WGU D220 · OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT STUDY GUIDE
Information
Technology
in Nursing Practice
150 exam-style practice questions with detailed
rationales covering informatics fundamentals, EHRs
and health information systems, data analytics, clinical
decision support, quality and patient safety, telehealth,
privacy and security, ethics, and informatics
leadership.
OA Study Guide + Practice Questions & Answers
Aligned with the WGU D220 Course Syllabus · AACN Essentials of
Baccalaureate Education · QSEN Informatics Competencies · ANA Nursing
Informatics Standards
N U RSI N G I N F O RM ATI C S RE V I E W 2 0 2 0 2 7 · 1 5 0 Q U E STI O N S W I TH
A N SW E RS & RATI O N A L E S
,WGU D220 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE | OA STUDY GUIDE + PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
WGU D220 | OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT STUDY GUIDE
Information Technology in Nursing Practice
OA Study Guide + Practice Questions & Answers | Nursing Informatics Review 2026/2027
Exam Overview
Total Questions 150 multiple-choice questions; each item has 4 options (A-D) with exactly one correct
answer
Sections 9 content sections covering the full D220 objective assessment blueprint (see Table of
Contents)
Cognitive Levels 25% recall, 50% application (case-based decision making and data interpretation), 25%
analysis (case analysis and quality improvement planning)
Question Style 75% scenario-based items drawn from real-world nursing informatics situations; 25%
direct knowledge items
Alignment WGU D220 Course Syllabus; AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education; QSEN
Informatics Competencies; ANA Nursing Informatics Standards and professional
frameworks (ONC, CMS, The Joint Commission, ANCC)
Answers & A correct-answer key and a 2-4 sentence evidence-linked rationale follow every
Rationales question for targeted remediation
Table of Contents
Section 1: Nursing Informatics Fundamentals (Questions 1-15) 2
Section 2: Healthcare Information Systems & EHRs (Questions 16-35) 8
Section 3: Data Management, Analytics, & Big Data (Questions 36-53) 15
Section 4: Clinical Decision Support & Workflow (Questions 54-71) 21
Section 5: Quality Improvement & Patient Safety Informatics (Questions 72-89) 27
Section 6: Telehealth & Digital Health Technologies (Questions 90-104) 33
Section 7: Privacy, Security, & HIPAA Compliance (Questions 105-119) 39
Section 8: Ethics, Policy, & Professional Practice in Informatics (Questions 120-135) 44
Section 9: Interprofessional Collaboration & Informatics Leadership (Questions 136-150) 49
Nursing Informatics Review 2026/2027 1
,WGU D220 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE | OA STUDY GUIDE + PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Section 1: Nursing Informatics Fundamentals (Questions 1-15)
Q1: Which statement best reflects the American Nurses Association (ANA) definition of nursing
informatics as presented in the WGU D220 course?
A. A specialty that integrates nursing science with information and analytical sciences to identify,
define, manage, and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice
[CORRECT]
B. A technical field focused primarily on programming, database administration, and maintenance of
hospital computer networks
C. A business discipline that uses health data mainly to reduce costs, negotiate payer contracts, and
market healthcare services
D. A clerical function limited to entering physician orders, scanning documents, and scheduling patient
appointments in the EHR
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The ANA defines nursing informatics as the specialty that integrates nursing science, computer
science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in
nursing practice (D220 Module 1; ANA Nursing Informatics: Scope and Standards of Practice). Option B reduces
the specialty to information technology work, ignoring the nursing science foundation. Option C reflects
healthcare administration rather than nursing informatics, and Option D describes data-entry tasks, not a
professional specialty.
Q2: A nurse reviews a patient's lab dashboard showing a hemoglobin A1c of 9.2 percent, recognizes the
value indicates poorly controlled diabetes, and decides to schedule diabetes education before discharge.
Using the Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom (DIKW) framework, which element is demonstrated when
the nurse combines experience and standards to choose the appropriate discharge intervention?
A. Data
B. Information
C. Knowledge
D. Wisdom [CORRECT]
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Wisdom is the highest DIKW tier and occurs when knowledge is applied appropriately to make sound
clinical decisions about a specific situation (D220 DIKW framework; ANA Scope and Standards). The A1c value
is data; linking it to a trend or abnormal range is information; understanding that elevated A1c reflects poor
glycemic control is knowledge; and choosing diabetes education as the right action is wisdom. Options A, B, and C
each describe valid earlier tiers but not the decision-making step described.
Nursing Informatics Review 2026/2027 2
, WGU D220 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE | OA STUDY GUIDE + PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q3: In the DIKW continuum, raw vital signs stored in an EHR flow sheet, such as a single blood pressure
reading of 148/92 mmHg with no interpretation attached, are classified at which level?
A. Information
B. Data [CORRECT]
C. Knowledge
D. Wisdom
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Data are discrete, uninterpreted facts or values without context, and a single stored vital sign is the
classic example used in D220 (Graves and Corcoran; ANA foundations). Once the value is compared with
baselines or thresholds it becomes information; recognizing a pattern such as worsening hypertension is
knowledge; and intervening appropriately reflects wisdom. Option A incorrectly labels the uninterpreted value,
and Options C and D require synthesis and judgment that a raw value does not contain.
Q4: Which initiative, launched in 2004 and organized around key themes such as sharing solutions,
delivering education, and developing a common evidence base, specifically aimed to prepare the nursing
workforce to use technology and informatics?
A. Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) [CORRECT]
B. Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act
C. National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care
D. Consolidated Health Informatics Initiative
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The TIGER Initiative (Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform) was formed to develop a
nursing workforce capable of using informatics and technology to improve patient care, organized through
collaborative teams addressing standards, education, and workforce development (D220 Module 1; TIGER
Initiative reports). The HITECH Act is federal legislation offering EHR incentives, not a nursing education reform
initiative. The National Quality Strategy addresses broad quality goals, and the Consolidated Health Informatics
Initiative focused on adopting federal health IT vocabulary standards.
Q5: A nursing student correctly administers medication using barcode scanning, documents in the EHR, and
checks two patient identifiers, demonstrating safe practice supported by technology. Which QSEN
informatics competency concept is most directly demonstrated?
A. Using complex statistical software to analyze population trends
B. Applying technology and information management to support safe, patient-centered, evidence-based
care [CORRECT]
C. Designing and programming clinical decision support algorithms
D. Replacing clinical judgment with automated device outputs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: QSEN defines the informatics competency as using information and technology to communicate,
manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making in safe, patient-centered care (QSEN Informatics
Competencies, integrated throughout D220). Barcode scanning and EHR documentation directly support safety
and error mitigation. Option A describes research-level analytics beyond entry practice, Option C is an
informaticist or engineer role, and Option D contradicts QSEN, which requires technology to augment rather than
replace nursing judgment.
Nursing Informatics Review 2026/2027 3
Information
Technology
in Nursing Practice
150 exam-style practice questions with detailed
rationales covering informatics fundamentals, EHRs
and health information systems, data analytics, clinical
decision support, quality and patient safety, telehealth,
privacy and security, ethics, and informatics
leadership.
OA Study Guide + Practice Questions & Answers
Aligned with the WGU D220 Course Syllabus · AACN Essentials of
Baccalaureate Education · QSEN Informatics Competencies · ANA Nursing
Informatics Standards
N U RSI N G I N F O RM ATI C S RE V I E W 2 0 2 0 2 7 · 1 5 0 Q U E STI O N S W I TH
A N SW E RS & RATI O N A L E S
,WGU D220 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE | OA STUDY GUIDE + PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
WGU D220 | OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT STUDY GUIDE
Information Technology in Nursing Practice
OA Study Guide + Practice Questions & Answers | Nursing Informatics Review 2026/2027
Exam Overview
Total Questions 150 multiple-choice questions; each item has 4 options (A-D) with exactly one correct
answer
Sections 9 content sections covering the full D220 objective assessment blueprint (see Table of
Contents)
Cognitive Levels 25% recall, 50% application (case-based decision making and data interpretation), 25%
analysis (case analysis and quality improvement planning)
Question Style 75% scenario-based items drawn from real-world nursing informatics situations; 25%
direct knowledge items
Alignment WGU D220 Course Syllabus; AACN Essentials of Baccalaureate Education; QSEN
Informatics Competencies; ANA Nursing Informatics Standards and professional
frameworks (ONC, CMS, The Joint Commission, ANCC)
Answers & A correct-answer key and a 2-4 sentence evidence-linked rationale follow every
Rationales question for targeted remediation
Table of Contents
Section 1: Nursing Informatics Fundamentals (Questions 1-15) 2
Section 2: Healthcare Information Systems & EHRs (Questions 16-35) 8
Section 3: Data Management, Analytics, & Big Data (Questions 36-53) 15
Section 4: Clinical Decision Support & Workflow (Questions 54-71) 21
Section 5: Quality Improvement & Patient Safety Informatics (Questions 72-89) 27
Section 6: Telehealth & Digital Health Technologies (Questions 90-104) 33
Section 7: Privacy, Security, & HIPAA Compliance (Questions 105-119) 39
Section 8: Ethics, Policy, & Professional Practice in Informatics (Questions 120-135) 44
Section 9: Interprofessional Collaboration & Informatics Leadership (Questions 136-150) 49
Nursing Informatics Review 2026/2027 1
,WGU D220 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE | OA STUDY GUIDE + PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Section 1: Nursing Informatics Fundamentals (Questions 1-15)
Q1: Which statement best reflects the American Nurses Association (ANA) definition of nursing
informatics as presented in the WGU D220 course?
A. A specialty that integrates nursing science with information and analytical sciences to identify,
define, manage, and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice
[CORRECT]
B. A technical field focused primarily on programming, database administration, and maintenance of
hospital computer networks
C. A business discipline that uses health data mainly to reduce costs, negotiate payer contracts, and
market healthcare services
D. A clerical function limited to entering physician orders, scanning documents, and scheduling patient
appointments in the EHR
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The ANA defines nursing informatics as the specialty that integrates nursing science, computer
science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in
nursing practice (D220 Module 1; ANA Nursing Informatics: Scope and Standards of Practice). Option B reduces
the specialty to information technology work, ignoring the nursing science foundation. Option C reflects
healthcare administration rather than nursing informatics, and Option D describes data-entry tasks, not a
professional specialty.
Q2: A nurse reviews a patient's lab dashboard showing a hemoglobin A1c of 9.2 percent, recognizes the
value indicates poorly controlled diabetes, and decides to schedule diabetes education before discharge.
Using the Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom (DIKW) framework, which element is demonstrated when
the nurse combines experience and standards to choose the appropriate discharge intervention?
A. Data
B. Information
C. Knowledge
D. Wisdom [CORRECT]
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Wisdom is the highest DIKW tier and occurs when knowledge is applied appropriately to make sound
clinical decisions about a specific situation (D220 DIKW framework; ANA Scope and Standards). The A1c value
is data; linking it to a trend or abnormal range is information; understanding that elevated A1c reflects poor
glycemic control is knowledge; and choosing diabetes education as the right action is wisdom. Options A, B, and C
each describe valid earlier tiers but not the decision-making step described.
Nursing Informatics Review 2026/2027 2
, WGU D220 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE | OA STUDY GUIDE + PRACTICE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q3: In the DIKW continuum, raw vital signs stored in an EHR flow sheet, such as a single blood pressure
reading of 148/92 mmHg with no interpretation attached, are classified at which level?
A. Information
B. Data [CORRECT]
C. Knowledge
D. Wisdom
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Data are discrete, uninterpreted facts or values without context, and a single stored vital sign is the
classic example used in D220 (Graves and Corcoran; ANA foundations). Once the value is compared with
baselines or thresholds it becomes information; recognizing a pattern such as worsening hypertension is
knowledge; and intervening appropriately reflects wisdom. Option A incorrectly labels the uninterpreted value,
and Options C and D require synthesis and judgment that a raw value does not contain.
Q4: Which initiative, launched in 2004 and organized around key themes such as sharing solutions,
delivering education, and developing a common evidence base, specifically aimed to prepare the nursing
workforce to use technology and informatics?
A. Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) [CORRECT]
B. Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act
C. National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care
D. Consolidated Health Informatics Initiative
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The TIGER Initiative (Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform) was formed to develop a
nursing workforce capable of using informatics and technology to improve patient care, organized through
collaborative teams addressing standards, education, and workforce development (D220 Module 1; TIGER
Initiative reports). The HITECH Act is federal legislation offering EHR incentives, not a nursing education reform
initiative. The National Quality Strategy addresses broad quality goals, and the Consolidated Health Informatics
Initiative focused on adopting federal health IT vocabulary standards.
Q5: A nursing student correctly administers medication using barcode scanning, documents in the EHR, and
checks two patient identifiers, demonstrating safe practice supported by technology. Which QSEN
informatics competency concept is most directly demonstrated?
A. Using complex statistical software to analyze population trends
B. Applying technology and information management to support safe, patient-centered, evidence-based
care [CORRECT]
C. Designing and programming clinical decision support algorithms
D. Replacing clinical judgment with automated device outputs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: QSEN defines the informatics competency as using information and technology to communicate,
manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making in safe, patient-centered care (QSEN Informatics
Competencies, integrated throughout D220). Barcode scanning and EHR documentation directly support safety
and error mitigation. Option A describes research-level analytics beyond entry practice, Option C is an
informaticist or engineer role, and Option D contradicts QSEN, which requires technology to augment rather than
replace nursing judgment.
Nursing Informatics Review 2026/2027 3
