NURS-6051 Week 9: Discussion THE INCLUSION OF NURSES IN THE SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE

The Inclusion of Nurses in the Systems Development Life Cycle

Nurses should be included in each stage of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) when a healthcare organization seeks to acquire and implement a new health information technology system. Because they will use the health information technology system the most, nurses must implement a modern strategy because they can provide feedback on the workflow and its efficiency. Despite this, organizations continue to do so without nurses’ input. Some results include increased workloads for nurses, decreased work efficiency, less time spent at patients’ bedsides, and poor patient outcomes and experiences (Why Involve Nurses in Healthcare IT Development? According to McGonigle & Mastrian (2017), “SDLC is a technique to deliver efficient and successful information systems that comply with an organization’s strategic business plan.” “As they design and develop information systems central to agency operations,” the SDLC has become a best practice in many public health agencies across the country. “Public health agencies have avoided costly information system disasters with attendant operational disruptions” (Singletary & Baker, 2019) by adhering to this “proven approach,” the report states. The SDLC may involve a variety of approaches: the waterfall, rapid prototyping or rapid application development, and dynamic system development method. The waterfall method has six stages: feasibility, analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance (McGonigle &Mastrian, 2017). 

The first step in determining feasibility is deciding whether or not a project should be started. Let’s say a hospital has a high rate of catheter-acquired urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). To stop this from happening (CAUTIs), they might decide to build a bundle into their electronic health record system (EHR). The nurses may provide feedback on current issues that should be included in the bundle before the process begins to ensure that all areas are covered. The next step in the analysis for the organization will be to figure out why CAUTIs are so prevalent. According to McGonigle & Mastrian (2017), it would be beneficial to work with a nurse informaticist specialist (NIS) to evaluate the data that is currently accessible in the EHR and then solicit feedback from nursing staff. The NIS, for instance, could discuss with nursing staff the elements of CAUTI prevention that are effective and those that are not. The NIS could then meet with nursing leadership to create a package to prevent CAUTIs during the subsequent design phase (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). For instance, take note of everything that is recorded in the EHR, including the date and time of the insertion, the size of the catheter, an evaluation of any findings that occurred after the insertion, and the patient’s symptoms, such as burning or itchiness, prior to the insertion. In addition, the nurse could stress the significance of reminding the staff to remove the catheter after a predetermined number of days unless there is a contraindication. The system is assembled, and a sample table is during the implementation phase. According to McGonigle & Mastrian (2017), a nurse could assist in this phase by utilizing it firsthand and trying it out. During this phase, the nurse could determine whether it would reduce CAUTIs and improve workflow. The system must pass through five layers during testing to ensure its functionality. The nurse could assist with the final phase of beta testing at this point to ensure that it will carry out the necessary tasks. They might give it a try and let us know if it slows down the process or if something is missing. The final step is to keep the system running after it has been tested (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). In order to gather feedback and improve the program, nurse leadership could assist in this phase by requiring nursing staff to complete surveys within the first few months of its launch. 

I have not been involved in selecting and planning new health information technology systems in my nursing practice or the healthcare organization. The healthcare organization I worked for ensured that every employee was well-trained and that there were experts on every unit for the first two months after the EPIC system went live. Being present in the decision-making process had no repercussions. They did a great job involving all medical professionals to ensure the best choice was made. 

References: 

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 and Practice, 25(6), 610– 611. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHH.0000000000001086Links to an external site. 

Why Involve Nurses in Healthcare IT Development? (2019, April 1). TeleTracking. https://www.teletracking.com/resources/why-involve-nurses-in-healthcare-it-developmentLinks to an external site.