NCMB 311 NURSING RESEARCH EXAM (200 MCQs)
These cover all major areas of nursing research methodology, ethics, statistics, evidence-
based practice, and qualitative/quantitative research methods.
### **SECTION A: INTRODUCTION TO NURSING RESEARCH & EVIDENCE-BASED
PRACTICE (Questions 1-25)**
**1. What is the primary purpose of nursing research?**
A. To increase hospital revenue
B. To generate knowledge that improves nursing practice and patient outcomes
**(correct answer)**
C. To replace clinical judgment with statistical data
D. To fulfill accreditation requirements only
**Rationale:** Nursing research aims to develop evidence that enhances patient care,
nursing education, and healthcare delivery systems.
**2. Evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing integrates which three components?**
A. Tradition, intuition, and cost-effectiveness
B. Clinical expertise, patient preferences, and best available evidence **(correct
answer)**
C. Physician orders, hospital policy, and insurance guidelines
D. Nursing theory, philosophy, and ethics
**Rationale:** EBP combines the clinician's expertise, patient values/preferences, and
the best current research evidence.
**3. Which level of evidence is considered the strongest in the hierarchy of evidence?**
, A. Expert opinion
B. Case-control studies
C. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses **(correct answer)**
D. Cross-sectional surveys
**Rationale:** Systematic reviews and meta-analyses synthesize findings from multiple
high-quality studies, providing the strongest evidence.
**4. The PICO framework for formulating clinical questions includes:**
A. Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome **(correct answer)**
B. Problem, Investigation, Control, Observation
C. Patient, Indicator, Condition, Objective
D. Protocol, Implementation, Change, Outcome
**Rationale:** PICO helps structure focused clinical questions: Population, Intervention,
Comparison, and Outcome.
**5. A nurse researcher wants to examine whether a new wound dressing reduces
healing time compared to standard care. What type of research question is this?**
A. Descriptive
B. Correlational
C. Intervention/Experimental **(correct answer)**
D. Phenomenological
**Rationale:** This question tests the effect of an intervention (new dressing) versus a
comparison (standard care) on an outcome (healing time).
**6. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of quantitative research?**
A. Uses numerical data
B. Seeks to test hypotheses
, C. Emphasizes subjective interpretation of lived experiences **(correct answer)**
D. Employs statistical analysis
**Rationale:** Subjective interpretation of lived experiences is characteristic of
qualitative research, not quantitative.
**7. In the research process, the literature review is conducted primarily to:**
A. Prove the researcher's expertise
B. Identify gaps in existing knowledge and justify the study **(correct answer)**
C. Copy previous methodologies exactly
D. Avoid doing original research
**Rationale:** Literature reviews reveal what is known, identify gaps, and provide
rationale and context for new research.
**8. The Ottawa Model of Research Use focuses on:**
A. Laboratory-based biomedical research
B. The process of translating research into practice at individual, practice, and
organization levels **(correct answer)**
C. Statistical analysis techniques
D. Qualitative data collection methods
**Rationale:** The Ottawa Model addresses barriers and facilitators at multiple levels to
promote research utilization.
**9. Which organization promotes evidence-based nursing practice globally?**
A. World Health Organization only
B. Joanna Briggs Institute **(correct answer)**
C. International Red Cross
D. United Nations
, **Rationale:** The Joanna Briggs Institute specializes in synthesizing and translating
evidence for nursing and healthcare practice.
**10. A nurse reads a research article and applies the findings to change patient care
protocols. This represents:**
A. Primary research
B. Research utilization **(correct answer)**
C. Basic research
D. Methodological research
**Rationale:** Research utilization involves applying research findings to practice,
distinct from conducting original research.
**11. The Cochrane Collaboration is best known for:**
A. Conducting original clinical trials
B. Producing systematic reviews of healthcare interventions **(correct answer)**
C. Training nurse researchers
D. Publishing nursing textbooks
**Rationale:** Cochrane produces rigorous systematic reviews that inform evidence-
based healthcare decisions.
**12. Which type of knowledge in nursing is derived from personal experience and
intuition?**
A. Empirical knowledge
B. Aesthetic knowledge
C. Personal knowledge **(correct answer)**
D. Ethical knowledge
**Rationale:** Carper's patterns of knowing include personal knowledge, which comes
from individual experience and self-awareness.
These cover all major areas of nursing research methodology, ethics, statistics, evidence-
based practice, and qualitative/quantitative research methods.
### **SECTION A: INTRODUCTION TO NURSING RESEARCH & EVIDENCE-BASED
PRACTICE (Questions 1-25)**
**1. What is the primary purpose of nursing research?**
A. To increase hospital revenue
B. To generate knowledge that improves nursing practice and patient outcomes
**(correct answer)**
C. To replace clinical judgment with statistical data
D. To fulfill accreditation requirements only
**Rationale:** Nursing research aims to develop evidence that enhances patient care,
nursing education, and healthcare delivery systems.
**2. Evidence-based practice (EBP) in nursing integrates which three components?**
A. Tradition, intuition, and cost-effectiveness
B. Clinical expertise, patient preferences, and best available evidence **(correct
answer)**
C. Physician orders, hospital policy, and insurance guidelines
D. Nursing theory, philosophy, and ethics
**Rationale:** EBP combines the clinician's expertise, patient values/preferences, and
the best current research evidence.
**3. Which level of evidence is considered the strongest in the hierarchy of evidence?**
, A. Expert opinion
B. Case-control studies
C. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses **(correct answer)**
D. Cross-sectional surveys
**Rationale:** Systematic reviews and meta-analyses synthesize findings from multiple
high-quality studies, providing the strongest evidence.
**4. The PICO framework for formulating clinical questions includes:**
A. Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome **(correct answer)**
B. Problem, Investigation, Control, Observation
C. Patient, Indicator, Condition, Objective
D. Protocol, Implementation, Change, Outcome
**Rationale:** PICO helps structure focused clinical questions: Population, Intervention,
Comparison, and Outcome.
**5. A nurse researcher wants to examine whether a new wound dressing reduces
healing time compared to standard care. What type of research question is this?**
A. Descriptive
B. Correlational
C. Intervention/Experimental **(correct answer)**
D. Phenomenological
**Rationale:** This question tests the effect of an intervention (new dressing) versus a
comparison (standard care) on an outcome (healing time).
**6. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of quantitative research?**
A. Uses numerical data
B. Seeks to test hypotheses
, C. Emphasizes subjective interpretation of lived experiences **(correct answer)**
D. Employs statistical analysis
**Rationale:** Subjective interpretation of lived experiences is characteristic of
qualitative research, not quantitative.
**7. In the research process, the literature review is conducted primarily to:**
A. Prove the researcher's expertise
B. Identify gaps in existing knowledge and justify the study **(correct answer)**
C. Copy previous methodologies exactly
D. Avoid doing original research
**Rationale:** Literature reviews reveal what is known, identify gaps, and provide
rationale and context for new research.
**8. The Ottawa Model of Research Use focuses on:**
A. Laboratory-based biomedical research
B. The process of translating research into practice at individual, practice, and
organization levels **(correct answer)**
C. Statistical analysis techniques
D. Qualitative data collection methods
**Rationale:** The Ottawa Model addresses barriers and facilitators at multiple levels to
promote research utilization.
**9. Which organization promotes evidence-based nursing practice globally?**
A. World Health Organization only
B. Joanna Briggs Institute **(correct answer)**
C. International Red Cross
D. United Nations
, **Rationale:** The Joanna Briggs Institute specializes in synthesizing and translating
evidence for nursing and healthcare practice.
**10. A nurse reads a research article and applies the findings to change patient care
protocols. This represents:**
A. Primary research
B. Research utilization **(correct answer)**
C. Basic research
D. Methodological research
**Rationale:** Research utilization involves applying research findings to practice,
distinct from conducting original research.
**11. The Cochrane Collaboration is best known for:**
A. Conducting original clinical trials
B. Producing systematic reviews of healthcare interventions **(correct answer)**
C. Training nurse researchers
D. Publishing nursing textbooks
**Rationale:** Cochrane produces rigorous systematic reviews that inform evidence-
based healthcare decisions.
**12. Which type of knowledge in nursing is derived from personal experience and
intuition?**
A. Empirical knowledge
B. Aesthetic knowledge
C. Personal knowledge **(correct answer)**
D. Ethical knowledge
**Rationale:** Carper's patterns of knowing include personal knowledge, which comes
from individual experience and self-awareness.
