• To understand the processes involved in introducing electronic health records in a healthcare organisation
• To explore the challenges of implementing large-scale digital change in a mental health service
• To gain awareness of the need for nurse representation and nurse leadership in digital change
Electronic health record (EHR) systems can contribute to improve the quality of care, but mental health services have been slow to adopt them. There is little research about introducing EHRs in mental healthcare settings and even less research on the role of nurses in such digital change projects. This article describes the implementation of an EHR system in a private mental health service in Ireland, focusing on the role of the nurse lead for the project. It describes the process of change according to a five-stage framework and explains how the nurse lead’s role was central in brokering knowledge and innovation and in spanning boundaries between disciplines and departments.
Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2020.e1524
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone declared
Kirwan S, Keogh B, Donohue G (2020) Nurse leadership in implementing digital change in an Irish mental health service. Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2020.e1524
Published online: 15 December 2020
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