What is one way you could become involved in designing, selecting, evaluating, or implementing an information system in your workplace?
We already have a computerized charting system and computerized medication system where I work. However, we do have work-groups that look at the current note options, templates and overall flow of the system and look for ways to improve it. This includes adding new notes as we have a need, eliminating notes that are redundant or not being used and revising notes that are confusing or not user-friendly. Also, there still are a few paper forms that we are trying to change over to the computer system and the work-groups focus on that as well. I could be more involved by participating in the work-groups. I do use many of the notes and templates, so I could provide feedback for what does and does not work. I think that nurses often get overlooked for these work-groups, although we probably do the most charting out of any discipline in the hospital. I think the nurses feel they are too busy to be involved in the work-groups, but really it is the only way that we will get our voices heard, so I should be more involved. One way that I am involved however, is that I am one of the "super-users" of the computer charting system at the hospital. The "super-users" have had additional training for trouble-shooting the system and can help other staff members if they encounter a problem. This was needed more when the system first changed over, as now most the staff are comfortable with it, but it was nice to be able to help others with the system in the beginning. I think it helped to ease some of the stress of change.
