Certified Informatics Nurse (RN-BC) Practice Exam
Questions, Correct Answers, and Detailed
Explanations for Students||Already Graded A+
1. Which of the following best defines nursing informatics?
A. The study of patient care delivery
B. The integration of nursing science, computer science, and information
science to manage and communicate data
C. The management of electronic health records only
D. The analysis of hospital budgets
Answer: B
Rationale: Nursing informatics integrates nursing science, computer science,
and information science to support the management and communication of
data, information, and knowledge in nursing practice.
2. What is the primary purpose of a clinical decision support system (CDSS)?
A. To schedule staff
B. To assist clinicians in making evidence-based decisions
C. To store administrative records
D. To calculate hospital revenue
Answer: B
Rationale: CDSS provides clinicians with patient-specific recommendations,
reminders, or alerts to enhance decision-making and improve patient
outcomes.
3. Which standard is primarily used to ensure the interoperability of health
information systems?
A. ICD-10
B. SNOMED CT
C. HL7
D. OSHA
,Answer: C
Rationale: HL7 (Health Level Seven) is an international standard that facilitates
the exchange, integration, and sharing of electronic health information.
4. In the context of nursing informatics, “data” is best described as:
A. Interpreted information for clinical decisions
B. Raw facts and figures without context
C. Knowledge derived from evidence
D. Policies and procedures
Answer: B
Rationale: Data are raw, unprocessed facts and figures. When analyzed or
interpreted, data becomes information, which then can contribute to
knowledge.
5. What is a key advantage of electronic health records (EHRs)?
A. Decrease in clinical documentation
B. Enhanced coordination of care and patient safety
C. Elimination of all medical errors
D. Reduced need for nursing staff
Answer: B
Rationale: EHRs improve communication among care teams, provide decision
support, and can reduce errors through alerts and reminders, enhancing
patient safety.
6. Which of the following is an example of structured data in an EHR?
A. Free-text nursing notes
B. Vital signs recorded in numerical fields
C. Narrative patient history
D. Voice recordings
Answer: B
Rationale: Structured data is standardized and can be easily queried or
analyzed, such as numeric vital signs or coded lab results.
,7. What is the primary goal of health information exchange (HIE)?
A. To reduce staff workload
B. To share patient information across organizations for better care
coordination
C. To replace EHRs
D. To standardize hospital billing
Answer: B
Rationale: HIE allows authorized providers to access and share patient
information electronically to improve care continuity and outcomes.
8. Which regulation specifically protects the privacy of patient health
information?
A. HIPAA
B. OSHA
C. ADA
D. FERPA
Answer: A
Rationale: HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) sets
standards for the protection of individually identifiable health information.
9. Which type of database model organizes data in tables with rows and
columns?
A. Hierarchical
B. Relational
C. Network
D. Flat-file
Answer: B
Rationale: A relational database organizes data into tables (relations), allowing
for easy querying, updating, and management.
10. What is the main purpose of a nursing informatics dashboard?
, A. To display financial metrics
B. To provide clinicians with real-time patient care data for decision-making
C. To schedule staff rotations
D. To replace clinical documentation
Answer: B
Rationale: Dashboards visually present patient care data and key performance
indicators in real time to support informed clinical decisions.
11. What is an important consideration when implementing a new EHR
system?
A. Staff preferences only
B. Workflow analysis and user training
C. Cost only
D. System aesthetics
Answer: B
Rationale: Successful implementation requires understanding clinical
workflows, providing adequate training, and ensuring system usability to
minimize errors and maximize adoption.
12. Which of the following best describes “knowledge” in nursing
informatics?
A. Raw numbers and symbols
B. Interpreted information combined with experience for decision-making
C. Personal opinion
D. Administrative policies
Answer: B
Rationale: Knowledge is derived from processed information and experience,
enabling informed clinical decision-making.
13. What is the purpose of data analytics in nursing informatics?
A. To eliminate nursing documentation
B. To extract insights from data to improve patient outcomes and operational
Questions, Correct Answers, and Detailed
Explanations for Students||Already Graded A+
1. Which of the following best defines nursing informatics?
A. The study of patient care delivery
B. The integration of nursing science, computer science, and information
science to manage and communicate data
C. The management of electronic health records only
D. The analysis of hospital budgets
Answer: B
Rationale: Nursing informatics integrates nursing science, computer science,
and information science to support the management and communication of
data, information, and knowledge in nursing practice.
2. What is the primary purpose of a clinical decision support system (CDSS)?
A. To schedule staff
B. To assist clinicians in making evidence-based decisions
C. To store administrative records
D. To calculate hospital revenue
Answer: B
Rationale: CDSS provides clinicians with patient-specific recommendations,
reminders, or alerts to enhance decision-making and improve patient
outcomes.
3. Which standard is primarily used to ensure the interoperability of health
information systems?
A. ICD-10
B. SNOMED CT
C. HL7
D. OSHA
,Answer: C
Rationale: HL7 (Health Level Seven) is an international standard that facilitates
the exchange, integration, and sharing of electronic health information.
4. In the context of nursing informatics, “data” is best described as:
A. Interpreted information for clinical decisions
B. Raw facts and figures without context
C. Knowledge derived from evidence
D. Policies and procedures
Answer: B
Rationale: Data are raw, unprocessed facts and figures. When analyzed or
interpreted, data becomes information, which then can contribute to
knowledge.
5. What is a key advantage of electronic health records (EHRs)?
A. Decrease in clinical documentation
B. Enhanced coordination of care and patient safety
C. Elimination of all medical errors
D. Reduced need for nursing staff
Answer: B
Rationale: EHRs improve communication among care teams, provide decision
support, and can reduce errors through alerts and reminders, enhancing
patient safety.
6. Which of the following is an example of structured data in an EHR?
A. Free-text nursing notes
B. Vital signs recorded in numerical fields
C. Narrative patient history
D. Voice recordings
Answer: B
Rationale: Structured data is standardized and can be easily queried or
analyzed, such as numeric vital signs or coded lab results.
,7. What is the primary goal of health information exchange (HIE)?
A. To reduce staff workload
B. To share patient information across organizations for better care
coordination
C. To replace EHRs
D. To standardize hospital billing
Answer: B
Rationale: HIE allows authorized providers to access and share patient
information electronically to improve care continuity and outcomes.
8. Which regulation specifically protects the privacy of patient health
information?
A. HIPAA
B. OSHA
C. ADA
D. FERPA
Answer: A
Rationale: HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) sets
standards for the protection of individually identifiable health information.
9. Which type of database model organizes data in tables with rows and
columns?
A. Hierarchical
B. Relational
C. Network
D. Flat-file
Answer: B
Rationale: A relational database organizes data into tables (relations), allowing
for easy querying, updating, and management.
10. What is the main purpose of a nursing informatics dashboard?
, A. To display financial metrics
B. To provide clinicians with real-time patient care data for decision-making
C. To schedule staff rotations
D. To replace clinical documentation
Answer: B
Rationale: Dashboards visually present patient care data and key performance
indicators in real time to support informed clinical decisions.
11. What is an important consideration when implementing a new EHR
system?
A. Staff preferences only
B. Workflow analysis and user training
C. Cost only
D. System aesthetics
Answer: B
Rationale: Successful implementation requires understanding clinical
workflows, providing adequate training, and ensuring system usability to
minimize errors and maximize adoption.
12. Which of the following best describes “knowledge” in nursing
informatics?
A. Raw numbers and symbols
B. Interpreted information combined with experience for decision-making
C. Personal opinion
D. Administrative policies
Answer: B
Rationale: Knowledge is derived from processed information and experience,
enabling informed clinical decision-making.
13. What is the purpose of data analytics in nursing informatics?
A. To eliminate nursing documentation
B. To extract insights from data to improve patient outcomes and operational
