• Question 1
0.5 out of 0.5 points
An important goal of inferential statistical analysis is to
Selected Answer: b.
generalize results from the study to the target population.
Response Inferential statistical analysis is performed for generalizing findings
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from the study sample to appropriate accessible and target
populations. Descriptive data analysis is performed to analyze and
describe data collected during a study. Inferential statistics are not
performed to determine the validity of theoretical constructs. Other
analyses are conducted to examine the reliability and validity of
measurement tools.
• Question 2
0 out of 0.5 points
Which statement is true about validity?
Selected Answer: b.
Validity occurs when an instrument is valid across situations.
Response Validity will vary from one sample to another and one situation to
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another, so validity testing evaluates the use of an instrument for a
specific group or purpose.
• Question 3
0.5 out of 0.5 points
A researcher collects scores measuring weight among school-age children who
are in an obesity prevention program and notes that several students are
morbidly obese with most students falling within or below the 85th percentile for
weight. The scores from the morbidly obese children will affect which measure of
central tendency the most?
Selected Answer: d.
Mean
Response The mode and median are not as affected by outliers as is the
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mean. The other three statements are incorrect.
• Question 4
0.5 out of 0.5 points
To develop a clinical question when reviewing the effectiveness of nursing
interventions, the nurse will use which format?
,Selected Answer: b.
PICOS
Response PICOS (population, intervention, comparison of intervention,
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outcomes, and study design) is the most common format for
developing a research question by nurse researchers. The Preferred
Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)
statement was developed in 2009 to improve the quality of reporting
for systematic reviews and meta-analyses and includes 27 items to
ensure that this is done. The study design is part of PICOS but, by
itself, does not determine the study question. The systematic review is
conducted to evaluate existing research and is generally performed
when the study question is known.
• Question 5
0.5 out of 0.5 points
What is true about reporting the mean difference between two groups in a meta-
analysis?
Selected b.
Answer: It is appropriate only when the same scale is used to measure
outcomes.
Response The mean difference is reported in a meta-analysis to identify the
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effect of an intervention but is appropriate only if the outcome is
measured by the same scale in all the studies. It is not used to
compare nominal data but is useful for ordinal and ratio-level data. It
measures differences in outcomes and not subjects.
• Question 6
0.5 out of 0.5 points
A nurse identifies an unusual incidence of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in
school-age children in a nearby community and conducts a study to examine
exposure to a variety of water pollutants from a local industry. This is an example
of a
Selected Answer: d.
retrospective cohort study.
Response A retrospective cohort study is an epidemiologic study in which the
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researcher identifies a group of people who have experienced a
particular event and examines possible previous causes for this event.
Qualitative and phenomenological studies are nonexperimental studies
to examine attributes of groups of subjects. A prospective cohort study
is an epidemiologic study in which the researcher identifies a group of
people who are at risk for a condition and follows them over time.
• Question 7
0.5 out of 0.5 points
Which method will a researcher use to evaluate a group of qualitative studies?
Selected Answer: c.
, Meta-synthesis
Response A meta-synthesis is used to pool and combine findings from qualitative
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studies. A meta-analysis is a review of quantitative studies by
statistically pooling or combining the results from these studies into a
single quantitative analysis. A mixed-methods systematic review is
used to evaluate a combination of quantitative and qualitative studies.
A systematic review is a structured, comprehensive synthesis of the
research literature to determine the best research evidence available
to help determine best practice.
• Question 8
0.5 out of 0.5 points
Which is true about evidence-based practice?
Selected b.
Answer: The use of evidence-based practice results in improved patient
outcomes.
Response The greatest benefits of EBP are improved outcomes for patients,
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providers, and healthcare agencies. The Joint Commission revised
their accreditation criteria to emphasize patient care quality achieved
through EBP. EBP guidelines are based on all types of research, using
the best research knowledge available. Some nursing interventions are
evidence based currently, but many require additional research to
generate the knowledge essential for making changes in practice.
• Question 9
0.5 out of 0.5 points
Which statements would the nurse researcher recognize as being true when using
descriptive statistics? Select all that apply.
Selected a.
Answers: Researchers report descriptive statistics in tables and in the narrative
of the results section of their study.
e.
Descriptive statistics allow researchers to organize numerical data in
ways that give meaning and facilitate insight.
Response Descriptive statistics allow researchers to organize numerical data in
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ways that give meaning and facilitate insight. In any study in which
data are numerical, data analysis begins with descriptive statistics.
Researchers report descriptive statistics in tables and in the narrative
of the results section of their study. Descriptive statistics are conducted
to describe the sample and study variables. Analysis techniques
identified as parametric or nonparametric are used in inferential
statistics. Inferential statistics are conducted to examine relationships,
make predictions, and determine causality or differences in studies.
Measures of central tendency include the mode, median, and mean.
• Question 10
0.5 out of 0.5 points