Tuesday October 2nd,
2:00 – 5:00 pm

The adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) demands permanent change in work environments, and requires on-going attention and adaptation by clinicians. Clinician adoption has been recognized as an integral part of the success of information technology (IT) in healthcare institutions (Canada Health Infoway, 2006). Resistance to change can result in a negative response to IT projects within clinical settings, thus clinician support is imperative during the implementation and post-implementation periods (Robinson, 2007). While input from clinicians across disciplines is recognized as crucial during the build phase of such projects, this many still not be enough to convince front-line care givers that their clinical needs are represented to IT project staff. This presentation outlines a unique change management strategy involving hiring a full-time front-line nurse to act as an IT Project Liaison. The role and sole purpose of this nursing position is to facilitate direct two-way communication between end users and IT professionals. Appointing an experienced, well respected front-line nurse to provide a physical presence in care areas on a daily basis allows opportunity for staff to increase their knowledge about the IT project, and provide feedback without being away from their units. This distinctive clinically driven approach to change management can assist in allying clinician fear, anxiety, hesitancy and resistance often associated with an institutional change of this magnitude. The concept of a Clinical IT Project Liaison will be described; processes, timelines, and challenges involved in execution of such a role within a large institution will be outlined.

Biography

Sandra Allen RN MN PHCNP C Neph (C)

My current position is Documentation Coordinator and Electronic Health Record Nurse Consultant at Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation in Saint John, New Brunswick. Prior to this assignment I worked as a staff nurse in Hemodialysis and Labor & Delivery. I graduated from a diploma school of Nursing in 1979 and obtained my BN from Athabasca University in 2004. I completed a Master of Nursing Degree also with Athabasca University in June 2007. I am a Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner and am currently exploring opportunities to begin practice in New Brunswick and am exploring a Post Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics. .