NURS 231: NURSING RESEARCH AND
COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE EXAM
PREP (2026/2027) – QUESTIONS &
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
1. What is nursing research?
---CORRECT ANSWER--A scientific process that validates and refines
existing knowledge and generates new knowledge that directly and indirectly
influences nursing practice.
2. How are nurses involved in research? (Name three ways)
---CORRECT ANSWER--Come up with ideas for clinical inquiry, collect
research data, search for evidence to inform clinical practice.
3. Who is Mary Seacole?
---CORRECT ANSWER--She was exposed at a young age to both Western
medicine (from her father) and African traditional medicine practices; she
overcame prejudices to provide health care.
4. List the first four steps of the research process in order.
---CORRECT ANSWER--1. New idea or question; 2. Burning question; 3.
Identify perspective or worldview; 4. Literature review.
5. What are steps 5, 6, and 7 of the research process?
---CORRECT ANSWER--5. Research approach and methods; 6. Research
ethics processes; 7. Knowledge mobilization (disseminate knowledge).
,6. Who was Edith Montour?
---CORRECT ANSWER--The first Indigenous nurse; she advocated for
Indigenous people and their health.
7. Describe a historical milestone in nursing research.
---CORRECT ANSWER--Hospital-based learning moved into university
degrees; Canadian nursing journals and research began; more funding led to
more research.
8. What is the purpose of research in nursing?
---CORRECT ANSWER--Advance knowledge, increase understanding,
educate others, inform practice.
9. Define quantitative research.
---CORRECT ANSWER--The investigation of theory or phenomena using
precise measurement with controlled design.
10. Define qualitative research.
---CORRECT ANSWER--Seeks to understand or justify by exploring human
intentions, motivations, perceptions, and behaviors.
11. What is evidence-based practice (EBP)?
---CORRECT ANSWER--Clinical decision-making that integrates the best
available research with clinical expertise and patient characteristics and
preferences, while understanding local circumstances.
12. What are the aims of evidence-based practice?
---CORRECT ANSWER--Provide quality, cost-effective care; ensure the client
meets best outcomes; use new practices instead of saying “this is how it has
always been done.”
, 13. List the six steps of the EBP process.
---CORRECT ANSWER--1. Cultivate a spirit of inquiry; 2. Ask burning
clinical question in PICOT; 3. Search for best evidence; 4. Critically appraise
evidence; 5. Integrate evidence with expertise and patient preferences; 6.
Evaluate outcomes; 7. Disseminate outcomes (7 steps total – step 1 is cultivate,
then 6 more).
Correction: standard 7 steps – Cultivate, Ask, Search, Appraise, Integrate,
Evaluate, Disseminate.
14. How do we arrive at a “burning question” (Step 1 of EBP)?
---CORRECT ANSWER--Problem-focused triggers vs. knowledge-focused
triggers.
15. What is a problem-focused trigger?
---CORRECT ANSWER--Identification of a clinical problem, wanting to
improve quality of care in a particular area, risk surveillance, or financial
data.
16. What is a knowledge-focused trigger?
---CORRECT ANSWER--New research or other literature leads to a burning
question; a change in standards or guidelines may cause a new question that
needs research to solve.
17. What does the acronym PICOT stand for?
---CORRECT ANSWER--Patient/population, Intervention, Comparison,
Outcome, Time frame.
18. Give an example of a PICOT question.
---CORRECT ANSWER--In hospitalized adults (P), does hourly rounding (I)
compared to no rounding (C) reduce fall rates (O) over one month (T)?
COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE EXAM
PREP (2026/2027) – QUESTIONS &
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
1. What is nursing research?
---CORRECT ANSWER--A scientific process that validates and refines
existing knowledge and generates new knowledge that directly and indirectly
influences nursing practice.
2. How are nurses involved in research? (Name three ways)
---CORRECT ANSWER--Come up with ideas for clinical inquiry, collect
research data, search for evidence to inform clinical practice.
3. Who is Mary Seacole?
---CORRECT ANSWER--She was exposed at a young age to both Western
medicine (from her father) and African traditional medicine practices; she
overcame prejudices to provide health care.
4. List the first four steps of the research process in order.
---CORRECT ANSWER--1. New idea or question; 2. Burning question; 3.
Identify perspective or worldview; 4. Literature review.
5. What are steps 5, 6, and 7 of the research process?
---CORRECT ANSWER--5. Research approach and methods; 6. Research
ethics processes; 7. Knowledge mobilization (disseminate knowledge).
,6. Who was Edith Montour?
---CORRECT ANSWER--The first Indigenous nurse; she advocated for
Indigenous people and their health.
7. Describe a historical milestone in nursing research.
---CORRECT ANSWER--Hospital-based learning moved into university
degrees; Canadian nursing journals and research began; more funding led to
more research.
8. What is the purpose of research in nursing?
---CORRECT ANSWER--Advance knowledge, increase understanding,
educate others, inform practice.
9. Define quantitative research.
---CORRECT ANSWER--The investigation of theory or phenomena using
precise measurement with controlled design.
10. Define qualitative research.
---CORRECT ANSWER--Seeks to understand or justify by exploring human
intentions, motivations, perceptions, and behaviors.
11. What is evidence-based practice (EBP)?
---CORRECT ANSWER--Clinical decision-making that integrates the best
available research with clinical expertise and patient characteristics and
preferences, while understanding local circumstances.
12. What are the aims of evidence-based practice?
---CORRECT ANSWER--Provide quality, cost-effective care; ensure the client
meets best outcomes; use new practices instead of saying “this is how it has
always been done.”
, 13. List the six steps of the EBP process.
---CORRECT ANSWER--1. Cultivate a spirit of inquiry; 2. Ask burning
clinical question in PICOT; 3. Search for best evidence; 4. Critically appraise
evidence; 5. Integrate evidence with expertise and patient preferences; 6.
Evaluate outcomes; 7. Disseminate outcomes (7 steps total – step 1 is cultivate,
then 6 more).
Correction: standard 7 steps – Cultivate, Ask, Search, Appraise, Integrate,
Evaluate, Disseminate.
14. How do we arrive at a “burning question” (Step 1 of EBP)?
---CORRECT ANSWER--Problem-focused triggers vs. knowledge-focused
triggers.
15. What is a problem-focused trigger?
---CORRECT ANSWER--Identification of a clinical problem, wanting to
improve quality of care in a particular area, risk surveillance, or financial
data.
16. What is a knowledge-focused trigger?
---CORRECT ANSWER--New research or other literature leads to a burning
question; a change in standards or guidelines may cause a new question that
needs research to solve.
17. What does the acronym PICOT stand for?
---CORRECT ANSWER--Patient/population, Intervention, Comparison,
Outcome, Time frame.
18. Give an example of a PICOT question.
---CORRECT ANSWER--In hospitalized adults (P), does hourly rounding (I)
compared to no rounding (C) reduce fall rates (O) over one month (T)?
