CEM1 Task 1: Informatics Technology Analysis and Data Visualization

Western Governors University D029 Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care requires students to complete the CEM1 performance assessment by analyzing an emerging informatics technology, conducting a structured interview with a nurse informaticist, completing data analysis and visualization from the provided Barriers dataset, and documenting findings in the e-portfolio.

In this performance assessment for Western Governors University course D029 Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care, students demonstrate competence in applying informatics principles to transform nursing practice. The task integrates an annotated bibliography, narrative interview summary, technology analysis, and Excel-based data visualization to show how data and technology support value-based, high-quality nursing care.

Competencies

• The graduate applies informatics and technology to support data-driven nursing decisions.
• The graduate analyzes barriers to technology adoption and their impact on nursing care delivery.
• The graduate visualizes and interprets healthcare data to inform practice improvement.
• The graduate collaborates with informatics specialists to advance technology-enabled care.

Introduction

Students complete all Clinical Practice Experience activities documented in the CPE Record and e-portfolio. Required deliverables include a CPE schedule table, annotated bibliography of emerging technologies, narrative essay of an interview with a nurse informaticist, technology summary, data analysis using the Barriers dataset, creation of bar, pie, and scatter charts, and written reflection summaries. Supporting documents include the Barriers Codebook, data analysis instructions, and visualization instructions.

Requirements

The submission must represent original work. No more than a combined total of 30 percent of the submission and no more than a 10 percent match to any one individual source may be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. Use the originality report provided upon submission as a guide.

Complete and submit the following through the e-portfolio and assessment portal:

1. CPE schedule table listing all deliverables with estimated times and anticipated completion dates.
2. Annotated bibliography of at least three current scholarly sources on emerging technologies relevant to nursing informatics.
3. Narrative essay summarizing an interview with a nurse informaticist that addresses role, challenges, and impact on care transformation.
4. Technology summary that analyzes one emerging informatics technology, its benefits, barriers to adoption, and potential to transform nursing care.
5. Data analysis and visualization using the Barriers dataset: create and interpret a bar chart, pie chart, and scatter chart that illustrate key findings related to technology barriers.
6. Written reflection summaries for each CPE phase that connect activities to course competencies.

Rubric Criteria (Competent Performance)

• CPE schedule table is complete, realistic, and includes all required activities.
• Annotated bibliography contains current, relevant scholarly sources with accurate annotations.
• Narrative interview essay accurately captures the informaticist’s perspectives and links them to practice transformation.
• Technology summary provides balanced analysis of benefits, barriers, and transformative potential supported by evidence.
• Data visualizations are correctly constructed, clearly labeled, and accompanied by accurate interpretation of findings.
• Reflections demonstrate synthesis of learning and connection to informatics competencies.
• APA formatting and originality thresholds are met.

Why This Matters in Practice

Nurses who can interpret data visualizations and evaluate emerging technologies contribute directly to safer, more efficient care delivery. Understanding barriers to adoption allows informatics leaders to design implementation strategies that increase uptake and realize measurable improvements in outcomes and workflow.

FAQ

What dataset must I use for the D029 visualizations?
Use the Barriers dataset and Codebook provided in the Supporting Documents. Follow the data analysis and visualization instructions exactly.

How many sources are required in the annotated bibliography?
A minimum of three current scholarly sources focused on emerging technologies in nursing informatics.

Must the nurse informaticist interview be conducted in person?
The interview may be conducted in person, by phone, or by video conference. Document the method and date in the narrative essay.

What charts are required?
Create one bar chart, one pie chart, and one scatter chart from the Barriers dataset and provide clear interpretations of each.

What file formats are accepted for the e-portfolio link and supporting files?
Follow course instructions for the OneNote e-portfolio link. Individual documents may be submitted as PDF, DOC, or DOCX where required.

Sample Writing Help

Emerging technologies such as clinical decision support systems and predictive analytics platforms enable nurses to move from reactive to proactive care. An interview with a nurse informaticist at a large academic medical center revealed that successful implementation depends less on the sophistication of the tool and more on frontline nurse involvement in design and ongoing training. Barriers data from the provided dataset show that workflow disruption and insufficient training rank among the highest perceived obstacles to adoption. Visualizing these barriers through a bar chart of frequency counts and a pie chart of category proportions makes the priorities immediately visible to leadership. When nurses participate in selecting and refining technology, adoption rates rise and the technology begins to deliver measurable reductions in adverse events and documentation time, consistent with findings in current informatics literature.

Visualization Interpretation Focus

Effective interpretation goes beyond describing what the chart shows. It links the visual pattern to a practice implication. A scatter chart that reveals a positive relationship between perceived training adequacy and willingness to use a new system, for example, directly supports a recommendation for structured competency-based education prior to go-live. Presenting both the visual and the actionable insight in the same section satisfies evaluators and models the data-to-wisdom progression central to nursing informatics.

Technology Summary Balance

Students sometimes emphasize only benefits and understate barriers. A balanced summary acknowledges real constraints such as interoperability gaps or alert fatigue while still making a clear case for the technology’s transformative potential. Including one or two concrete mitigation strategies for the top barriers strengthens the analysis and demonstrates systems thinking.

References

American Nurses Association. (2021). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice (3rd ed.). American Nurses Association.

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2025). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Cummins, M. R., et al. (2026). Inflection point: Artificial intelligence, digital health, and the evolution of pre-licensure nursing informatics competencies. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1097/CIN.0000000000001506

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. (2024). Nursing informatics workforce survey. https://www.himss.org/resources/nursing-informatics-workforce-survey

Complete the WGU D029 CEM1 Informatics Technology Analysis by submitting an annotated bibliography, nurse informaticist interview narrative, technology summary, and Barriers dataset visualizations in the e-portfolio.

Assessment:

Clinical Practice Experience Phase 3 Data Interpretation and Final Reflection. Students finalize remaining CPE deliverables that include additional data summaries, pivot tables if required, refined visualizations, and a comprehensive reflection that synthesizes the interview, technology analysis, and data findings into recommendations for practice. The signed CPE Record is uploaded separately while the OneNote e-portfolio link is submitted to document all required indirect clinical hours for D029.

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