course material

1. It is essential for healthcare organizations to involve nurses in
It is essential for healthcare organizations to involve nurses in every stage of the System
Development Life Cycle (SDLC) of a new health information technology system. There are
unfortunate and costly consequences when nurses are not involved in the entire SDLC
process. Consequences of not including nurses include delays in achieving milestones, poor
usability, waste of time and resources, system inefficiencies, decreased success rate, lack of
buy-in, heightened frustrations, and increased costs due to time and resources spent
modifying the system. Nurses are the primary end-user, understand workflow, can provide
insight into whether a system is useful and facilitates patient care, ensure proper allocation
of healthcare resources, and address problems (Verma & Gupta, 2017). If nurses are
involved in all stages, the likelihood of implementing a system that is acceptable for nurses
is improved, promoting buy-in and success. Leadership must acknowledge the value of a
partnership with nurses because they may be the most affected by a project that involves a
new health information technology system. The most successful SDLC governance structure
consists of some level of user participation (Walden University, LLC, 2018). Nurses’ primary
concerns involve providing efficient and quality care to the patient; therefore, their input is
essential during the SDLC of a new health information technology system.The planning
stage involves understanding the need for a system. If nurses are not included in the
planning stage, executives may determine a system satisfies a need when the system may
not promote efficient workflow. Most end-users in healthcare are nurses; therefore, they
must be included in the understanding of the need for a system (Verma & Gupta, 2017). The
involvement of nurses in the planning phase ensures a relevant system (Verma & Gupta,
2017). It is crucial to align and collaborate with stakeholders early in the SDLC because
their feedback is essential throughout the SDLC (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022). The system’s
requirements are identified during the analysis phase by examining workflows and
business practices (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2018). Nurses are the experts in identifying
typical workflow and can advocate for plans that promote the typical nursing workflow,
encouraging buy-in and decreasing frustrations. If nurses are included, they can suggest
alterations during the planning phase to facilitate the project’s success and diminish hours
spent on modifications to the system. Nurses are the best judge of positive aspects and
challenges that may hinder functionality (Verma & Gupta 2017). The design phase involves
identifying needed programs, how they will interact, and how they will work (McGonigle &
Mastrian, 2022). If nurses are not involved in the design phase, they may miss opportunities
to define what data and programs are required and essential. Prototypes of screenshots,

2. reports, and processes help the team clarify requirements and align ideas, limiting costly
glitches (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022). Nurses can help with this customization.Many issues
arise in the implementation phase if nurses are omitted. Hardware and software may not be
installed in needed areas. Policies and procedures may be instituted that do not support the
day-to-day efficiencies of nursing. One of the most significant challenges to implementation
in the SDLC is stakeholder resistance to change (Walden University, LLC, 2018). Issues in
the implementation phase can be avoided or diminished by developing a partnership with
nursing (Walden University, LLC, 2018). Nurses are typically the end-user that can identify
if the system is running well and provide education amongst peers. Additionally, nurse
champions can help with education, support, and system evaluation. Nurses play a crucial
role in providing direction during the SDLC and informing leadership of what is and is not
working. Successful implementation requires significant resources to effectively alleviate
challenges and train stakeholders (Walden University, LLC, 2018).Maintenance involves
user support throughout changes (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022). If nurses are not involved,
they cannot report concerns and possible solutions. Nurses can identify when systems are
not meeting the needs of patients and issues are present (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022).
Nurses can look to peers to see what strategies they have implemented, informing the
decision process (Walden University, LLC, 2018). It is also essential to implement skilled
project management to keep the project on track, manage relationships, hold others
accountable, and provide routine updates (Walden University, LLC, 2018). There is an
adjustment phase after project implementation, and it is essential to be patient; however,
when issues arise, it is critical to make rapid changes (Walden University, LLC, 2018). Nurse
champions can assist with identifying problems and supporting rapid changes. I have not
specifically had any input in the selection and planning of new health information systems
within the hospital; however, an entire nursing informatics team was involved from the
beginning of the SDLC of the Epic system. The nursing informatics team collaborated with
Epic and created a group of nurse champions who assisted with planning the SDLC process.
This led to a smooth transition from paper charting and a hybrid electronic health record
approach to the Epic system. I appreciated receiving education about the system from my
peers and felt comfortable going to them with issues or concerns. The implementation team
always understood frustrations, as they have been in similar situations and understand the
nursing workflow. Working closely with the nursing informatics team throughout my career
led to the mutual respect that assisted with buy-in, education, and understanding of nursing
workflow. ReferencesMcGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022). Nursing informatics and the
foundation of knowledge (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.Verma, M. P., & Gupta, S.
(2017). Software Development for Nursing: Role of Nursing Informatics. International
Journal of Nursing Education and Research, 5(2), 203–207. https://doi.org/10.5958/2454-
2660.2017.00044.8 Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2018). Managing Health
Information Technology [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.