TN005 The Nurse Leader and the Systems Development Life Cycle
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Western Governors University
D029 Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care
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Date
The Systems Development Life Cycle for Implementation Planning
Improving healthcare systems is essential for delivering quality patient care. The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) provides a structured framework for planning and implementing healthcare improvements. The initial planning phase focuses on identifying and understanding healthcare issues and devising actionable plans to address them. According to McGonigle and Mastrian (2017), this phase is critical for setting the foundation for successful project execution. Additionally, tools such as the Health IT Toolkit by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (n.d.) support healthcare teams in defining project goals and assessing feasibility.
What happens during the Analysis phase?
The analysis phase involves a comprehensive evaluation of current business processes and organizational needs. This phase aims to examine workflows and daily operations to pinpoint areas requiring change for successful health information system integration (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). Through this analysis, healthcare organizations can identify inefficiencies and adapt their practices to better align with technological advancements.
What is involved in the Design phase?
During the design phase, the project team develops both high-level and detailed designs for the data system. This phase includes creating the user interface and overall system architecture to ensure the technology is user-friendly and functional (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). IT specialists collaborate closely to design how various programs interact and how end-users will experience the system.
What occurs in the Implementation phase?
The implementation phase is pivotal as it involves deploying the developed software or system into the healthcare environment. This phase may be subdivided into smaller steps to reduce confusion and ensure smoother adoption (AlHazme et al., 2014). Additional coding and programming often occur during implementation to refine system performance and tailor it to organizational needs.
How are Testing and Maintenance conducted?
Testing and maintenance are often combined in one phase. During testing, the system undergoes rigorous evaluation within the organization, typically in stages, to verify its efficiency, accuracy, and overall effectiveness. Maintenance ensures the system remains operational and adapts to evolving organizational requirements by implementing necessary updates (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017).
Why is Nurse Involvement Crucial in the SDLC?
Nursing leaders play an indispensable role in every phase of healthcare projects, including nursing informatics. Nurses’ extensive patient interaction and clinical expertise provide valuable insights for system design and implementation. Despite some nurses’ unfamiliarity with technology, their frontline experience is essential for developing tools such as clinical decision support systems, which improve evidence-based practice (Nibbelink et al., 2018).
Nurses’ involvement is critical during the implementation and testing phases, where their feedback can influence the system’s effectiveness and usability. Given their trusted position in healthcare, nursing input is vital to the success of informatics projects—without it, these initiatives risk failure, much like designing an airplane without consulting pilots.
What are the Job and Role Descriptions of Nurses in SDLC?
Role of the Graduate Nurse in the Planning Stage
Graduate nurses help identify workplace problems and assess the feasibility of informatics projects by considering budgets, legal issues, and technology capabilities. They collaborate with interprofessional teams and gather supporting data to guide project initiation (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017).
Key Roles:
| Task | Description |
|---|---|
| Defining workplace issues | Identifying areas needing improvement |
| Analyzing project feasibility | Assessing budget, legal, and technological aspects |
| Collaborating with teams | Working with diverse professionals to set goals |
| Data collection | Gathering information to support project proposals |
Role of the Graduate Nurse in the Analysis Stage
In this phase, graduate nurses analyze technical needs, prioritize requirements, evaluate options, and review policies to ensure the organization adapts effectively to informatics changes (Nibbelink et al., 2018).
Key Roles:
| Task | Description |
|---|---|
| Analyzing technical requirements | Identifying necessary system features |
| Prioritizing requirements | Determining which needs are most critical |
| Evaluating project options | Considering alternative solutions |
| Reviewing policies | Ensuring compliance with organizational rules |
Role of the Graduate Nurse in the Design Stage
Graduate nurses contribute to software configuration, analyze software interactions, document system processes, and ensure overall functionality, enhancing system usability for healthcare professionals (Darvish et al., 2014).
Key Roles:
| Task | Description |
|---|---|
| Software configuration development | Tailoring design for diverse professional needs |
| Interaction analysis | Ensuring compatibility with existing software |
| Documentation | Recording system interactions and workflows |
| Functionality verification | Testing components and overall system behavior |
Role of the Graduate Nurse in the Implementation Stage
Nurses collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop code, gather feedback, analyze data, and initiate improvements to optimize project success.
Key Roles:
| Task | Description |
|---|---|
| Code development | Assisting in building functional system components |
| Gathering feedback | Collecting user and team input on implementation |
| Data analysis | Assessing project performance and identifying gaps |
| Initiating changes | Making adjustments to improve system use and satisfaction |
Role of the Graduate Nurse in Testing and Maintenance
Graduate nurses lead training, provide technical support, analyze system effectiveness, collect feedback, and manage system upgrades to maintain functionality and improve care delivery.
Key Roles:
| Task | Description |
|---|---|
| Technology training | Educating staff on system use |
| Technical support | Assisting users with system issues |
| Effectiveness analysis | Monitoring system performance |
| Feedback collection | Gathering user input for system improvements |
| System upgrades | Implementing necessary enhancements |
References
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (n.d.). Health IT evaluation toolkit and evaluation measures quick reference guide. https://healthit.ahrq.gov/health-it-tools-and-resources/evaluation-resources/health-it-evaluation-toolkit-and-evaluation-measures-quick-reference
Alhazme, R. H., Rana, A. M., & De Lucca, M. (2014). Development and implementation of a clinical and business intelligence system for the Florida health data warehouse. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 6(2), e182. https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v6i2.5249
Darvish, A., Bahramnezhad, F., Keyhanian, S., & Navidhamidi, M. (2014). The role of nursing informatics in promoting quality of health care and the need for appropriate education. Global Journal of Health Science, 6(6), 11–18. https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v6n6p11
TN005 The Nurse Leader and the Systems Development Life Cycle
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2017). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Nibbelink, C. W., Young, J. R., Carrington, J. M., & Brewer, B. B. (2018). Informatics solutions for application of decision-making skills. Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America, 30(2), 237–246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnc.2018.02.006
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