NURS 403 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What are the "Levels of Evidence"? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A hierarchy ranking research strength from
most to least reliable. Highest = systematic reviews & meta-analyses; lowest = expert opinion. Used to
guide evidence-informed clinical decisions.
What does it mean to "know the language and mechanics of research methods"? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Nurses should understand basic research terminology and recognize differences between
quantitative (numeric) and qualitative (experiential) methods.
What does it mean to appraise research for validity? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Assessing whether the
study's results represent the "truth value" in the real world. Was it well-designed, believable, and
trustworthy?
What is clinical significance? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Whether study findings meaningfully improve
patient outcomes or practice, beyond just statistical significance.
What is generalizability? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅In quantitative research, the extent to which results
apply to a broader population.
What is transferability? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅In qualitative research, whether findings can apply to
similar contexts or groups.
What research skill must all nurses be able to perform for EIP? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Conduct
systematic, organized searches for evidence using databases, keywords, and filters.
Step 1 of EIP: Ask - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Formulate a clear, searchable clinical question using
frameworks like PICO or SPIDER.
Step 2 of EIP: Acquire/Search - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Locate the best available evidence using
systematic, comprehensive database searching.
, Step 3 of EIP: Appraise - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Critically evaluate research for quality, validity, bias,
methodology, credibility, and relevance.
Step 4 of EIP: Apply/Integrate - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Combine evidence with clinical expertise, patient
context, and values to make practice decisions.
Step 5 of EIP: Assess/Evaluate - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Evaluate outcomes after integrating evidence
into practice; check for improvement or unintended effects.
Step 6 of EIP: Disseminate - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Share findings or improved practices with colleagues
via presentations, reports, discussions, or CoPs.
What does PICOT stand for in quantitative research? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅P = Population, I =
Intervention, C = Comparison, O = Outcome, T = Time
Identify the PICOT components in this question: "In patients with acute MI, how does being a smoker
compared to a non-smoker influence morbidity and mortality rates during the first 5 years after MI?" -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅P = patients with acute MI, I = smoker, C = non-smoker, O = morbidity and
mortality, T = 5 years post-MI
When developing a quantitative clinical question, what should you identify? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Key variables, the relationship among them, and the population under study
What is a hypothesis in quantitative research? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A tentative prediction about the
relationship between two or more variables, which can be directional, non-directional, or a null
(statistical) hypothesis
Example: An undergraduate student who is a smoker wants to quit. She has tried nicotine gum and
wonders if nicotine patches will work better. Formulate a PICOT question. - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Among undergraduate students, is the use of nicotine patches more effective than
nicotine gum for smoking cessation at 1 year post-intervention?
P = undergraduate students
I = nicotine patches
What are the "Levels of Evidence"? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A hierarchy ranking research strength from
most to least reliable. Highest = systematic reviews & meta-analyses; lowest = expert opinion. Used to
guide evidence-informed clinical decisions.
What does it mean to "know the language and mechanics of research methods"? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Nurses should understand basic research terminology and recognize differences between
quantitative (numeric) and qualitative (experiential) methods.
What does it mean to appraise research for validity? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Assessing whether the
study's results represent the "truth value" in the real world. Was it well-designed, believable, and
trustworthy?
What is clinical significance? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Whether study findings meaningfully improve
patient outcomes or practice, beyond just statistical significance.
What is generalizability? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅In quantitative research, the extent to which results
apply to a broader population.
What is transferability? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅In qualitative research, whether findings can apply to
similar contexts or groups.
What research skill must all nurses be able to perform for EIP? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Conduct
systematic, organized searches for evidence using databases, keywords, and filters.
Step 1 of EIP: Ask - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Formulate a clear, searchable clinical question using
frameworks like PICO or SPIDER.
Step 2 of EIP: Acquire/Search - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Locate the best available evidence using
systematic, comprehensive database searching.
, Step 3 of EIP: Appraise - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Critically evaluate research for quality, validity, bias,
methodology, credibility, and relevance.
Step 4 of EIP: Apply/Integrate - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Combine evidence with clinical expertise, patient
context, and values to make practice decisions.
Step 5 of EIP: Assess/Evaluate - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Evaluate outcomes after integrating evidence
into practice; check for improvement or unintended effects.
Step 6 of EIP: Disseminate - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Share findings or improved practices with colleagues
via presentations, reports, discussions, or CoPs.
What does PICOT stand for in quantitative research? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅P = Population, I =
Intervention, C = Comparison, O = Outcome, T = Time
Identify the PICOT components in this question: "In patients with acute MI, how does being a smoker
compared to a non-smoker influence morbidity and mortality rates during the first 5 years after MI?" -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅P = patients with acute MI, I = smoker, C = non-smoker, O = morbidity and
mortality, T = 5 years post-MI
When developing a quantitative clinical question, what should you identify? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Key variables, the relationship among them, and the population under study
What is a hypothesis in quantitative research? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A tentative prediction about the
relationship between two or more variables, which can be directional, non-directional, or a null
(statistical) hypothesis
Example: An undergraduate student who is a smoker wants to quit. She has tried nicotine gum and
wonders if nicotine patches will work better. Formulate a PICOT question. - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Among undergraduate students, is the use of nicotine patches more effective than
nicotine gum for smoking cessation at 1 year post-intervention?
P = undergraduate students
I = nicotine patches
