Paper details:
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.
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?
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.
