Posted: September 8th, 2022

Role of a Nurse Informaticist in System Development

Role of a Nurse Informaticist in System Development and Implementation
Introduction
The adoption of advanced technology in the healthcare sector has led to nurses’ further involvement in the development and implementation of information systems. Nurse leaders have a responsibility to participate in the system development life cycle (Bird, 2017). The participation involves guidance on how the system should be designed to meet patients’ needs and improve efficiency.
Planning and Requirements Definition
Planning involves determining the scope and the purpose of the application. Defining the requirements involves identifying the resources necessary to develop a system. A nurse leader is responsible for developing a system’s scope to meet specific objectives in healthcare practice (Wang et al., 2019). Nurse leaders should enlighten the system developers about the expected outcomes and how the healthcare organization wants to achieve them.
Analysis
The analysis stage involves prioritizing the requirements, analyzing possible solutions and alternatives. The role of a nurse leader in the analysis stage is to collaborate with the system developers to prioritize the system requirements (Wang et al., 2019). Another responsibility is to evaluate the possible alternatives and develop recommendations for the new system.
Design of the New System
The new system’s design stage involves developing the architecture and operation of various features of the information system. It involves integrating hardware, software, interfacing, data, and networking (Nagle, 2021). Although a nurse leader’s role in this stage is limited, it is necessary to understand the interactions between various components of the system. For example, a nurse leader should master data flow or network with existing information systems (Nagle, 2021). The system developers should avail the flowcharts to the nurse leader to ensure they understand how the system will operate.
Implementation
The implementation stage involves testing and installing the system. If changes are necessary for the system, customization is part of the implementation stage. A nurse leader should collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to examine the system’s performance (Wang et al., 2019). Nurse leaders should provide feedback about the operation of the new system. For example, the nurse leader should organize meetings with other healthcare workers to evaluate the system and provide feedback (Wang et al., 2019). In case customization is necessary, the nurse leader should work with the team to redesign the system to meet the desired goal (Nagle, 2021). Once the system is operational and effective, a nurse leader should train other healthcare workers to enhance utilization to meet the expected objectives.
Post-implementation Support
Post-implementation support is an ongoing process that requires the intervention of a nurse leader. A graduate nurse should participate in continuous training to enhance the system’s adoption and acceptance (Nagle, 2021). For example, a nurse graduate should collaborate with other healthcare workers to capture and store information in the new system. Another role of a graduate nurse is to work with the healthcare workers to evaluate the system to determine the need for continuous changes (Wang et al., 2019). The purpose is to ensure the system is functioning effectively and everyone enjoys using it.
Conclusion
The healthcare sector is embracing technology to fulfill diverse functions. Graduate nurses or nurse leaders have a responsibility to participate in the system development and implementation. The participation aims to meet the objectives of an organization and ensure the interdisciplinary team meets a healthcare facility’s goals. Continuous support and training is necessary to enhance achievement of the project’s goals.

References
Bird, P. (2017). A Day in the Life of a Nurse Informaticist: Implementation Support. Journal of Informatics Nursing, 2(2), 27.
Nagle, L. M. (2021). The role of the informatics nurse. In Introduction to Nursing Informatics (pp. 295-315). Springer, Cham.
Wang, J., Gephart, S. M., Mallow, J., & Bakken, S. (2019). Models of collaboration and dissemination for nursing informatics innovations in the 21st century. Nursing Outlook, 67(4), 419-432.

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