WGU D029: Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care

What D029 really is (and why the "exam" label confuses people)

D029: Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care is a graduate nursing course in the Leavitt School of Health, and it sits in the core of several Western Governors University Master of Science in Nursing programs. Its purpose is to teach you how nursing science and information science work together, so you can identify, manage, and communicate data in ways that actually improve patient and population outcomes. In plain terms, you learn to think like an informatics nurse: someone who turns raw clinical data into decisions that make care safer and more effective.

Direct answer: You do not pass D029 by cramming for a proctored test, because there is no multiple-choice exam here. You pass by completing a performance assessment built around a Clinical Practice Experience, so plan your time around the required deliverables, follow the task instructions and rubric line by line, and submit clean, complete work rather than trying to memorize facts.

This distinction trips up a lot of students, so it is worth stating clearly: some older study notes and forum posts describe D029 as an objective assessment. That is inaccurate for the current version of the course. D029 is assessed through a performance task, meaning you build and submit real deliverables that an evaluator scores against a rubric. If you have taken WGU courses that ended in a locked-down testing session, reset your expectations. Your job is to produce documented work, not to answer questions under a timer.

You will most likely see D029 if you are pursuing an MSN in Nursing Leadership and Management, Nursing Education, or Nursing Informatics, since it is shared across several MSN tracks. It builds naturally on foundational informatics content, so if you have already worked through C790 Foundations in Nursing Informatics, many of the underlying concepts will feel familiar.

What the performance assessment asks you to produce

The course is organized as a Clinical Practice Experience (CPE) that unfolds in phases, and by finishing the activities you accumulate a set number of indirect clinical hours documented in a CPE record. Rather than covering every rubric aspect, focus your preparation on these verified components:

• An annotated bibliography of recent, relevant sources on current and emerging technologies that support nursing and healthcare. You summarize and evaluate each source, not just list it.
• Descriptive statistics on a provided dataset. You analyze a hypothetical "Barriers" survey using the supplied codebook and Excel file, following the step-by-step analysis instructions.
• A series of data visualizations. You build several specific chart types from that dataset, which typically include a bar chart, pie chart, sunburst chart, column chart, funnel chart, and treemap chart, each representing a different survey variable.
• A recorded video reflection using GoReact, in which you talk through your clinical practice experience and what you learned about visualizing data.
• Peer engagement. You review classmates' videos and provide constructive written feedback, then document the exchange with screenshots.
• Written reflection summaries and a completed CPE record that ties your hours and activities together.

Underneath these tasks sit the concepts the course wants you to demonstrate: the data-to-wisdom progression, interprofessional data-driven decision-making, patient- and population-based applications, and the move toward value-based, quality nursing care. You will apply, not recite, these ideas.

How demanding is it, and how long should you budget?

D029 is not conceptually brutal for most nurses, because the ideas connect directly to work you already understand. What makes it feel heavy is the volume of discrete steps and the software skills. Many students report that the biggest hurdle is the data visualization phase, especially producing less common chart types like sunburst, funnel, and treemap in a spreadsheet program, rather than the nursing theory itself.

Because it is a build-and-submit course, your timeline depends far more on consistent effort than on raw study hours. Many students report finishing within one to a few weeks when they work on it steadily, while others stretch it out because the video recording and peer-feedback steps require coordination and re-takes. Treat it as a project with a checklist, and it becomes very manageable. Treat it as a vague "study until ready" course, and it will drift. If data analysis feels intimidating, the good news is that everything is scaffolded: the instructions walk you through each calculation and chart.

A phase-by-phase preparation plan

The most reliable way through D029 is to mirror the course's own structure and knock out one deliverable at a time. Here is a practical sequence that applies proven learning techniques to this specific coursework:

1. Read the task and rubric first, then reverse-engineer your work. Print or open the rubric and list every required artifact. Performance assessments are scored against explicit criteria, so let those criteria dictate exactly what you produce.
2. Build your annotated bibliography early. Search WGU's library for current sources on emerging health technologies, and write each annotation as you read (active recall of the source's main claim, method, and relevance) instead of collecting everything and summarizing later.
3. Do the statistics before the visuals. Open the provided Barriers codebook and Excel file, and follow the analysis instructions to calculate your descriptive statistics. Confirm your numbers are right before you chart them; a wrong value repeated across six graphs is six errors.
4. Practice each chart type once, then rebuild it for real. If sunburst, funnel, or treemap charts are new to you, make a throwaway practice version first. This spaced, low-stakes repetition removes the software friction so the graded version goes smoothly.
5. Script and rehearse your GoReact video. Write out what you will say, read it aloud a few times, and record in a quiet space. A short outline keeps you inside the required length and reduces re-recording.
6. Complete peer feedback and documentation promptly. Watch classmates' videos, write specific and kind feedback, and capture the screenshots the task requires while you are there.
7. Assemble and proofread the full submission. Line up each artifact against the rubric one last time, fill in your CPE record, and check that nothing is missing before you send it to evaluation.

Nurses moving into leadership and quality work often find D029 pairs well conceptually with courses like D512 Quality Improvement in Healthcare and D509 Innovative Solutions in Healthcare Leadership, since all three ask you to use data and technology to change how care is delivered.

Where students lose points

• Skipping rubric language. Evaluators look for each named element. If the task asks for a specific chart type for a specific variable, substituting a different chart or variable causes a return.
• Miscalculating the descriptive statistics. Rushing the Excel steps produces charts that look polished but display the wrong values.
• Weak annotations. Listing sources without genuinely summarizing and evaluating them, or using outdated or irrelevant references.
• Video length and clarity problems. Going under or over the required time, or recording somewhere noisy, forces re-submission.
• Incomplete documentation. Forgetting screenshots, a reflection summary, or a fully filled-in CPE record even though the analysis itself was fine.
• Thin reflection. Reflections that describe what you did without explaining what you learned tend to fall short of the rubric's intent.

D029 Readiness Checklist

Before you submit, run through these self-checks. You are ready when you can honestly answer yes to each:

• Can you explain the difference between data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in a nursing context?
• Can you name recent, relevant technology sources and summarize why each matters to nursing care?
• Can you open the provided dataset and calculate the required descriptive statistics correctly?
• Can you build every required chart type and match each one to the correct survey variable?
• Can you record a clear reflection video that stays within the required time?
• Can you give specific, constructive feedback on a peer's video and document it properly?
• Can you show a complete CPE record with your activities and hours accounted for?
• Can you point to where your submission satisfies each item on the rubric?

D029 FAQ

Is D029 an OA or a performance assessment?

It is a performance assessment. There is no proctored multiple-choice exam. You complete a Clinical Practice Experience and submit deliverables such as an annotated bibliography, data analysis, charts, and a video reflection, all scored against a rubric.

How many competency units is D029 worth?

WGU describes it as a graduate course equivalent to three competency units. Because unit values can change between program versions, confirm the current figure on your official WGU degree plan.

Do I need to be good at statistics or Excel?

You need basic comfort with a spreadsheet, but you do not need to be an analyst. The course provides the dataset and step-by-step instructions for the calculations and charts, so most of the skill is following directions carefully.

How long does D029 take to finish?

It varies with your pace. Many students report completing it within one to a few weeks of steady work, since it is a project you build rather than material you study for an exam.

What is the hardest part?

Many students report that producing the less familiar chart types and getting the video reflection right take the most time and re-work, more so than the nursing concepts themselves.

Where can I confirm the official course details?

Check your program page and course materials on the official WGU site, for example the WGU nursing informatics program page, since requirements and unit counts are updated over time.

Putting it all together

D029 rewards organized, methodical students. Once you accept that it is a portfolio-style performance assessment and not a test, the path becomes clear: work the rubric, build each deliverable with care, verify your data, and reflect honestly on what you learned. Explore more study guides on our Leavitt School of Health hub or browse the full library of WGU course guides to plan the rest of your term. This resource is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by WGU.