NR 449 EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE IN
NURSING – COMPREHENSIVE EXAM PRACTICE
1. Nursing research is significant to the profession of nursing because it promotes what?
a. More specifically defined nursing practice responsibilities
b. Decreased liability within the practice of nursing
c. Generation of a specialized body of nursing knowledge for use in nursing practice
d. Expansion of the scope of nursing practice into areas formerly reserved for other
disciplines
Rationale: The correct answer is C. Nursing research generates a specialized scientific
knowledge base that empowers the nursing profession to anticipate and meet constantly shifting
challenges of health care delivery to multiple populations. It provides a foundation for evidence-
based nursing care and quality improvement activities.
2. Which aspect of the scientific investigation of nursing practice is also a fundamental concept
of American Nurses Association (ANA)'s Code for Nurses?
a. Professional accountability
b. Standards of care
c. Legal scope of practice
d. Advanced practice nursing activities
Rationale: The correct answer is A. Scientific investigation promotes accountability, a hallmark
of the nursing profession and a fundamental concept of the ANA's Code for Nurses.
3. Nurses who do not conduct research need to understand the nursing research process for
which of these reasons?
a. To identify potential subjects for clinical research studies
b. To assist as accurate data collectors in clinical research studies
c. To teach patients and their families about the usefulness of consenting to
participate in research
d. To be able to evaluate nursing research reports for relevance to their own clinical
practice
Rationale: The correct answer is D. Nurses need to understand the research process in order
to critically read research reports and determine if nursing practice should incorporate the
research findings as valid evidence.
4. Which of these actions demonstrates the role of a knowledgeable consumer of nursing
research?
a. Designing a nursing research study
b. Analyzing data to determine a study's outcomes
c. Evaluating the credibility of research findings
,d. Implementing an intervention found to be effective in one clinical case study
Rationale: The correct answer is C. A consumer of nursing research needs to understand the
research process to determine the merit and relevance of evidence presented in research
studies.
5. Members of the nursing staff are to participate in a unit-based clinical research study. Which
research-related actions would be expected of a nurse with a baccalaureate nursing degree?
a. Using critical appraisal skills to understand and assess the steps of the research
process
b. Providing expert nursing consultation about the way in which clinical services are
delivered
c. Developing research methods to monitor and evaluate the quality of nursing
practice in the clinical setting
d. Providing leadership in the application of scientific knowledge to nursing
Practice
Rationale: The correct answer is A. A baccalaureate-prepared nurse should be able to use
skills of critical appraisal to both understand and appraise the steps of the research process.
6. Which statement describes the role of the nurse in research?
a. Nurses must be prepared at the baccalaureate or higher level of education to have any role in
nursing research.
b. Nurses with master's or higher levels of education are solely responsible for applying
research to clinical practice.
c. The research role of nurses prepared at both the baccalaureate and master's levels of
education includes critical appraisal skills.
d. Regardless of the nursing education level, only the nurse with the most comprehensive
understanding of statistical methods should interpret research findings.
Rationale: The correct answer is C. To use research in evidence-based practice, the nurse
must not necessarily be able to conduct research but should be able to understand and
appraise the steps of the research process to read the research literature critically and use it to
inform clinical decisions.
7. What is the primary value of evidence-based nursing practice?
a. Implementing the most cost-effective nursing practices when providing patient care
b. Incorporating research findings with clinical expertise when individualizing patient care
c. Separating nursing research as unique from the research of other disciplines
d. Developing new nursing theories to promote the growth of nursing science
Rationale: The correct answer is B. Evidence-based practice allows the nurse to systematically
integrate the best available research evidence with individual clinical expertise, as well as the
patient's values and preferences, when making clinical decisions.
,8. A novice nurse researcher is comparing the processes used in nursing research and
evidence-based practice. What differences, if any, exist between the two processes?
a. As scientific processes, they are fundamentally the same and should result in parallel
outcomes.
b. Both processes involve testing a question with an appropriate design and specific
methodology.
c. In a research study the question is tested with an appropriate design and specific
methodology, whereas in evidence-based practice the question is used to search the research
literature to find answers.
d. In evidence-based practice, qualitative studies are critically appraised to answer a clinical
question, whereas in nursing research, quantitative studies are reviewed to provide a foundation
for the study.
Rationale: The correct answer is C. Nursing research includes developing a design for a study,
whether quantitative or qualitative, reviewing the literature, and carrying out a specific
methodology to find answers to a question. In contrast, evidence-based practice includes a
review of completed research studies to identify answers to a clinical question.
9. A nurse is analyzing a research article. Where in the article is the nurse likely to find the
research question and study purpose?
a. Introduction
b. Data analysis
c. Findings
d. Data collection
Rationale: The correct answer is A. The research question and study purpose is generally
found early in the report: in the abstract, the introduction, or at the end of the literature review or
conceptual framework section.
10. The nurse researcher is conducting a research study using subjects who will be interviewed
regarding their experience with postpartum depression. For which of these reasons would the
researcher selects a qualitative, rather than quantitative, research design?
a. Quantitative research is usually conducted in natural settings using data that are
words rather than numbers.
b. Qualitative research seeks to explain cause-and-effect relationships between
variables.
c. Quantitative research typically uses a convenience sample, seeking to answer a
clinical question about human experience.
d. Qualitative research collects data from a small number of subjects, allowing for
in-depth study of a phenomenon.
, Rationale: The correct answer is D. Qualitative research typically collects data from a small
number of subjects, thus allowing for in-depth study of a phenomenon while using a subjective
approach.
11. The nurse is analyzing a research article. To determine if an integrative review was
performed as part of the study, the nurse must understand that this type of review is what?
a. A summary of research studies on a focused topic that used a specific statistical
methodology
b. A synthesis of the research and theoretical literature on a specific area without a
statistical analysis
c. A synthesis of qualitative articles on a focused topic using a specific qualitative
methodology
d. A summary of articles in an attempt to develop a clinical practice statement or
clinical guidelines
Rationale: The correct answer is B. An integrative review is a synthesis of research or
theoretical literature on a specific area that follows specific steps of literature integration without
statistical analysis.
12. When assessing the strength of a body of evidence used in a research study for
consistency, the nurse should determine what?
a. Extent to which the study's design, implementation, and analysis minimize bias
b. Number of studies that have evaluated the research question, including overall
sample size across studies
c. Degree to which studies with similar and different designs investigated the same
research questions and report similar findings
d. Significance of the findings based on the statistical methods used for data analysis
Rationale: The correct answer is C. Consistency is the degree to which studies that had similar
and different designs (but investigate the same research question) reported similar findings.
13. The nurse is analyzing a qualitative research article. In which section of the article is the
nurse likely to find a summary of legal-ethical issues considered in the study?
a. Data collection or procedures
b. Findings or results
c. Discussion or implications
d. Abstract or introduction
Rationale: A Legal-ethical issues are typically discussed in the article's data collection or
procedures section, usually when discussing the sample.
14. The nurse is analyzing a qualitative research article. In which section of the article should
the nurse expect to find a discussion of the research findings?
a. Procedures
b. Methods
NURSING – COMPREHENSIVE EXAM PRACTICE
1. Nursing research is significant to the profession of nursing because it promotes what?
a. More specifically defined nursing practice responsibilities
b. Decreased liability within the practice of nursing
c. Generation of a specialized body of nursing knowledge for use in nursing practice
d. Expansion of the scope of nursing practice into areas formerly reserved for other
disciplines
Rationale: The correct answer is C. Nursing research generates a specialized scientific
knowledge base that empowers the nursing profession to anticipate and meet constantly shifting
challenges of health care delivery to multiple populations. It provides a foundation for evidence-
based nursing care and quality improvement activities.
2. Which aspect of the scientific investigation of nursing practice is also a fundamental concept
of American Nurses Association (ANA)'s Code for Nurses?
a. Professional accountability
b. Standards of care
c. Legal scope of practice
d. Advanced practice nursing activities
Rationale: The correct answer is A. Scientific investigation promotes accountability, a hallmark
of the nursing profession and a fundamental concept of the ANA's Code for Nurses.
3. Nurses who do not conduct research need to understand the nursing research process for
which of these reasons?
a. To identify potential subjects for clinical research studies
b. To assist as accurate data collectors in clinical research studies
c. To teach patients and their families about the usefulness of consenting to
participate in research
d. To be able to evaluate nursing research reports for relevance to their own clinical
practice
Rationale: The correct answer is D. Nurses need to understand the research process in order
to critically read research reports and determine if nursing practice should incorporate the
research findings as valid evidence.
4. Which of these actions demonstrates the role of a knowledgeable consumer of nursing
research?
a. Designing a nursing research study
b. Analyzing data to determine a study's outcomes
c. Evaluating the credibility of research findings
,d. Implementing an intervention found to be effective in one clinical case study
Rationale: The correct answer is C. A consumer of nursing research needs to understand the
research process to determine the merit and relevance of evidence presented in research
studies.
5. Members of the nursing staff are to participate in a unit-based clinical research study. Which
research-related actions would be expected of a nurse with a baccalaureate nursing degree?
a. Using critical appraisal skills to understand and assess the steps of the research
process
b. Providing expert nursing consultation about the way in which clinical services are
delivered
c. Developing research methods to monitor and evaluate the quality of nursing
practice in the clinical setting
d. Providing leadership in the application of scientific knowledge to nursing
Practice
Rationale: The correct answer is A. A baccalaureate-prepared nurse should be able to use
skills of critical appraisal to both understand and appraise the steps of the research process.
6. Which statement describes the role of the nurse in research?
a. Nurses must be prepared at the baccalaureate or higher level of education to have any role in
nursing research.
b. Nurses with master's or higher levels of education are solely responsible for applying
research to clinical practice.
c. The research role of nurses prepared at both the baccalaureate and master's levels of
education includes critical appraisal skills.
d. Regardless of the nursing education level, only the nurse with the most comprehensive
understanding of statistical methods should interpret research findings.
Rationale: The correct answer is C. To use research in evidence-based practice, the nurse
must not necessarily be able to conduct research but should be able to understand and
appraise the steps of the research process to read the research literature critically and use it to
inform clinical decisions.
7. What is the primary value of evidence-based nursing practice?
a. Implementing the most cost-effective nursing practices when providing patient care
b. Incorporating research findings with clinical expertise when individualizing patient care
c. Separating nursing research as unique from the research of other disciplines
d. Developing new nursing theories to promote the growth of nursing science
Rationale: The correct answer is B. Evidence-based practice allows the nurse to systematically
integrate the best available research evidence with individual clinical expertise, as well as the
patient's values and preferences, when making clinical decisions.
,8. A novice nurse researcher is comparing the processes used in nursing research and
evidence-based practice. What differences, if any, exist between the two processes?
a. As scientific processes, they are fundamentally the same and should result in parallel
outcomes.
b. Both processes involve testing a question with an appropriate design and specific
methodology.
c. In a research study the question is tested with an appropriate design and specific
methodology, whereas in evidence-based practice the question is used to search the research
literature to find answers.
d. In evidence-based practice, qualitative studies are critically appraised to answer a clinical
question, whereas in nursing research, quantitative studies are reviewed to provide a foundation
for the study.
Rationale: The correct answer is C. Nursing research includes developing a design for a study,
whether quantitative or qualitative, reviewing the literature, and carrying out a specific
methodology to find answers to a question. In contrast, evidence-based practice includes a
review of completed research studies to identify answers to a clinical question.
9. A nurse is analyzing a research article. Where in the article is the nurse likely to find the
research question and study purpose?
a. Introduction
b. Data analysis
c. Findings
d. Data collection
Rationale: The correct answer is A. The research question and study purpose is generally
found early in the report: in the abstract, the introduction, or at the end of the literature review or
conceptual framework section.
10. The nurse researcher is conducting a research study using subjects who will be interviewed
regarding their experience with postpartum depression. For which of these reasons would the
researcher selects a qualitative, rather than quantitative, research design?
a. Quantitative research is usually conducted in natural settings using data that are
words rather than numbers.
b. Qualitative research seeks to explain cause-and-effect relationships between
variables.
c. Quantitative research typically uses a convenience sample, seeking to answer a
clinical question about human experience.
d. Qualitative research collects data from a small number of subjects, allowing for
in-depth study of a phenomenon.
, Rationale: The correct answer is D. Qualitative research typically collects data from a small
number of subjects, thus allowing for in-depth study of a phenomenon while using a subjective
approach.
11. The nurse is analyzing a research article. To determine if an integrative review was
performed as part of the study, the nurse must understand that this type of review is what?
a. A summary of research studies on a focused topic that used a specific statistical
methodology
b. A synthesis of the research and theoretical literature on a specific area without a
statistical analysis
c. A synthesis of qualitative articles on a focused topic using a specific qualitative
methodology
d. A summary of articles in an attempt to develop a clinical practice statement or
clinical guidelines
Rationale: The correct answer is B. An integrative review is a synthesis of research or
theoretical literature on a specific area that follows specific steps of literature integration without
statistical analysis.
12. When assessing the strength of a body of evidence used in a research study for
consistency, the nurse should determine what?
a. Extent to which the study's design, implementation, and analysis minimize bias
b. Number of studies that have evaluated the research question, including overall
sample size across studies
c. Degree to which studies with similar and different designs investigated the same
research questions and report similar findings
d. Significance of the findings based on the statistical methods used for data analysis
Rationale: The correct answer is C. Consistency is the degree to which studies that had similar
and different designs (but investigate the same research question) reported similar findings.
13. The nurse is analyzing a qualitative research article. In which section of the article is the
nurse likely to find a summary of legal-ethical issues considered in the study?
a. Data collection or procedures
b. Findings or results
c. Discussion or implications
d. Abstract or introduction
Rationale: A Legal-ethical issues are typically discussed in the article's data collection or
procedures section, usually when discussing the sample.
14. The nurse is analyzing a qualitative research article. In which section of the article should
the nurse expect to find a discussion of the research findings?
a. Procedures
b. Methods
