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.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022). Systems Development Life Cycle: Nursing Informatics and Organizational Decision Making. In Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (5th ed., pp. 191–204). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022). Achieving Excellence by Managing Workflow and Initiating Quality Projects. In Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (5th ed., pp. 251–265). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
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 Ace homework tutors – APA format and include a title page and reference page.
Use the Safe Assign Drafts to check your match percentage before submitting your work.
