USA: +1 415 256 4347 
Sign in
The Role of Nurses as Change Agents in Facilitating the Adoption of New Technology
The implementation of new data management systems has become one of the absolute characteristics of health care systems all over the world. It is an undisputed fact that the majority of the new health delivery models have significant positive effects on the continuity of health care provision. For this reason, nurses should always be at the frontline in perceiving the favorable effects of the new technologies and simultaneously shunning resistance that is driven by the false belief that their implementation could potentially jeopardize their professional and organizational goals.
Rogers (2003) asserts that the resistance posed by nurses towards the implementation of technological changes can, in fact, lead to the failure by healthcare providers to derive the benefits that come with the adoption of improved information systems. Nurses are change agents who hold the power to foresee the adoption of new technologies particularly if they view the impeding changes in a positive light especially in relation to how the new systems would affect their job positions (Finkelman & Kenner, 2013).
Like other healthcare organizations around the world, the health care system at our hospital at upstate New York has been subjected to a plethora of changes, more so in the technology systems department. In this paper, I set out to explain how I would set out to convince our nurses to support these efforts. In providing a roadmap on our implementation team’s upcoming efforts to win over the support of the nurses in accepting the implementation of the new electronic health record system (EHRs), I will reflect on specific insights derived from Rogers’ (2003) views particularly the five concerns that influence people’s attitude towards the adoption of new technologies.
To begin with, our hospitals new electronic health record (EHR) system will have multiple advantages over the current one. According to Rogers (2003), one of the primary arguments that favors the adoption of the HER system is relative advantage. Nurses should view this technology as something that will benefit them directly. Owing to this, it is important to inform them that the proposed system will increase efficiency and productivity by advocating for a more centralized management technique and quicker remote access to patient records guided by simple but highly specific query commands.
Secondly, there will be less paperwork. The EHRs is a purely paperless system through which many routine tasks are streamlined. This benefit trickles down to everyone at the hospital by reducing the amount of storage space required. The digital system runs on instant storage and retrieval platform. Thus, nurses will enjoy the benefit of having clutter-free offices and increased efficiency in the long run (Bates, 2010). Furthermore, there will be increased quality in the care provided. The new platform possesses the unique ability to provide precise and accurate health information about a patient in real-time. This is primarily because the system is comprehensive and up-to-date, ultimately resulting in higher quality of care since errors are considerably reduced (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2012; Bates, 2010).
Besides the benefits, the HER system is highly compatible with the values, principles, and goals of the nurses. In theory, nurses tend to be overly rigid and conservative in that they may not be willing to abandon their old procedures for new ones. Resistance to implementation seems somewhat justified in this case because of the underlying uncertainties that arise from adopting a new system, for example, potential job losses due to replacement of manual tasks with automatic operations (Fickenscher &Bakerman, 2011). However, it is imperative to emphasize how the system will aid nurses to solve severe issues at their workplaces instead of getting distracted by a few short-term instances of job redundancies. For example, the system will reduce medication and prescription errors thereby fitting in well with their professional goals of safety, quality care and beneficence.
Besides, simplicity and trialability are equally important considerations, and the two components are intertwined. Lack of training could cause nurses to view the new technology as fundamentally complex and unfit for use since they have little control over it. Nonetheless, it is one week prior to the training course that the meeting with nurses will occur. As a nurse leader, I will strive to convince my staff that HER training will accord them a better understanding and grip of the technology, its ease, and expediency. I will also organize a small dummy trial to see how the nurses fair in terms of the use of the system.
Finally, the results of the adoption of this scheme have to be visible to the stakeholders of the institution. As such, a teleconference with other nurse leaders from hospitals within the vicinity can prove to be crucial in scheduling a meeting with all nurses to stage a better demonstration. This is the best way in which nurses will be able to see the positive effects of the new HER system first-hand both for them and for patients. I will also invite a nurse leader from another hospital where the system has been integrated and worked efficiently to communicate the benefits of adopting this system in a more interactive manner.
Overall, it is quite clear that nurses can be facilitators of technological advancements only if they percieve the alterations in a positive manner (Finkelman & Kenner, 2013). The five issues that Rogers (2003) points out in relation to how attitudes towards innovation diffusion are shaped can act as ideal motivators that can help nurse leaders to emancipate their own staff from the resistance-oriented mindset. Rogers’ views will help nurses to view the benefits of the EHRs in a new, positive light. Since the decision to adopt the system has been concluded, the need to avert resistance from nurses has become a matter of urgency. Once they accept the need for change, they will be able to cope with the challenges arising from their new obligations and contribute positively to the transition. Fortunately, the above arguments provide a sufficient and compelling rationale for my upcoming goal of explaining to the on the need adopt and support the proposed HER system for the hospital.
References
Bates, D. W. (2010). Getting in step: Electronic health records and their role in care coordination. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 25(3), 174–176.
Fickenscher, K., Bakerman, M. (2011). Change management in health care IT. Physician Executive, 37(2), 64–67.
Finkelman, A., & Kenner, C. (2013). Professional nursing concepts. London: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
McGonigle, D., Mastrian, K. G. (2012). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th Ed.). New York, NY: Free Press.
