D220 Information Technology in Nursing Practice is the nursing informatics course in Western Governors University's B.S. Nursing (RN to BSN), worth three competency units.
WGU's program guide calls it a foundational overview of nursing informatics with an emphasis on basic competency. It teaches that nursing informatics brings together nursing science, information science and computer science through health applications to support decision-making. All prior courses in the program sequence are prerequisites.
Nurses use electronic health records every shift, so the technology itself is rarely the hard part. The challenge is stepping back to explain how data becomes decisions, what gets in the way, and what the legal and ethical risks are.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Course code | D220 |
| Program | B.S. Nursing (RN to BSN) |
| Competency units | 3 |
| Prerequisites | All prior courses in the program sequence |
| Typical work | Analysis of a health IT system, data and outcomes discussion, ethics and privacy |
What D220 Covers
| Competency (summarized) | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Explain how data supports decision-making | From vital signs in the record to an alert, a care plan or a policy |
| Identify barriers to informatics | Usability, training, alert fatigue, workflow, low health literacy |
| Differentiate health information systems | EHRs, clinical decision support, barcode medication administration, patient portals, telehealth |
| Evaluate health IT data | Using data to monitor and improve patient outcomes |
| Describe legal and ethical implications | Privacy, confidentiality, security and HIPAA |
Key Concepts Explained
The Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom Model
Informatics often explains decision-making as a step-by-step climb. Data are raw values; information is data with context; knowledge is a pattern recognized in information; wisdom is applying that knowledge appropriately to a patient.
Example: A blood pressure reading of 88/50 is data. The same reading, falling over three hours in a post-operative patient, is information. Recognizing the pattern as possible bleeding or sepsis is knowledge. Escalating promptly while assessing the wound and fluid balance is wisdom.
Clinical Decision Support and Alert Fatigue
Clinical decision support (CDS) tools prompt clinicians with alerts, reminders and order sets. They can prevent errors, but too many low-value alerts teach staff to click through them. That trade-off is a classic barrier for the second competency.
Example: A sepsis screening alert fires for many patients with mild fever. Nurses start dismissing it. A stronger paper would describe the problem, propose tighter criteria agreed with the informatics team, and say how the change would be monitored.
Privacy and Security
In the United States, HIPAA sets rules on protecting health information. Legal and ethical discussion should cover access limited to need, secure logins, audit trails and what happens when a breach occurs.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Task type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| System analysis | How a technology supports care | Describe the system, users, data and decisions |
| Barrier discussion | Obstacles to informatics | Pair each barrier with a realistic solution |
| Outcome monitoring | Using data to improve care | Name the measure, the data source and the target |
| Ethics and privacy | Legal awareness | Apply HIPAA principles to a specific scenario |
Informatics and Health Literacy
The second competency links informatics barriers to health literacy, which is easy to overlook. A patient portal, a discharge text message or a home monitoring app only helps if the patient can access it, read it and act on it.
Common barriers on the patient side include:
- No reliable internet or smartphone.
- Low reading level or limited English.
- Visual, hearing or dexterity impairments.
- Low confidence with technology, especially in some older adults.
Example: A clinic launches portal messaging for test results, but older patients with limited internet access stop receiving timely follow-up. A nursing response would offer phone follow-up for patients without portal accounts, teach portal use at visits with the teach-back method, and track how many results reach patients within a set time.
Writing about these barriers shows the reader you see informatics as a tool for patients, not just staff.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Describing features, not decisions. Say how the technology changes what a nurse decides or does.
- Vague outcomes. "Better care" is not measurable; falls per 1,000 patient days is.
- Naming your employer's systems carelessly. Describe systems in general terms and never include patient details.
- Thin ethics sections. Explain the specific risk and the safeguard that addresses it.
Study Tips for D220
- Choose a technology you use every week; your own observations give the paper depth.
- Learn the vocabulary: interoperability, CDS, usability, data integrity, meaningful use.
- Sketch a simple data flow from entry to decision before writing.
- Look up the professional standards your course resources point to for nursing informatics.
How We Help with D220
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Frequently Asked Questions
WGU's program guide lists all prior courses in the program sequence as prerequisites.
Three, in the B.S. Nursing (RN to BSN) program guide.
No programming is involved in the description. The focus is on how information systems support nursing decisions.
One you know well from practice, such as the EHR, barcode medication administration or a patient portal, if your task allows a choice.
Follow your task instructions, keep descriptions general and never include identifiable patient information.
No. We explain concepts and review your drafts so you can complete it yourself.