The Systems Development Life Cycle And The Nurse Informaticist

The Systems Development Life Cycle And The Nurse Informaticist

 

The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is a model for planning and implementing change within an organization. It is important for many individuals to be represented in the process, especially the end users of the system or the employees who must live with the change. As informatics become more and more widespread throughout the health care field, collaboration between information technology (IT) professionals and health care practitioners is becoming increasingly important. The nurse informaticist is able to combine the perspective of the information technology side with the clinical nursing perspective.

 

While the titles and specific responsibilities of nurse informaticists vary across organizations and practice settings, the fundamental purpose of the role remains the same. Nurse informaticists synthesize their knowledge of how technology can improve health care with an understanding of clinical practice and workflow. This is why nurse informaticists can be instrumental in facilitating the SDLC for informatics in health care. For this Discussion, you examine the relationship between the nurse informaticist and the use of the SDLC.

To prepare:

 

• Review the information in this week’s Learning Resources on the SDLC and the role of the nurse informaticist. Reflect on Chapter 1 of the Dennis, Wixom, and Roth course text and consider how the information about the systems analyst role translates into nursing and health care.
• Consider a recent change in your organization related to the implementation of a new technology or system. How was this change handled? What was the general SDLC process? Who was involved, and what were the outcomes?
• Identify whether your organization (or one with which you are familiar) has a formal title or position for the nurse informaticist. This position may be called by a different name, such as nurse informatics specialist or informatics analyst, so be sure to review the position description.
• If your organization has a position for the nurse informaticist, what are the responsibilities of that position? If your organization does not have such a position, conduct research in the Walden Library and at credible online sources on the role of the nurse informaticist.

Reflect on the role of the nurse informaticist in the overall health care field. How is this position connected to the SDLC? Assess the benefits of having this specialized position within health care organizations and involving the nurse informaticist in the SDLC.

Post 550 words in APA format with a minimum of 3 references from the list provided under Required Readings. Apply the level 1 headings as numbered below:

1) A description of how the systems development life cycle is utilized in your organization (Hospital), or in one with which you are familiar, and assess its effectiveness.

2)  Assess the role of the nurse informaticist in your organization. If the nurse informaticist is not a current position within your organization, provide a description of the generally accepted role of the nurse informaticist based on this week’s Learning Resources and your own research.

3)  Explain why it is important for the nurse informaticist to be involved in the SDLC process and the overall organizational benefits of having such involvement.

Required Readings

 Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Roth, R. M. (2015). Systems analysis and design (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Chapter 1, “The Systems Analyst and Information Systems Development” (pp. 1–34)

In this chapter, the authors clarify the relationship between systems analysts and information systems development. The chapter also covers the basic business applications of information systems.

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2015). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

• Chapter 10, “Systems Development Life Cycle: Nursing Informatics and Organizational Decision Making”
• Chapter 11, “Administrative Information Systems”

Quality, organizational decision making is a requisite to successful advancements in technology. This chapter explores how workplaces respond to the necessity for improved information systems.

Anderson, C., & Sensmeier, J. (2011). Nursing informatics scope of practice expands, salaries increase. Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 29(5), 319–320.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article assesses the growing need for informaticists in the health care industry. The combination of clinical and information technology experience that informaticists possess makes them invaluable in assisting in the health care industry’s transition into a heavier use of information systems.

Houston, S. M. (2012). Nursing’s role in IT projects. Nursing Management, 43(1), 18–19.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

The societal advancements of information technology (IT) are major factors in the governance of health care organizations. This article gives an overview of how nurse informaticists blend their clinical know-how with IT to improve workflow and patient care.

McLane, S., & Turley, J. P. (2011). Informaticians: How they may benefit your healthcare organization. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 41(1), 29–35.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Nursing informaticists help guide the implementation of information systems into health care organizations. The authors of this article evaluate how informaticists effect change in management and improve meaningful use in nursing practice.

Prestigiacomo, J. (2012). The rise of the senior nurse informaticist. Healthcare Informatics, 29(2), 38–43.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

The author of this article highlights the conditions of the health care industry and its growing reliance on data-driven decision making. Nurse informaticists are important in this transition, playing a major role in the development and utilization of electronic health records (EHRs).

Warm, D., & Thomas, B. (2011). A review of the effectiveness of the clinical informaticist role. Nursing Standard, 25(44), 35–38.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Health care organizations rely heavily on information management and technology for organizational maintenance and patient care. This article examines the clinical informaticist’s role in facilitating the implementation of health information technology and spearheading clinical risk management.

 

 

MORE INFO 

The Systems Development Life Cycle And The Nurse Informaticist

Introduction

The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is the term used for the process of developing, testing and maintaining software. The SDLC has four phases: Conceptualization, Analysis/Design, Development and Maintenance. In this article we’ll discuss each phase in detail so you can better understand how they relate to Nurse Informaticist roles.

Section: Conceptualization refers to defining the purpose of the system being built, determining what data should be collected and how it will be stored and accessed by users.

Section: Analysis/Design is where most of your work will be done since you’ll need to determine which type of technology best fits your needs based on industry standards such as security concerns (as well as budgetary restrictions). You may also need to evaluate different programming languages depending on which ones are easier for your staff members to learn (or save money). This stage also involves making sure all stakeholders have been adequately informed about what they are getting into before moving forward with development.

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

The SDLC is a framework for managing software development projects. A project can be broken down into five phases:

• Conceptualization – in this phase, you identify what your system will do and how it will work. You also decide on the scope of your project (i.e., what features are included).

• Design – during this phase, you create detailed plans for building your software application or website. The design includes everything from user interfaces (the way users interact with their computer) to database structures and domain models (how data is structured).

• Implementation – during this phase, developers implement their designs into code so they become real applications that users can access via web browsers on any device they own—whether desktop computers powered by Intel processors or smartphones powered by Apple’s iOS operating system!

Health Information Systems

Health information systems are used to manage and store health-related information. They can be used to track the progress of a disease or illness, monitor patient’s health history, and keep track of their current health status. The main purpose behind developing these systems is improving quality of care by providing a centralized repository for all relevant data that could be used in decision-making processes at various levels within an organization.

Phases of SDLC

The SDLC is a process that involves the creation of an information system. This can be done in different phases, such as planning, implementation and operation and maintenance.

Planning: You start by defining your goals for the system and then create a design for it based on those goals.

Implementation: Once you’ve created your design, it’s time to get it built using software tools like Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop so you can make sure everything works properly before moving onto phase two (Operation & Maintenance). Operation & Maintenance: In this phase you’ll need someone who knows how databases work; maybe even someone who has worked at Google or Facebook! They’ll fix any bugs that come up during use by updating code parts manually until they’re perfect (or close enough). Disposal: Finally comes disposal where all data files are deleted from hard drives after being archived safely offsite somewhere else – preferably another country so no one finds out about our secret plans!

Core Competencies

• Ability to communicate effectively

• Ability to work with diverse groups

• Ability to work in a team environment

• Ability to think creatively and analytically, especially when faced with complex problems or situations. This can be challenging, but it’s important for the systems development life cycle because you’ll be communicating with many different people who have their own ideas about how things should work. You’ll need this skill if you want your project’s goals met. In addition, being able to think creatively helps when trying out new ideas on your own—it might seem impossible at first but eventually leads towards some great results!

Characteristics of a Good Informaticist

A good informaticist is a person who has knowledge of SDLC, healthcare systems, and healthcare informatics. The person should be able to work with other disciplines and in teams. They also need to be able to communicate with patients and staff members effectively so that they can provide the best care possible for them.

Takeaway:

The takeaway is that the Systems Development Life Cycle is a process for developing an information system. It was designed to help users understand how their requirements are going to be handled and how they will use the system. This can be useful for nurses who want to be able to create their own database or keep track of patient data, but also for other types of professionals who need this type of software as well.

This section has covered some important concepts about software development, including:

• Why do you need a life cycle?

• What is involved in creating one?

• How does it relate to other stages of project management?

Conclusion

The Systems Development Life Cycle and the Nurse Informaticist is an exciting time for nurses. The world of technology will continue to evolve, but it can be helpful to have a solid understanding of how these systems work at a fundamental level. If you are interested in learning more about informatics as well as how they can fit into your practice, then sign up for our free webinar!