The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual project management model describing the stages of information systems implementation. Information technology has revolutionized healthcare; it has changed internal processes to be more efficient, fast and reliable. Different healthcare soft wares have significant effects; for example, the documentation system has improved documentation and the overall quality of care (Lai & Tsen, 2013). Proper implementation of the project is necessary to realize the benefits of the system. The implementation team is made up of different individuals who bring unique skills, expertise, and perspectives on the best way to implement the system. A nurse leader is the head of the nursing team and is responsible for other managerial roles such as finance, operations, and strategic goals. The purpose of the nurse leader in the implementation team is to ensure that the standards of care are observed and to align the unit’s interests and resources with organizational goals.
SDLC is a multi-step process with each stage contributing to the success of the program. The first step is the planning phase. The purpose of the planning phase is to define the problem and the deficiencies of the existing system. The planning phase is used to confirm the feasibility of the project and the scope of the project. The nurse leader has knowledge of the existing system and the problems associated with the system (Strudwick et al., 2017). For example, the system does not capture all the necessary patient information. The nurse leader will be involved in creating new objectives, determining the project scope, schedule, threats and constraints that will affect the implementation of the project.
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The second stage is the analysis and specification. In this phase, the project team gather, analyze, and validate information to come up with alternatives. The opinion of the nurse leader will be taken into consideration when evaluating the other options and prioritizing requirements for the new system. The nurse leader has information on the needs of the end users and will be in a position to give valuable information to aid in the design of the system.
The third stage focuses on system design. As a continuation of the second stage, the team focuses on the one specific model that they settled on in the second phase. The team addresses all the specifications by reviewing the proposed design. The design team is in charge of most of the work, but other stakeholders such as the nurse leader have to keep communicating their needs to guide the design process (Ionna et al., 2014).
The fourth stage is the implementation stage where the new documentation system is installed and integrated into the existing technology in the institution. The implementation process often entails training and test case generation. The system designers have to test the new system, and the other team members have to ensure that the system has all the aspects they wanted. For example, the nurse leader has to check whether the system is easy to use and whether it can store all critical patient information including history, test results, and medications.
The last phase is the post-implementation support. In this stage, the team focuses on handling residual errors and providing support to the users. The nurse leader will advocate for the adoption of the new system by educating nurses on how to use the system and the benefits of the new system.
In conclusion, the five steps of the SDLC show that a nurse leader has a vital role to play in the implementation of a new system. Nurse leaders have the first-hand experience with the system, and they will provide valuable insight to guide the design and implementation processes.
References
Lai, W. H., & Tsen, H. C. (2013). Exploring the relationship between system development life cycle and knowledge accumulation in Taiwan's IT industry. Expert Systems , 30 (2), 173- 182.
Ioanna, P., Stiliani, K., & Vasiliki, B. (2014). Nursing documentation and recording systems of nursing care. Health Science Journal , (4).
Strudwick, G., Booth, R. G., Bjarnadottir, R. I., Collins, S., & Srivastava, R. (2017). Exploring the role of the nurse manager in supporting point-of-care nurses’ adoption of electronic health records: protocol for a qualitative research study. BMJ open , 7 (10), e018129.
