WGU D220 | INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE
WGU D220
Comprehensive Study Guide
2026–2027 | Information Technology in Nursing Practice
Core concepts • Applied nursing scenarios • Original practice questions • Rationales • Review
plan
Purpose
This independent learning resource reviews foundational nursing informatics and health
information technology concepts relevant to D220. It is designed to strengthen understanding
and clinical application—not to reproduce an official assessment.
Important: This is an original educational practice resource. It is not produced, endorsed, or
verified by Western Governors University and does not contain official or guaranteed exam
questions. Course content and assessment emphases may change; use the current course
materials, rubric, and instructor guidance as the final authority.
Original educational study resource • 2026–2027
, WGU D220 | INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE
How to Use This Guide
1. Read the concept summaries and explain each idea in your own words.
2. Complete the practice questions without looking at the answer or rationale first.
3. For each missed item, identify whether the gap was terminology, application, privacy/safety,
or interpretation of data.
4. Use the answer key and high-yield checklist to guide targeted review.
5. For scenario questions, prioritize patient safety, data accuracy, privacy, scope of practice,
and escalation of urgent clinical concerns.
Course Focus and Competency Map
WGU catalog descriptions frame D220 as a foundational introduction to information technology
in nursing practice and the integration of nursing science, information science, and computer
science to support decisions in healthcare. The competency areas below are a practical study
map; confirm exact current requirements in your course.
Explain health data: Recognize how accurate, contextualized data support clinical decisions,
safe care, and quality improvement.
Identify barriers to informatics use: Consider usability, access, digital literacy, workflow fit,
accessibility, language, training, and infrastructure.
Differentiate health information systems and technologies: Distinguish EHR/EMR, decision
support, order entry, medication administration, patient portals, telehealth, and exchange
systems.
Evaluate health IT data: Assess completeness, accuracy, timeliness, consistency, relevance,
and trends before drawing conclusions.
Describe legal and ethical implications: Protect confidentiality, use minimum-necessary
access where applicable, document accurately, and follow policy and law.
Original educational study resource • 2026–2027
, WGU D220 | INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE
Section 1 — Foundations of Nursing Informatics
Core ideas
• Nursing informatics integrates nursing science with information and computer sciences to
manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice.
• DIKW: Data are raw facts; information places data in context; knowledge identifies patterns
and relationships; wisdom applies judgment ethically to a specific situation.
• Informatics supports—not replaces—clinical judgment. Technology can make work safer,
but poorly designed workflows, alert fatigue, and inaccurate inputs can introduce risk.
• A sociotechnical view considers people, workflows, policies, organizational culture, data,
and technology together. A technically functional system can still fail if it does not fit real
clinical work.
Section 2 — Health Data and Information Quality
• Useful data are accurate, complete, timely, consistent, valid, relevant, and traceable to an
appropriate source.
• Structured data (such as coded diagnoses and standardized vital-sign fields) are easier to
query and compare. Unstructured data (such as free-text notes) preserve nuance but may be
harder to aggregate.
• A single data point rarely tells the whole story. Consider baseline, trend, measurement
method, patient context, and possible entry errors.
• Quality improvement uses defined measures, comparable time periods, appropriate
denominators, and repeat measurement to determine whether a change improved
outcomes.
Original educational study resource • 2026–2027
WGU D220
Comprehensive Study Guide
2026–2027 | Information Technology in Nursing Practice
Core concepts • Applied nursing scenarios • Original practice questions • Rationales • Review
plan
Purpose
This independent learning resource reviews foundational nursing informatics and health
information technology concepts relevant to D220. It is designed to strengthen understanding
and clinical application—not to reproduce an official assessment.
Important: This is an original educational practice resource. It is not produced, endorsed, or
verified by Western Governors University and does not contain official or guaranteed exam
questions. Course content and assessment emphases may change; use the current course
materials, rubric, and instructor guidance as the final authority.
Original educational study resource • 2026–2027
, WGU D220 | INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE
How to Use This Guide
1. Read the concept summaries and explain each idea in your own words.
2. Complete the practice questions without looking at the answer or rationale first.
3. For each missed item, identify whether the gap was terminology, application, privacy/safety,
or interpretation of data.
4. Use the answer key and high-yield checklist to guide targeted review.
5. For scenario questions, prioritize patient safety, data accuracy, privacy, scope of practice,
and escalation of urgent clinical concerns.
Course Focus and Competency Map
WGU catalog descriptions frame D220 as a foundational introduction to information technology
in nursing practice and the integration of nursing science, information science, and computer
science to support decisions in healthcare. The competency areas below are a practical study
map; confirm exact current requirements in your course.
Explain health data: Recognize how accurate, contextualized data support clinical decisions,
safe care, and quality improvement.
Identify barriers to informatics use: Consider usability, access, digital literacy, workflow fit,
accessibility, language, training, and infrastructure.
Differentiate health information systems and technologies: Distinguish EHR/EMR, decision
support, order entry, medication administration, patient portals, telehealth, and exchange
systems.
Evaluate health IT data: Assess completeness, accuracy, timeliness, consistency, relevance,
and trends before drawing conclusions.
Describe legal and ethical implications: Protect confidentiality, use minimum-necessary
access where applicable, document accurately, and follow policy and law.
Original educational study resource • 2026–2027
, WGU D220 | INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE
Section 1 — Foundations of Nursing Informatics
Core ideas
• Nursing informatics integrates nursing science with information and computer sciences to
manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice.
• DIKW: Data are raw facts; information places data in context; knowledge identifies patterns
and relationships; wisdom applies judgment ethically to a specific situation.
• Informatics supports—not replaces—clinical judgment. Technology can make work safer,
but poorly designed workflows, alert fatigue, and inaccurate inputs can introduce risk.
• A sociotechnical view considers people, workflows, policies, organizational culture, data,
and technology together. A technically functional system can still fail if it does not fit real
clinical work.
Section 2 — Health Data and Information Quality
• Useful data are accurate, complete, timely, consistent, valid, relevant, and traceable to an
appropriate source.
• Structured data (such as coded diagnoses and standardized vital-sign fields) are easier to
query and compare. Unstructured data (such as free-text notes) preserve nuance but may be
harder to aggregate.
• A single data point rarely tells the whole story. Consider baseline, trend, measurement
method, patient context, and possible entry errors.
• Quality improvement uses defined measures, comparable time periods, appropriate
denominators, and repeat measurement to determine whether a change improved
outcomes.
Original educational study resource • 2026–2027
