Written assignmentNursing informatics

Explain each step of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) for a nursing informatics project DQ

Two parts that share one spine. The job description in part two has to be written stage by stage against the life cycle you set out in part one, or the halves do not connect.

Editorial process

Last reviewed · August 23, 2026

Written by

Maren Caldwell

MSN, RN, CNE

Medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology and NCLEX preparation

Reviewed by

Dr. Tessa Redmond

DNP, RN, CNE

Evidence-based practice and clinical education

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Assignment instructions
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One spine, used twice

The two parts are not independent, and treating them as though they were is the structural mistake this assignment punishes. Part one sets out the life cycle; part two writes a job description against it, stage by stage. So decide your stage list first and keep it constant across both halves. The conventional five are planning and requirements definition, analysis, design, implementation and testing, and maintenance and evaluation; some texts split implementation from testing. Whichever you choose, name the stages once and use exactly those names again in part two, because a job description organised around different headings tells the marker that the second half was written without reference to the first. Decide it before writing either half and keep the list in view while drafting the second, because the two documents are graded partly on whether they describe the same process. Any standard variant is defensible; inconsistency is not.

The reason nurse leaders belong in every stage is worth arguing rather than asserting, and the argument is strongest at the two ends. At requirements, nurses hold the workflow knowledge that determines whether the specification describes the work as it is actually performed rather than as the policy manual imagines it, and a requirement missed here is expensive to add later. At maintenance and evaluation, nurses are the ones who see the workarounds, and a documented workaround is evidence that the design failed rather than that staff are non-compliant. In between, nurse involvement in design is what keeps click burden and alert volume in view, both of which have documented links to clinician burnout. For the job description itself, write it as a job: a title, a reporting line, time commitment, and for each stage a specific deliverable that this person produces, since a role defined by attendance at meetings is not a role.

Likely learning objectives

Maintain one consistent stage list across both halves of an assignment.
Argue nurse involvement from the specific knowledge nurses hold at each stage.
Recognise workarounds as design evidence rather than non-compliance.
Write a role description in terms of deliverables rather than participation.

Assignment instructions

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Explain each step of the systems development life cycle (SDLC) for a nursing informatics project. (1 page) Explain why nurse leaders should be involved in each step of the SDLC by identifying at least two ways that nurse leaders can contribute to best practices for implementation of nursing informatics projects. Be specific and provide examples. (1 page) Part 2. Job and Role Description of the Nurse in Systems Development and Implementation Develop a 1- to 2-page job and role description for a graduate level nurse to guide his/her participation on the implementation team for a new nursing documentation system. The job and role description should be based on the systems development life cycle (SDLC) stages and tasks, and should clearly define how this individual will participate in and impact each of the steps. Define the role of the nurse in the planning and defining requirements stage of the SDLC. (1–2 paragraphs) Define the role of the nurse in the analysis stage of the SDLC. (1–2 paragraphs) Define the role of the nurse in the design of the new system stage of the SDLC. (1–2 paragraphs) Define the role of the nurse in the implementation stage of the SDLC. (1–2 paragraphs) Define the role of the nurse in the testing and maintenance stages of the SLDC. (1–2 paragraphs) TN005: The Nurse Leader and the Systems Development Life Cycle: Define the role of the nurse for participation on an implementation team as a component of the systems development life cycle. Assessment Rubric Rubric Criteria 0 Not Present 1 Needs Improvement 2 Meets Expectations Module 1: The Systems Development Life Cycle as a Best Practice for Implementation Part 1. The Systems Development Life Cycle for Implementation In a 2-page narrative, address the following:  Explain each step of the systems development life cycle for a nursing informatics project. Learning Objective 1.1 – Explain the steps of the systems development life cycle for nursing informatics projects The response explaining each step of the systems development life cycle for a nursing informatics project is missing. The response inaccurately or vaguely explains each step of the systems development life cycle for a nursing informatics project. The Systems Development Life Cycle for Implementation DQ The response accurately and thoroughly explains in detail each step of the systems development life cycle for a nursing informatics project.  Explain why nurse leaders should be involved in each step of the systems development life cycle by identifying at least two ways nurse leaders can contribute to best practices for implementation of nursing informatics projects. The response explaining why nurse leaders should be involved in each step of the systems development life cycle is missing. The response identifying at least two ways that nurse leaders can contribute to best practices for implementation The response inaccurately or vaguely explains why nurse leaders should be involved in each step of the systems development life cycle. The response identifies only 1 way that nurse leaders can contribute to best practices for implementation of The response accurately and clearly explains in detail why nurse leaders should be involved in each step of the systems development life cycle. The response clearly and accurately details the identification of 2 or more ©2017 Walden University 2 Rubric Criteria 0 Not Present 1 Needs Improvement 2 Meets Expectations Learning Objective 1.2 – Analyze nurse leader involvement in the systems development life cycle for best practices of implementation of nursing informatics projects of nursing informatics projects is missing. nursing informatics projects or inaccurately/vaguely identifies at least 2 ways that nurse leaders contribute to best practices for implementation of nursing informatics projects. The response minimally synthesizes and integrates resources that may support the responses provided. ways that nurse leaders can contribute to best practices for implementation of nursing informatics projects. The response synthesizes and integrates at least two outside resources and two competency-specific resources that fully support the responses provided. Module 2: The Role of the Nurse Leader in the Systems Development Life Cycle Part 2. Job and Role Description of the Nurse in Systems Development and Implementation Develop a 1- to 2-page job and role description for a graduate- level nurse to guide his/her participation on the implementation team for a new nursing documentation system. The job and role description should be based on the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) stages and tasks, and should clearly define how this individual will participate in and impact each of the steps. The job and role description for a graduate-level nurse’s participation on an implementation team and the role of the nurse in each of the following stages of the systems development life cycle is missing: o Planning and defining requirements o Analysis The job and role description for a graduate-level nurse’s participation on an implementation team inaccurately or vaguely defines the role of the nurse in each of the following stages of the systems development life cycle: o Planning and defining requirements o Analysis The job and role description for a graduate-level nurse’s participation on an implementation team accurately and completely defines the role of the nurse in each of the following stages of the systems development life cycle: o Planning and defining requirements o Analysis ©2017 Walden University 3 Rubric Criteria 0 Not Present 1 Needs Improvement 2 Meets Expectations Learning Objective 2.1 – Create job and role descriptions for the role of the nurse in each step of the systems development life cycle The Systems Development Life Cycle for Implementation DQ o Design of the new system o Implementation o Testing and maintenance o Design of the new system o Implementation o Testing and maintenance The response minimally synthesizes and integrates resources that may support the responses provided. o Design of the new system o Implementation o Testing and maintenance The response synthesizes and integrates at least two outside resources and two competency-specific resources that fully support the responses provided. Mastery Rubric No Yes Exceeds Expectations: The Nurse Leader and the Systems Development Life Cycle Learning Objective – Define the role of the nurse for participation on an implementation team as a component of the systems development life cycle A comprehensive job and role description is provided that does not synthesizes the role of the nurse in each step of the systems development life cycle and does not fully support the perspectives of including the nurse leader in each step of the systems development life cycle for nursing informatics projects that contributes to best practices for implementation. A comprehensive job and role description is provided that synthesizes the role of the nurse in each step of the systems development life cycle and fully supports the perspectives of including the nurse leader in each step of the systems development life cycle for nursing informatics projects that contributes to best practices for implementation.

What both parts of this assignment require

01A one page explanation of each step of the systems development life cycle.
02An explanation of why nurse leaders should be involved in each step.
03At least two ways nurse leaders contribute to best practices, with specific examples.
04A one to two page job and role description for a graduate level nurse.
05The nurse's role defined for the planning, analysis and design stages in one to two paragraphs each.