Assignment: NURS 6051 Adoption of New Technology Systems
As a nurse, you can have a great impact on the success or
failure of the adoption of EHRs. It is important for nurses to understand their
role as change agents and the ways they can influence others when addressing
the challenges of changing to a drastically different way of doing things.
Everett Rogers, a pioneer in the field of the diffusion of
innovations, identified five qualities that determine individual attitudes
towards adopting new technology (2003). He theorized that individuals are
concerned with:
Relative advantage: The individual adopting the new
innovation must see how it will be an improvement over the old way of doing things.
Compatibility with existing values and practices: The
adopter must understand how the new innovation aligns with current practices.
Simplicity: The adopter must believe he or she can easily
master the new technology; the more difficult learning the new system appears,
the greater the resistance that will occur.
Trialability: The adopter should have the opportunity to
“play around’ with the new technology and explore its capabilities.
Observable results: The adopter must have evidence that the
proposed innovation has been successful in other situations.
Note: You are not required to purchase Rogers’ book or
pursue further information regarding his list of five qualities. The
information provided here is sufficient to complete this Assignment. The full
reference for Rogers’ work is provided below the due date on this page.
Assignment: NURS 6051 Adoption of New Technology Systems
For this Assignment, you assume the role of a nurse
facilitator in a small hospital in upstate New York. You have been part of a
team preparing for the implementation of a new electronic health records
system. Decisions as to the program that will be used have been finalized, and
you are now tasked with preparing the nurses for the new system. There has been
an undercurrent of resistance expressed by nurses, and you must respond to their
concerns. You have a meeting scheduled with the nurses 1 week prior to the
training on the new EHR system. Consider how you can use the five qualities
outlined by Rogers (2003) to assist in preparing the nurses for the upcoming
implementation.
To prepare
Review the Learning Resources this week about successful
implementations of EHRs.
Consider how you would present the new EHR system to the
nurses to win their approval.
Reflect on the five qualities outlined by Rogers. How would
addressing each of those areas improve the likelihood of success?
By Day 7 of Week 6
Write a 3- to 5-page paper which includes the following:
Using Rogers’ (2003) theory as a foundation, outline how you
would approach the meeting with the nurses. Be specific as to the types of information
or activities you could provide to address each area and include how you would
respond to resistance.
Analyze the role of nurses as change agents in facilitating
the adoption of new technology.
