The productivity of the nurses in improving safety and care in hospitals by avoiding medical errors can be improved with the implementation of the electronic health record system in the medical facility. The nurses, therefore, have an impact on the success or failure of the implementation of the system in the hospital. The nurses are the primary change agent to ensure that the system has been adopted effectively in the medical facility to guarantee improved safety and care in the medical facility. As a nurse facilitator in Cuba Memorial Hospital Inc., it is my task to prepare the nurses for the implementation of a new electronic health record system in the hospital. Due to the undercurrent resistance expressed by the nurses concerning the technological systems, all concerns will be responded to in the meeting scheduled with the nurses one week before the training of the new system. For effective preparation of the nurses in the meeting for the new system, the five qualities outlined in Roger’s theory will be used. The five qualities include relative advantage, compatibility with existing values and practices, simplicity, trialability, and observable results.
Relative advantage will help prepare the nurses for the upcoming system implementation. This approach will enable the nurses to understand how the implementation of the electronic health record system will improve the hospital operations better than the older ways of doing things. As the nurse facilitator, making clear that the implementation of the EHR system is important and that it will make their work easier and even improve the safety and care in the hospital will be expressed. With the use of relative advantage, comparison of the current hospital progress with the progress of other hospitals using the new system will be made (McBride, Tietze, Hanley, & Thomas, 2017). The statistics and data showing the progress and improvement of using the EHRs will be provided to the nurses. Also, the advantages of using EHRs in the hospital will be listed and explained including how it improves patient safety and its productivity and financial implications (McBride, Tietze, Hanley, & Thomas, 2017). This will make the nurses have a positive view of the implementation of the new system, thus, preparing them effectively.
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Compatibility with existing values and practices will help in preparing the nurses for the new system. This will help the nurses understand how the new system aligns with the current practices. The EHR system has to be expressed in terms of how it is an instrument of change and how it is a replacement for the use of pen and paper and the fax machines (Maillet, Mathieu, & Sicotte, 2015). It has to be shown how it can be used from treating one patient at a time to improving the treating process of patients by benefiting the entire population of patients.
Simplicity also helps the nurses in preparation of the new system. With this approach, the nurses will be able to understand that they can easily understand and operate the new system since the harder it is learning the new system, then the more the resistance from the nurses will be received. The EHRs may be more complex than the use of pen and paper, but the nurses will be assured that this reason should not deter the implementation process for they will be able to easily learn the use of the new system (Perez, Popadiuk, & Cesar, 2017). They will be assured that the system will also make their work easier and simple than the use of paper and pen.
Trialability will prepare the nurses for the implementation of the new system in the hospital. This approach will provide the opportunity for the nurses to experiment with the new electronic health record system and explore its capabilities. During the meeting, the nurses will be able to experiment with the new system before the upcoming implementation, hence, reducing their anxiety and makes them ready for the implementation of the new system. Experimentation of the new system will help the nurse’s exercise well, and they will be able to learn how the system is better and easier than the use of pen and paper (Sintonen, Makela, & Miettinen, 2015). They will be able to understand how the new system will be useful since all records may be kept safe and will be protected than paper. The understanding, therefore, will help them prepare for the upcoming implementation.
Finally, observable results will also help the nurses prepare for the upcoming EHRs implementation. With this approach, evidence that the implementation of electronic health record systems has been successful in other situations. The nurses will be able to adopt the new technological system if they see its successful progress in other institutions. With positive results, the nurses will be confident that the implementation of the new system will be effective in the hospital system (Perez, Popadiuk, & Cesar, 2017). Evidence of data showing success in the implementation of the new system will assure the nurses that the upcoming implementation will lead to improvement in the hospital. Therefore, they will be positive about the implementation of the Electronic Health Record system thus preparing them for the upcoming implementation of the system.
In conclusion, to prepare the nurses for the upcoming implementation, it is important to use Everett Rogers` theory during the meeting. The use of relative advantage, compatibility with existing values and practices, simplicity, trialability, and observable results helps in assuring the nurses of the success of implementing electronic health record systems in the hospital. Therefore, the nurses' anxiety will be reduced, and all concerns will be attended to; hence, leading to a successful nurse’s preparation for the upcoming implementation.
References
Maillet, É., Mathieu, L., & Sicotte, C. (2015). Modeling factors explaining the acceptance, actual use and satisfaction of nurses using an Electronic Patient Record in acute care settings: An extension of the UTAUT. International Journal of Medical Informatics , 84(1), 36-47.
McBride, S., Tietze, M., Hanley, M. A., & Thomas, L. (2017). Statewide Study to Assess Nurses' Experiences With Meaningful Use–Based Electronic Health Records. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 35(1), 18-28.
Perez, G., Popadiuk, S., & Cesar, A. M. R. V. C. (2017). Internal factors that favor the adoption of technological innovation defined by information systems: a study of the electronic health record. RAI Revista de Administração e Inovação, 14(1), 67-78.
Sintonen, S., Mäkelä, K., & Miettinen, R. (2015). User acceptance of electronic health records: a post-implementation study. International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 15(2), 162-175.
