The project team finished another week of workflow sessions. We have been working very hard to get all of the workflow sessions ready. After the workflow sessions, focus groups are the next on the agenda for each department to take a close look at what we build for them, especially the clinical documentation.
My focus group is this week and I am only 65% ready to show my clients what I have built for them. My group had their workflow session last week and seemed pleased with what they saw. Granted, they have not had training yet and not yet touched the system, so I am sure they will have more to say in the future.
This week my colleagues and I are preparing for next week’s workflow session. After next week’s workflow session, we only have one more workflow session week.
It’s almost March and into the third month of the year. We really only have 9 months til the medical center turns on the new software system.
Pressure is rising as we get closer to go live and the deadline dates become real close. In one of my meeting today, the director gave us some milestone dates to shoot for. The dates that she would like us to get our test users ready is by April and then we start writing our test scripts. Yikes! We only have one month to do all of that.
We start testing the software in the spring and still have many things to build. The entire team has been working very hard and working long hours. The team’s spirit is still high and everyone is working together.
I had felt pressures of the deadline a few weeks ago but last week, I calmed down. I had to focus and relax and realized I can only do so much. Before I went to work, I attended yoga class to focus on my breathing and myself. When I am stressed my body tenses up and my muscles become knots and my thinking gets less focused. I need to think straight. I need to take care of myself and my job gets stressful. I don’t want to burn myself out. Believe me, implementing
an inpatient software is as stressful as working in the Intensive Care Unit.
I love the implementation phase of the system life cycle. I think its the most exciting phase of the system life cycle and I have had experience with all phases of the life cycle. Even though, my job is stressful, its also exciting and I never do the same thing twice.
