Adoption of new technology systems There are currently many advances occurring in healthcare within information technology, which are helping to create a safer and more streamlined healthcare environment. These IT advances are improving the quality of care and decreasing costs. Unfortunately, there are many challenges that healthcare facilities face regarding the implementation of electronic health records. There must be specific strategies employed by an organization to address these issues to enable a smooth transition to these EHR initiatives. The following is an analysis of the roles nurses must play as change advocates in the successful adoption of the latest information technologies. You will see examples of how nurse leaders can ensure an effective transition to promoting EHR systems adaptation. In this assignment I will refer to the theory of diffusion of innovations developed by professor of rural sociology, Everett Rogers, in 1962. Adoption of new technologies: the role of the nurse as an initiator of change For a significant percentage of the workforce, change is inconvenient and disturbing. . Just when you think you have it all figured out, management finds it necessary to interrupt the current workflow to make way for change. Many in the business world have difficulty seeing the benefits of change. Resistance to change is to be expected, but organizations can soften the blow by involving stakeholders early, even before the change process begins. The change process must begin by introducing the role of change advocates and nurse facilitators. These individuals must show real enthusiasm for the initiative, assure colleagues of their commitment, and possess the ability to respond to needs… middle of the paper… cation, self-directed practice, superusers, and parallel workflow can help in the process preparation so that when the system goes live, nurses will feel relatively comfortable and won't need to take 10 steps back” (Schwartz, 2012, p. 3). When nurses are advocates for change and modernization and committed to playing an active role in the implementation of their organization's new EHR system, high adoption rates are achievable. Nurses are an essential part of the team and play a crucial role in all phases of the systems development lifecycle. References Fickenscher, K., & Bakerman, M. (2011). Managing change in health IT. Medical Executive, 37(2), 64-67. Mooney, B., & Boyle, A. (2011). 10 Steps to Effective EHR Implementation. Medical Economics, 88(9), 4-11.Schwartz, A. (2012). Nurses adopt the electronic medical record. Science of care , 1-7.