The Role of the Nurse Informaticist in Systems Development and Implementation
Integral to the resolve to improve the overall quality of healthcare is the ability of caregivers to ensure an efficient flow of information. In the technological era, where health information technologies define information flow, nurse informaticists play a role in leveraging these technologies to enhance clinical outcomes (Booth et al., 2021). Implementing these technologies requires a collaborative approach, drawing nurse leaders and other caregivers. This paper details the role description of a nurse informaticist in systems design and implementation.
In change processes, an established framework is necessitated to facilitate the process and guarantee better outcomes. The systems development life cycle is a multistep systemized framework for driving systems development within various organizations. This project management model not only outlines and designs information systems but also lays the groundwork for executing and evaluating them. We offer urgent help in nursing assignments.
Planning is the first step in the SDLC framework. It is the foundational stage that paves the way for other processes. In this step, the problem the software or information technology is seeking to solve is clearly defined. The significance of this step is the ability of the team members to utilize predictive analysis and simulation tools to draw a rough plan of how the system will work. Nurse informaticists are crucial in this process. Their knowledge of technologies helps them inform other team members of any technical aspects of the plan (Booth et al., 2021). This includes giving technical analysis and using various AI simulation tools to draw a rough plan for the operability of the system.
The analysis step proceeds to the planning stages. It involves doing in-depth research on the system as well as scanning the environment to better understand the technicalities involved. Central to the analysis step is market research, which defines the needs of the clients, generates the system’s requirements, evaluates the existing prototypes, and sets goals. The analysis step requires mixed input, drawing caregivers from different cadres and other stakeholders. Nurse informaticists play a role in the generation of prototypes, environmental scanning, and the evaluation of the existing prototypes. Their expertise and knowledge of information technologies make them valuable in evaluating existing prototypes and scanning the healthcare environment for their suitability and compatibility with available health information technologies.
The design stage gives a forecast of how the system will look like. This is an extensive prototyping stage where the system interface, core features, and usability are outlined. This step is crucial as it can help detect deficiencies not predicted in the planning stage. Nurse informaticists are heavily involved in this stage. They assist system developers in scanning and analyzing potential problems, as well as proposing address measures. Garcia-Dia (2021) notes that nurse informaticists’ involvement in the design stage provides a cost-cutting mechanism as they help in unearthing usability-related issues during the design stage. Their nursing knowledge, coupled with their expertise in technology, enables them to give an informed judgment on the compatibility of the systems with other software, the ability of the systems to solve nursing-related information flow problems, and the system’s effectiveness in overall patient care.
The implementation stage involves the creation of the system. It is usually a culmination of the duration of planning to produce a system that addresses the identified gap or problem in health information flow. The implementation step is often elaborate. Besides the installation of the new system, training organizational members on its use is also involved. This process draws considerable human and financial considerations. Funds, in this respect, will be required to organize employee training. Technology experts will also have to be recruited to educate members on its use. Change management is significant in the implementation step. Healthcare leaders play a crucial role in this regard. They are responsible for creating a buy-in from organizational members to ensure successful adoption of the change process (Figueroa et al., 2019). Nurse informaticists also have a role to play. They are involved in gathering information about the new workflows. They also provide comprehensive information on its usability and integration with other systems. As tech experts within the organization, they also guide the new system towards continuous improvements. They are thus indispensable in this step.
Post-implementation support involves the upkeep and maintenance of the newly developed and deployed system. It is targeted at optimizi