ANCC Nursing Informatics Certification Review: Practice
Questions & Explanations
Content Description:This comprehensive study guide is designed to help you prepare
for the ANCC Nursing Informatics Certification Exam. It features a curated collection of
multiple-choice questions covering key domains of nursing informatics, including:
● Informatics Concepts:Data, information, knowledge, and wisdom (DIKW)
continuum, terminology, and information science.
● System Life Cycle:Planning, analysis, design, implementation, and testing.
● Technology & Infrastructure:Networks, hardware, software, and the
human-technology interface.
● Professional & Ethical Issues:Regulatory compliance (HIPAA, HITECH),
telehealth, and professional competencies.
● Usability & Human Factors:Principles of ergonomics and human-computer
interaction (HCI).
● Project Management:Tools, strategies, and key phases of implementation.
.
,1. HIPAA only applies to organizations that have electronic health records.
True or False?Answer:FalseExplanation:HIPAA (Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act) applies to all covered entities, regardless of
whether they use paper or electronic records. This includes health plans,
healthcare clearinghouses, and healthcare providers who transmit health
information electronically. ThePrivacy Ruleappliesto all forms of protected
health information (PHI), while theSecurity Rulespecifically addresses
electronic PHI (ePHI).
2. The Informatics nurse is involved with measures to protect the security
and confidentiality of patient data because:a. itis a joint commission
mandateb. it is regulated by HIPAA legislationc.the major cause of
security breaches is human errord. both B and C arecorrectAnswer:d.
both B and C are correctExplanation:The role ofthe informatics nurse is
critical in data security for multiple reasons.HIPAAlegislation (b)mandates the
protection of patient data, and the informatics nurse is a key stakeholder in
implementing and maintaining systems that meet these regulations. Additionally,
human error (c)is a leading cause of security breaches,making it essential for
the informatics nurse to educate staff, design user-friendly systems, and
implement safeguards that reduce human-related risk.
3. Controls to protect data privacy and integrity are both logical and:a.
physicalb. analyticalc. theoreticald. psychologicalAnswer:a.physical
Explanation:Data security controls are categorizedas bothlogicaland
physical.Logical controlsinclude passwords, firewalls,and encryption.
Physical controlsare tangible measures to protecthardware and the physical
environment, such as locked doors, security cameras, fences, and alarm
,systems.
4. Which of the following is not a mechanism for protecting the security of
health data?a. Automatic sign-offsb. A strong passwordc. Having one
password per nursing unitd. FirewallsAnswer:c.Having one password
per nursing unitExplanation:Sharing passwords, especiallyone password for
an entire unit, is a major security risk. It makes it impossible to track individual
access and compromises accountability. All other options are valid security
mechanisms.
5. An audit trail is:a. a log of which project meetingsand events have been
completedb. an electronic tool that can track systemaccess by individual
users who viewed a specific client recordc. a proactivetool to monitor who
will be using a system and modifying datad. usedprimarily as a data
integrity toolAnswer:b.an electronic tool that can track system access by
individual users who viewed a specific client record.Explanation:Anaudit
trailis a chronological record of system activity.It tracks user actions, such as
who accessed a patient's chart, when they accessed it, and what information
they viewed or modified. This is a crucial tool for security and accountability, as it
helps identify inappropriate access to patient data.
6. Data can be represented by all EXCEPT:a. textb. audioc. transmission
wavesd. videoAnswer:c.transmission wavesExplanation:Data is a
representation of facts and can be stored and transmitted in various formats,
includingtext,audio, andvideo.Transmission wavesare a medium used to
transmitdata, not a representation of the data itself.
7. Things to consider related to disaster planning include:a. should have
only 1 database to make it easier to recoverb. alldata should be stored
, onsite so it is accessiblec. must have a solid communication plan during
disaster and recoveryd. an association or group thatshows uniformity
Answer:c. must have a solid communication plan duringdisaster and
recovery.Explanation:A robust disaster recoveryplan requires a clear
communication planto coordinate efforts during andafter an event. Options a
and b are incorrect; it is safer to have redundant databases and store data offsite
to protect against physical disasters.
8. Some examples of physical security for healthcare data are fences,
walls, locks, safes, vaults, armed guards, sensors, alarms. True or False?
Answer:TrueExplanation:These are all examples ofphysical security
controlsdesigned to prevent unauthorized physicalaccess to servers and other
hardware containing patient data.
9. One way to track the activity that is occurring in a system is:a. a GANTT
chartb. an audit trailc. a data backupd. biometricsAnswer:b. an audit
trailExplanation:Anaudit traillogs all activity, providing a detailed record of
who is doing what in the system. A GANTT chart is a project management tool. A
data backup is a copy of data for recovery. Biometrics is a security method for
user authentication.
10. PHI stands for:a. physician hospital interchangeb. password hint
indicatorc. potential hardware incursiond. protectedhealth information
Answer:d. Protected Health InformationExplanation:PHIis any information
in a medical record or designated record set that can be used to identify an
individual and was created or received by a healthcare provider, health plan,
public health authority, employer, life insurer, school, university, or healthcare
clearinghouse.
Questions & Explanations
Content Description:This comprehensive study guide is designed to help you prepare
for the ANCC Nursing Informatics Certification Exam. It features a curated collection of
multiple-choice questions covering key domains of nursing informatics, including:
● Informatics Concepts:Data, information, knowledge, and wisdom (DIKW)
continuum, terminology, and information science.
● System Life Cycle:Planning, analysis, design, implementation, and testing.
● Technology & Infrastructure:Networks, hardware, software, and the
human-technology interface.
● Professional & Ethical Issues:Regulatory compliance (HIPAA, HITECH),
telehealth, and professional competencies.
● Usability & Human Factors:Principles of ergonomics and human-computer
interaction (HCI).
● Project Management:Tools, strategies, and key phases of implementation.
.
,1. HIPAA only applies to organizations that have electronic health records.
True or False?Answer:FalseExplanation:HIPAA (Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act) applies to all covered entities, regardless of
whether they use paper or electronic records. This includes health plans,
healthcare clearinghouses, and healthcare providers who transmit health
information electronically. ThePrivacy Ruleappliesto all forms of protected
health information (PHI), while theSecurity Rulespecifically addresses
electronic PHI (ePHI).
2. The Informatics nurse is involved with measures to protect the security
and confidentiality of patient data because:a. itis a joint commission
mandateb. it is regulated by HIPAA legislationc.the major cause of
security breaches is human errord. both B and C arecorrectAnswer:d.
both B and C are correctExplanation:The role ofthe informatics nurse is
critical in data security for multiple reasons.HIPAAlegislation (b)mandates the
protection of patient data, and the informatics nurse is a key stakeholder in
implementing and maintaining systems that meet these regulations. Additionally,
human error (c)is a leading cause of security breaches,making it essential for
the informatics nurse to educate staff, design user-friendly systems, and
implement safeguards that reduce human-related risk.
3. Controls to protect data privacy and integrity are both logical and:a.
physicalb. analyticalc. theoreticald. psychologicalAnswer:a.physical
Explanation:Data security controls are categorizedas bothlogicaland
physical.Logical controlsinclude passwords, firewalls,and encryption.
Physical controlsare tangible measures to protecthardware and the physical
environment, such as locked doors, security cameras, fences, and alarm
,systems.
4. Which of the following is not a mechanism for protecting the security of
health data?a. Automatic sign-offsb. A strong passwordc. Having one
password per nursing unitd. FirewallsAnswer:c.Having one password
per nursing unitExplanation:Sharing passwords, especiallyone password for
an entire unit, is a major security risk. It makes it impossible to track individual
access and compromises accountability. All other options are valid security
mechanisms.
5. An audit trail is:a. a log of which project meetingsand events have been
completedb. an electronic tool that can track systemaccess by individual
users who viewed a specific client recordc. a proactivetool to monitor who
will be using a system and modifying datad. usedprimarily as a data
integrity toolAnswer:b.an electronic tool that can track system access by
individual users who viewed a specific client record.Explanation:Anaudit
trailis a chronological record of system activity.It tracks user actions, such as
who accessed a patient's chart, when they accessed it, and what information
they viewed or modified. This is a crucial tool for security and accountability, as it
helps identify inappropriate access to patient data.
6. Data can be represented by all EXCEPT:a. textb. audioc. transmission
wavesd. videoAnswer:c.transmission wavesExplanation:Data is a
representation of facts and can be stored and transmitted in various formats,
includingtext,audio, andvideo.Transmission wavesare a medium used to
transmitdata, not a representation of the data itself.
7. Things to consider related to disaster planning include:a. should have
only 1 database to make it easier to recoverb. alldata should be stored
, onsite so it is accessiblec. must have a solid communication plan during
disaster and recoveryd. an association or group thatshows uniformity
Answer:c. must have a solid communication plan duringdisaster and
recovery.Explanation:A robust disaster recoveryplan requires a clear
communication planto coordinate efforts during andafter an event. Options a
and b are incorrect; it is safer to have redundant databases and store data offsite
to protect against physical disasters.
8. Some examples of physical security for healthcare data are fences,
walls, locks, safes, vaults, armed guards, sensors, alarms. True or False?
Answer:TrueExplanation:These are all examples ofphysical security
controlsdesigned to prevent unauthorized physicalaccess to servers and other
hardware containing patient data.
9. One way to track the activity that is occurring in a system is:a. a GANTT
chartb. an audit trailc. a data backupd. biometricsAnswer:b. an audit
trailExplanation:Anaudit traillogs all activity, providing a detailed record of
who is doing what in the system. A GANTT chart is a project management tool. A
data backup is a copy of data for recovery. Biometrics is a security method for
user authentication.
10. PHI stands for:a. physician hospital interchangeb. password hint
indicatorc. potential hardware incursiond. protectedhealth information
Answer:d. Protected Health InformationExplanation:PHIis any information
in a medical record or designated record set that can be used to identify an
individual and was created or received by a healthcare provider, health plan,
public health authority, employer, life insurer, school, university, or healthcare
clearinghouse.
