ATI Nursing Informatics: Complete Study Guide for Nursing Informatics,
Healthcare Technology, Electronic Health Records (EHR), Clinical Decision
Support Systems, Health Information Management, Patient Privacy and HIPAA,
Telehealth, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Nursing
Documentation, Data Security, Clinical Communication, Healthcare Technology
Applications, and ATI RN/PN Nursing Informatics Exam Preparation 2026–2027
1. A nurse is caring for a client who asks to see their electronic health record
(EHR). Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
A. Deny the request to protect the client's privacy
B. Allow the client to view the record and provide a printed copy if requested
C. Ask the provider for permission before allowing access
D. Allow access only to the client's family member
Answer: B. Under HIPAA, clients have the legal right to inspect and obtain a copy
of their health records. The nurse should facilitate this request.
2. A nurse accidentally views a chart of a client who is not assigned to them.
Which of the following is the appropriate action?
A. Ignore the incident because it was an accident
B. Report the breach to the privacy officer or nurse manager immediately
C. Document the incident in the client's chart
D. Log out and do nothing
Answer: B. Accidental viewing of a record constitutes a breach of confidentiality.
The nurse must report it to the appropriate authority so it can be investigated and
tracked.
3. A nurse is using a barcode medication administration (BCMA) system. The
scanner does not read the barcode on the patient's wristband. What should the
nurse do?
A. Enter the patient’s ID number manually to override the system
B. Scan the patient’s room number instead
C. Clean the scanner and wristband, then attempt to scan again
D. Administer the medication and document it later
,Answer: C. The nurse should first attempt to resolve the scanning issue by
cleaning the scanner and wristband. Manual override should only be used per
facility policy after troubleshooting, never as the first step.
4. Which of the following is the best definition of the "Information" component
in the DIKW framework?
A. Raw, unprocessed facts with no meaning
B. Data that has been interpreted and assigned meaning
C. Synthesis of information that identifies patterns
D. Ethical application of knowledge for patient care
Answer: B. Information is data that has been organized, interpreted, and given
context (e.g., a blood pressure of 140/90 is "elevated").
5. Which federal law specifically protects the privacy of electronic protected
health information (e-PHI)?
A. The Affordable Care Act
B. The HITECH Act
C. The HIPAA Security Rule
D. The Patient Safety Act
Answer: C. The HIPAA Security Rule specifically establishes national standards to
protect individuals' e-PHI that is created, received, used, or maintained by a
covered entity.
6. A clinical decision support system (CDSS) alerts a provider about a potential
drug-drug interaction. The provider ignores the alert. The nurse should:
A. Override the alert as well since the provider made the decision
B. Ask the provider to explain their rationale and document the discussion
C. Contact the pharmacy to change the medication
D. Document that the provider was non-compliant
Answer: B. The nurse should clarify the order with the provider to ensure patient
safety. The provider’s rationale for overriding the alert should be documented.
,7. A nurse is teaching a client about their patient portal. Which statement by the
client indicates understanding?
A. "I can use this to send messages to my doctor 24/7."
B. "I can see my lab results and appointment schedules here."
C. "This will replace all face-to-face visits with my provider."
D. "I can only access this during business hours."
Answer: B. Patient portals allow secure access to health information, including lab
results, medications, and appointment scheduling. They do not replace in-person
visits.
8. Which of the following is an example of "Wisdom" in the DIKW framework?
A. Documenting a blood pressure of 150/90
B. Noting that the blood pressure has been high for three visits
C. Recognizing the pattern of hypertension
D. Deciding to hold a beta-blocker due to a heart rate of 48 and notifying the
provider
Answer: D. Wisdom is the ethical and appropriate application of knowledge to
make a clinical decision that improves patient outcomes.
9. A nurse receives a text message from a coworker containing a photo of a
patient's wound. What is the best action?
A. Reply with treatment suggestions
B. Forward it to the wound care team
C. Delete the photo immediately and do not share it
D. Save it to the patient's EHR
Answer: C. Texting patient photos on non-secure devices violates HIPAA. The
photo should be deleted immediately to prevent further breach.
, 10. What is the primary purpose of implementing a smart infusion pump in a
healthcare setting?
A. To increase the speed of medication delivery
B. To reduce medication errors through dose-limiting safety alerts
C. To eliminate the need for double-checking high-risk medications
D. To automatically administer all IV medications
Answer: B. Smart pumps have built-in drug libraries and dose limits (hard and soft
stops) that alert the nurse if the programmed dose exceeds safe parameters, thus
reducing errors.
11. A nurse is using telehealth to conduct a follow-up visit. Which of the
following is a critical requirement for this visit?
A. Using a personal social media account for the call
B. Ensuring the platform is HIPAA-compliant and encrypted
C. Having the patient come to the clinic anyway
D. Recording the session without patient consent
Answer: B. Telehealth platforms must be secure, encrypted, and compliant with
HIPAA to protect patient privacy.
12. Which of the following is a major cause of "alert fatigue" in healthcare IT?
A. Too few alerts, causing providers to miss critical warnings
B. Alerts that are highly specific and rare
C. High frequency of non-actionable or low-priority alerts
D. Alerts that are only visual and not audible
Answer: C. Alert fatigue occurs when clinicians are exposed to a high volume of
alerts, many of which are irrelevant or low-priority, causing them to override or
ignore them.
13. A nurse is documenting in the EHR. What action ensures proper data
integrity?
A. Leaving the computer logged in for the next shift
Healthcare Technology, Electronic Health Records (EHR), Clinical Decision
Support Systems, Health Information Management, Patient Privacy and HIPAA,
Telehealth, Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Nursing
Documentation, Data Security, Clinical Communication, Healthcare Technology
Applications, and ATI RN/PN Nursing Informatics Exam Preparation 2026–2027
1. A nurse is caring for a client who asks to see their electronic health record
(EHR). Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
A. Deny the request to protect the client's privacy
B. Allow the client to view the record and provide a printed copy if requested
C. Ask the provider for permission before allowing access
D. Allow access only to the client's family member
Answer: B. Under HIPAA, clients have the legal right to inspect and obtain a copy
of their health records. The nurse should facilitate this request.
2. A nurse accidentally views a chart of a client who is not assigned to them.
Which of the following is the appropriate action?
A. Ignore the incident because it was an accident
B. Report the breach to the privacy officer or nurse manager immediately
C. Document the incident in the client's chart
D. Log out and do nothing
Answer: B. Accidental viewing of a record constitutes a breach of confidentiality.
The nurse must report it to the appropriate authority so it can be investigated and
tracked.
3. A nurse is using a barcode medication administration (BCMA) system. The
scanner does not read the barcode on the patient's wristband. What should the
nurse do?
A. Enter the patient’s ID number manually to override the system
B. Scan the patient’s room number instead
C. Clean the scanner and wristband, then attempt to scan again
D. Administer the medication and document it later
,Answer: C. The nurse should first attempt to resolve the scanning issue by
cleaning the scanner and wristband. Manual override should only be used per
facility policy after troubleshooting, never as the first step.
4. Which of the following is the best definition of the "Information" component
in the DIKW framework?
A. Raw, unprocessed facts with no meaning
B. Data that has been interpreted and assigned meaning
C. Synthesis of information that identifies patterns
D. Ethical application of knowledge for patient care
Answer: B. Information is data that has been organized, interpreted, and given
context (e.g., a blood pressure of 140/90 is "elevated").
5. Which federal law specifically protects the privacy of electronic protected
health information (e-PHI)?
A. The Affordable Care Act
B. The HITECH Act
C. The HIPAA Security Rule
D. The Patient Safety Act
Answer: C. The HIPAA Security Rule specifically establishes national standards to
protect individuals' e-PHI that is created, received, used, or maintained by a
covered entity.
6. A clinical decision support system (CDSS) alerts a provider about a potential
drug-drug interaction. The provider ignores the alert. The nurse should:
A. Override the alert as well since the provider made the decision
B. Ask the provider to explain their rationale and document the discussion
C. Contact the pharmacy to change the medication
D. Document that the provider was non-compliant
Answer: B. The nurse should clarify the order with the provider to ensure patient
safety. The provider’s rationale for overriding the alert should be documented.
,7. A nurse is teaching a client about their patient portal. Which statement by the
client indicates understanding?
A. "I can use this to send messages to my doctor 24/7."
B. "I can see my lab results and appointment schedules here."
C. "This will replace all face-to-face visits with my provider."
D. "I can only access this during business hours."
Answer: B. Patient portals allow secure access to health information, including lab
results, medications, and appointment scheduling. They do not replace in-person
visits.
8. Which of the following is an example of "Wisdom" in the DIKW framework?
A. Documenting a blood pressure of 150/90
B. Noting that the blood pressure has been high for three visits
C. Recognizing the pattern of hypertension
D. Deciding to hold a beta-blocker due to a heart rate of 48 and notifying the
provider
Answer: D. Wisdom is the ethical and appropriate application of knowledge to
make a clinical decision that improves patient outcomes.
9. A nurse receives a text message from a coworker containing a photo of a
patient's wound. What is the best action?
A. Reply with treatment suggestions
B. Forward it to the wound care team
C. Delete the photo immediately and do not share it
D. Save it to the patient's EHR
Answer: C. Texting patient photos on non-secure devices violates HIPAA. The
photo should be deleted immediately to prevent further breach.
, 10. What is the primary purpose of implementing a smart infusion pump in a
healthcare setting?
A. To increase the speed of medication delivery
B. To reduce medication errors through dose-limiting safety alerts
C. To eliminate the need for double-checking high-risk medications
D. To automatically administer all IV medications
Answer: B. Smart pumps have built-in drug libraries and dose limits (hard and soft
stops) that alert the nurse if the programmed dose exceeds safe parameters, thus
reducing errors.
11. A nurse is using telehealth to conduct a follow-up visit. Which of the
following is a critical requirement for this visit?
A. Using a personal social media account for the call
B. Ensuring the platform is HIPAA-compliant and encrypted
C. Having the patient come to the clinic anyway
D. Recording the session without patient consent
Answer: B. Telehealth platforms must be secure, encrypted, and compliant with
HIPAA to protect patient privacy.
12. Which of the following is a major cause of "alert fatigue" in healthcare IT?
A. Too few alerts, causing providers to miss critical warnings
B. Alerts that are highly specific and rare
C. High frequency of non-actionable or low-priority alerts
D. Alerts that are only visual and not audible
Answer: C. Alert fatigue occurs when clinicians are exposed to a high volume of
alerts, many of which are irrelevant or low-priority, causing them to override or
ignore them.
13. A nurse is documenting in the EHR. What action ensures proper data
integrity?
A. Leaving the computer logged in for the next shift
