852 Consumer-Centered Computer-Supported Care for Healthy People

H.-A. Park et al. (Eds.)

IOS Press, 2006
© 2006 The authors and IOS Press. All rights reserved.

Nursing Information System Development

in a Brazilian General Public Hospital
Yolanda Martinez Évoraa, Simone de Oliveira Pileggib, Josefina Maria Ballinib,
Wilson Moraes Góesb, Evandro Roqueteb
a
College of Nursing at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
b
Hospital of Clinics at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract The methodology was based in the prototype system life

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the
importance of the nurses’ participation in the
development process of a computerized nursing
information system. The methodology was based in the
prototype system life cycle. It was following up into two
phases: the definition and the development one. The
results demonstrate that the appropriate choice of the
project team makes the difference. The team must be
constituted by nurses committed with the professional
practice and also computer literacy. It was observed
that the active participation of the nurses through out
the process made possible to determine the basic system
requirements and functions.
Keywords: Nursing Documentation, Information System,
Computerized System
Introduction
The introduction of computerized systems in the health
organizations in Brazil is becoming a challenge. The
adoption of new equipments leads to the largest
automation and the need of the redraw the production
process. In Brazil it is observed that the initiatives of
incorporation the computer in nursing process are
focused, mainly, in the care plan under the form of
nursing intervention. Several experiences have been
made in different states as Rio Grande do Sul, Santa
Catarina, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and others.
Recently, the software developed by Sperandio [1]
showed that with the structured nursing data collection
in a conceptual model and using the computer, it is
possible to organize and to improve the patients care
documentation.
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the
importance of the nurses’ participation in the
development process of a computerized nursing
information system in a Brazilian general public
hospital.
cycle framework following the phases: project team
definition; study of the current information system
(manual); prototype system planning; definition of the
basic requirements and functions; system design and
development; pilot implementation; evaluation.
The research was conducted in a 700-bed General
Public Hospital, at Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
Results and Discussion
The results demonstrate that the appropriate choice of
the project team makes the difference. The team must be
constituted by nurses committed with the professional
practice and also computer literacy. It was observed that
the active participation of the nurses through out the
process made possible to analyze, in depth, the user
needs and to determine the basic system requirements
and functions, focusing the potential computer
application.
The nursing project team involved staff nurses, head
nurses, nursing division assistant, and faculty nurse
from College of Nursing, system analyst, and software
developer. The Nursing commitment to the
development of nursing applications was evident.
Conclusion
This system will affect nursing care by allowing for
more complete, accurate, and efficient processing of
patient information. It will make possible to plan the
nursing care, to define of nursing interventions and to
provide all nursing documentation in a systematized
way.
References
Sperandio DJ, Évora, YDM. The nursing in the digital
era: development of a software-prototype for the
nursing process. Ciência, Cuidado e Saúde 2003;2(1):
31-36.

Methods Address for Correspondence

Yolanda Dora Martinez Evora
This is a descriptive/exploratory study. Rua Rui Barbosa 367 14015-120- Ribeirão Preto- SP – Brazil
E-mail: yolanda@eerp.usp.br