WGU C468 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ALL CORRECT
C468 Study Questions can be answered from the eText readings & videos in the corresponding modules of the course. These are
optional but do help guide you to the important concepts you may already know or need to learn to be successful in the course. Based on
Hebda T. L., Czar P., & Hunter K. (2018). Handbook of Informatics for Nurses & Healthcare Profs, 6th ed, course articles, and videos.
Competency 1 Information Management
1. Describe the role of nurses as knowledge workers.
Nurses and other healthcare professionals have a long tradition of gathering data, which is then used to create information
and knowledge. When previous knowledge and experience are applied appropriately to take action or intervene in some
fashion, it is known as wisdom. These processes constitute a major part of the clinician’s day and, when done well, yield
good outcomes. As an example, a piece of data without context has no meaning. The number 68 in isolation conveys
nothing. It could be an age, a pulse rate, or even a room number, but in and of itself, there is no way to know what it means.
However, if 68 is determined to be a pulse rate, the nurse can make the determination that this falls within the normal range,
indicating that the patient is in no distress and requires no intervention. On the other hand, if that same number represents
the rate of respirations per minute, the patient is in respiratory distress and immediate intervention is required.
changes in the healthcare system, inclusive of demands for safe, accessible, quality care, have increased both the
awareness of and demand for well-prepared knowledge workers.
2. Define the terms in the DIKW theory in nursing and provide an example for each.
(data, information, knowledge, and wisdom)
• Data are the most discrete components of the DIKW framework. They are mostly presented as discrete observations with
little interpretation. These are the smallest factors describing the patient, disease state, health environment, and so forth.
Examples include a patient’s principal medical diagnosis (e.g: Chronic kidney disease, stage 1) or marital status (e.g.,
married, divorced, single, etc.). A discrete data-point observation (datum) is not meaningful when presented in isolation from
, other observations.
• Information might be described as data plus meaning. A meaningful clinical picture is constructed when different data
points are put together and presented in a specific context. Information is a continuum of progressively developing and
clustered data; it answers questions such as who, what, where, and when. For example, a combination of a patient’s Chronic
kidney disease, stage 1 and marital status of ‘Divorced’ has a certain meaning in a context of an older, homebound
individual.
• Knowledge is information that has been processed and organized so that relations and inter-actions are identified.
Knowledge is constructed of meaningful information built of discrete data points. Knowledge is derived by discovering
patterns of relationships between different clusters of information and affected by assumptions and central theories of a
scientific discipline with which it is concerned. Knowledge answers questions of why and/or how. For nurses, the combination
of different information clusters, such as Chronic kidney disease, stage 1, coupled with the fact the patient is divorced, and
additional information that an older man (78-years old) was just discharged from hospital to home with a complicated
surgical-incision treatment, prescription could indicate that this person is at a high risk for hospital readmission.
• Wisdom is an appropriate use of knowledge to manage and solve human problems. Wisdom includes ethics or knowing
why certain things or procedures should or should not be implemented in specific cases. Wisdom guides the nurse in
recognizing the situation at hand, based on the nurse’s expertise, patient’s and patient’s family’s values, and patient’s
healthcare knowledge. Using wisdom and a combination of all these components, the nurse decides on a nursing
intervention or action.
3. Describe the informatics competencies expected for the beginning nurse, experienced nurse, Informatics specialist, and
Informatics innovator.
The Beginning Nurse- This nurse is expected to have fundamental information management and computer technology
skills and use existing information systems and established information management practices.
, Experienced NURSE- expected to have a specific area of expertise (e.g., public health, education, administration); be
skilled in using information management and computer technology; have strong analytic skills to learn from relationships
between different data elements; and be able to collaborate with the informatics nurse specialist to suggest improvement to
systems.
Informatics Specialist- defined as a nurse with advanced skills specific to health-information management and computer
technology. Nurse specialist was expected to focus on information needs for the practice of nursing, which included
education, administration, research, and clinical practice and use critical thinking, process skills, data-management skills
(including identifying, acquiring, preserving, retrieving, aggregating, analyzing, and transmitting data), expertise in the
systems development life cycle, and computer skills. One-hundred-eighty-six skills and knowledge competencies were in the
domains of data (e.g., constructing data structures and maintaining data sets), design and development (e.g., developing
screen layouts, report formats, and custom views of clinical data through working directly with clinical departments and
individual users), and training (e.g., producing short-term and long-term training plans), etc.
INFORMATIC INNOVATOR- expected to be educationally prepared to conduct informatics research and generate
informatics theory and have advanced understanding and skills in information management and computer technology. Forty
skills and knowledge competencies were identified in the domains of research (e.g., developing innovative and analytic
techniques for scientific inquiry in nursing informatics), practice (e.g., applying advanced analysis and design concepts to the
system life cycle process), and fiscal management (e.g., obtaining research funding), among others
4. Relate the concepts of information literacy and computer literacy to evidence-based practice.
There are foundational skills that are required for an information-driven culture. These include computer literacy, information
literacy, and (for the consumer), health literacy.
Computer literacy is a term used to refer to the basic understanding and use of computers, software tools, spreadsheets,
, databases, presentation graphics, social media, and communication via email. The fundamentals of basic literacy—the
ability to read, write, and comprehend—are prerequisite. Without a basic understanding of literacy, barriers to other forms of
literacy cannot be addressed (Nelson & Staggers, 2018). Health informatics is built on overlapping layers of literacies.
Information literacy is the ability to read and understand the written word and numbers as well as the ability to recognize
when information is needed. One of the biggest challenges today is making health information accessible to all without
regard to background, education, or level of literacy.
5. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of using an EHRS as it relates to patient-centered care.
EHRs bring a meaningful medium to enhance continuity of care, care coordination, access to information, and satisfaction for
both patient and provider, while decreasing costs. Various studies have reported mixed reviews. A study published (2016)
intended to determine the effects of implementing an EHR and the direct relationship to patient-centered activities, attitudes,
and beliefs. A well-known EHR was implemented, with the study taking place six months post implementation. Data from
nurses’ self-reports showed that post-implementation, nurses spent more time in patient rooms and more time engaged in
purposeful interaction. Nursing documentation time decreased by 4%, which may be related to increased skill in doing
documentation via computer. Although time spent in the patients’ rooms had increased, that increase did not always equate
to higher quality care if interactions were not patient-focused
There is currently a gap in the research related to integrating technology within the caring nurse-patient relationship. In our
current digital world, reliance on technology is high. In healthcare, some may argue that this reliance is even higher. Nurses
and other healthcare workers rely on machines to obtain vital signs that were previously assessed manually. The change
from manual to automated blood pressures has the ability to change the focus of the healthcare system from person to
machine. Using the machines as extensions of nursing care, rather than as replacements for it, can allow for continued
relationship building, progress toward optimal health, and reduction in medical errors. The notable expectation regarding the
C468 Study Questions can be answered from the eText readings & videos in the corresponding modules of the course. These are
optional but do help guide you to the important concepts you may already know or need to learn to be successful in the course. Based on
Hebda T. L., Czar P., & Hunter K. (2018). Handbook of Informatics for Nurses & Healthcare Profs, 6th ed, course articles, and videos.
Competency 1 Information Management
1. Describe the role of nurses as knowledge workers.
Nurses and other healthcare professionals have a long tradition of gathering data, which is then used to create information
and knowledge. When previous knowledge and experience are applied appropriately to take action or intervene in some
fashion, it is known as wisdom. These processes constitute a major part of the clinician’s day and, when done well, yield
good outcomes. As an example, a piece of data without context has no meaning. The number 68 in isolation conveys
nothing. It could be an age, a pulse rate, or even a room number, but in and of itself, there is no way to know what it means.
However, if 68 is determined to be a pulse rate, the nurse can make the determination that this falls within the normal range,
indicating that the patient is in no distress and requires no intervention. On the other hand, if that same number represents
the rate of respirations per minute, the patient is in respiratory distress and immediate intervention is required.
changes in the healthcare system, inclusive of demands for safe, accessible, quality care, have increased both the
awareness of and demand for well-prepared knowledge workers.
2. Define the terms in the DIKW theory in nursing and provide an example for each.
(data, information, knowledge, and wisdom)
• Data are the most discrete components of the DIKW framework. They are mostly presented as discrete observations with
little interpretation. These are the smallest factors describing the patient, disease state, health environment, and so forth.
Examples include a patient’s principal medical diagnosis (e.g: Chronic kidney disease, stage 1) or marital status (e.g.,
married, divorced, single, etc.). A discrete data-point observation (datum) is not meaningful when presented in isolation from
, other observations.
• Information might be described as data plus meaning. A meaningful clinical picture is constructed when different data
points are put together and presented in a specific context. Information is a continuum of progressively developing and
clustered data; it answers questions such as who, what, where, and when. For example, a combination of a patient’s Chronic
kidney disease, stage 1 and marital status of ‘Divorced’ has a certain meaning in a context of an older, homebound
individual.
• Knowledge is information that has been processed and organized so that relations and inter-actions are identified.
Knowledge is constructed of meaningful information built of discrete data points. Knowledge is derived by discovering
patterns of relationships between different clusters of information and affected by assumptions and central theories of a
scientific discipline with which it is concerned. Knowledge answers questions of why and/or how. For nurses, the combination
of different information clusters, such as Chronic kidney disease, stage 1, coupled with the fact the patient is divorced, and
additional information that an older man (78-years old) was just discharged from hospital to home with a complicated
surgical-incision treatment, prescription could indicate that this person is at a high risk for hospital readmission.
• Wisdom is an appropriate use of knowledge to manage and solve human problems. Wisdom includes ethics or knowing
why certain things or procedures should or should not be implemented in specific cases. Wisdom guides the nurse in
recognizing the situation at hand, based on the nurse’s expertise, patient’s and patient’s family’s values, and patient’s
healthcare knowledge. Using wisdom and a combination of all these components, the nurse decides on a nursing
intervention or action.
3. Describe the informatics competencies expected for the beginning nurse, experienced nurse, Informatics specialist, and
Informatics innovator.
The Beginning Nurse- This nurse is expected to have fundamental information management and computer technology
skills and use existing information systems and established information management practices.
, Experienced NURSE- expected to have a specific area of expertise (e.g., public health, education, administration); be
skilled in using information management and computer technology; have strong analytic skills to learn from relationships
between different data elements; and be able to collaborate with the informatics nurse specialist to suggest improvement to
systems.
Informatics Specialist- defined as a nurse with advanced skills specific to health-information management and computer
technology. Nurse specialist was expected to focus on information needs for the practice of nursing, which included
education, administration, research, and clinical practice and use critical thinking, process skills, data-management skills
(including identifying, acquiring, preserving, retrieving, aggregating, analyzing, and transmitting data), expertise in the
systems development life cycle, and computer skills. One-hundred-eighty-six skills and knowledge competencies were in the
domains of data (e.g., constructing data structures and maintaining data sets), design and development (e.g., developing
screen layouts, report formats, and custom views of clinical data through working directly with clinical departments and
individual users), and training (e.g., producing short-term and long-term training plans), etc.
INFORMATIC INNOVATOR- expected to be educationally prepared to conduct informatics research and generate
informatics theory and have advanced understanding and skills in information management and computer technology. Forty
skills and knowledge competencies were identified in the domains of research (e.g., developing innovative and analytic
techniques for scientific inquiry in nursing informatics), practice (e.g., applying advanced analysis and design concepts to the
system life cycle process), and fiscal management (e.g., obtaining research funding), among others
4. Relate the concepts of information literacy and computer literacy to evidence-based practice.
There are foundational skills that are required for an information-driven culture. These include computer literacy, information
literacy, and (for the consumer), health literacy.
Computer literacy is a term used to refer to the basic understanding and use of computers, software tools, spreadsheets,
, databases, presentation graphics, social media, and communication via email. The fundamentals of basic literacy—the
ability to read, write, and comprehend—are prerequisite. Without a basic understanding of literacy, barriers to other forms of
literacy cannot be addressed (Nelson & Staggers, 2018). Health informatics is built on overlapping layers of literacies.
Information literacy is the ability to read and understand the written word and numbers as well as the ability to recognize
when information is needed. One of the biggest challenges today is making health information accessible to all without
regard to background, education, or level of literacy.
5. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of using an EHRS as it relates to patient-centered care.
EHRs bring a meaningful medium to enhance continuity of care, care coordination, access to information, and satisfaction for
both patient and provider, while decreasing costs. Various studies have reported mixed reviews. A study published (2016)
intended to determine the effects of implementing an EHR and the direct relationship to patient-centered activities, attitudes,
and beliefs. A well-known EHR was implemented, with the study taking place six months post implementation. Data from
nurses’ self-reports showed that post-implementation, nurses spent more time in patient rooms and more time engaged in
purposeful interaction. Nursing documentation time decreased by 4%, which may be related to increased skill in doing
documentation via computer. Although time spent in the patients’ rooms had increased, that increase did not always equate
to higher quality care if interactions were not patient-focused
There is currently a gap in the research related to integrating technology within the caring nurse-patient relationship. In our
current digital world, reliance on technology is high. In healthcare, some may argue that this reliance is even higher. Nurses
and other healthcare workers rely on machines to obtain vital signs that were previously assessed manually. The change
from manual to automated blood pressures has the ability to change the focus of the healthcare system from person to
machine. Using the machines as extensions of nursing care, rather than as replacements for it, can allow for continued
relationship building, progress toward optimal health, and reduction in medical errors. The notable expectation regarding the
