Systems Development and Implementation
Systems Development and Implementation
Overview
Storage and access of information in a health facility is of great importance as it assists the medical professional to reference on the medical records, especially where patients make a return visit or for the purposes of establishing a trend or need for research. As such, a documentation system comes in handy in order to securely maintain records. Nevertheless, developing a system requires a formulation of steps following the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) guidelines, which dictates that a system developer should first perform Planning and requirements definition followed by analysis before designing the new system (Mooney, 2015). This will be followed by implementation of the design and then establishment of a support system that will perform system checks and maintenance. This essay focuses on the development of a new nursing documentation system and outlines the guidelines that a nurse informaticist will follow in the execution of the various tasks during the system development stages.
Planning and Requirements Definition Stage
This is an important stage for an implementation team member as it involves problem definition which should be accompanied by clear definition of objectives, and establishment of the required resources in terms of labor and capital. At this stage, a nurse informaticist as an implementation team member should be able to weigh in the cost-benefit analysis that clearly shows the viability of the intended project (Nguyen et al., 2017). The benefits should largely outweigh the costs. At this stage, there should be a clear development of the system plan.Systems Development and Implementation
Analysis Stage
This stage involves conversion of project goals into defined system functions. A nurse informaticist at this stage should be in a position to gather the end user requirements and the associated system functionalities that should be put in place to meet these requirements (Topi & Spurrier, 2019). Technical details such as the type of technology to be applied to the developed system should be clearly established and defined at this stage (Sengstack, 2015). The nurse informaticist must ensure that the technical and functionalities of the system fully meets the objectives established in the planning stage (Procter et al., 2013).
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Design of the new system stage
This stage involves the technical feasibility of the system. A nurse informaticist should be able to develop entity relationship diagrams (ERDs) that will enable a smooth user interaction through a well-designed IT infrastructure (Mooney, 2015). At this stage, the implementation team member should ensure that the system has an established solid foundation right from the servers to the end user to avoid cases such as system crash, downtime or cyber-attack that may interrupt the end user experience. The nurse informaticist should ensure that the adopted design is sustainable as well as flexible which means it is easier to make changes and it matches the latest technology within the global system trend (Sengstack, 2015).
Implementation Stage
The implementation stage is the ultimate stage where the blue prints of all the previous stages are put together for the actualization of the system. As such, the nurse informaticist at this stage should be in a position to put in place the necessary IT infrastructures and as well, perform the crucial coding and database settings as indicated with the design blue print (Mooney, 2015). All the elements at this stage should meet the specifications of the developed design in order to meet the system requirements as dictated by the end user needs. The system should be fully functional at this stage as all the hardware and software are in place.
Post-Implementation Support Stage
The post- implementation support stage involves various activities such as testing, deployment as well as maintenance. A nurse informaticist should first be able to test the system and compare the results of the actual outcome with those of the expected outcome. This will ascertain the performance of the system (Sengstack, 2015). Secondly, the nurse informaticist should deploy the system to be utilized by the actual end users (intended end users). This will reveal the gaps that may require adjustments as well as the overall end user experience. The outcome of the deployment phase then will guide the nurse informaticist on the system maintenance demands on the necessary adjustments, upgrades as well as support system to be put in place.Systems Development and Implementation
References
Mooney, R. (2015). Performance-based practical design: Maximizing system performance by
rethinking design decisions. Institute of Transportation Engineers.ITE Journal, 85(12), 38-42.
Nguyen, L., Wickramasinghe, N., Redley, B., Haddad, P., Imran, M., & Botti, M. (2017). Exploring
nurses’ reactions to electronic nursing documentation at the point of care. Information Technology & People, 30(4), 809-831. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ITP-10-2015-0269
Procter, P., Hayward, R., Heyes, B., & Owen, A. (2013). Encouraging nurses to take the lead on the
information agenda. Nursing Management (through 2013), 19(9), 26-8.
Sengstack, P. (2015). Creating systems that work. Nursing Management (2014+), 22(2), 11.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.7748/nm.22.2.11.s11
Topi, H., & Spurrier, G. (2019). A generalized, enterprise-level systems development process
framework for systems analysis and design education. Journal of Information Systems Education, 30(4), 253-265.
Portfolio Assignment: The Role of the Nurse Informaticist in Systems Development and Implementation
Assume you are a nurse manager on a unit where a new nursing documentation system is to be implemented. You want to ensure that the system will be usable and acceptable for the nurses impacted. You realize a nurse leader must be on the implementation team.Systems Development and Implementation
To Prepare:
- Review the steps of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and reflect on the scenario presented.
- Consider the benefits and challenges associated with involving a nurse leader on an implementation team for health information technology.
The Assignment: (2-3 pages)
In preparation of filling this role, develop a 2- to 3-page role description for a graduate-level nurse to guide his/her participation on the implementation team. The role description should be based on the SDLC stages and tasks and should clearly define how this individual will participate in and impact each of the following steps:
- Planning and requirements definition
- Analysis
- Design of the new system
- Implementation
- Post-implementation support
Systems Development and Implementation