Chapter 16. The Advanced Practice
Nurse and Research
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A registered nurse is concerned about the patients perceptions and
feelings about the qualit y of life that they experience after a diagnosis of
liver cancer. Which is the most appropriate t ype of research study the
nurse should use to gather information about this situation?
a. Quantitative study
b. Randomized trial
c. Qualitative study
d. Case controlled study
ANS: C
Qualitative research offers anal ysis of interviews, observations, and/or
surveys to measure peoples perceptions, feelings, or views of
phenomena about which little is known. Randomized trial has
participants divided into groups to test for the same outcome to
determine if there is a difference in the effect of a treatment or
intervention compared with a standard of care. A case control study
compares patients who have a disease or outcome of intere st with
patients who do not have the disease or outcome. The researcher looks
back to compare how frequentl y the exposure to a risk factor is present
in each group to determine the relationship between the risk factor and
disease. If quantitative data such as physical measurements and scores
on surveys are collected, statistical results from the study are
explained. Quantitative data do not focus on perceptions and feelings.
,2. A nurse works for a facilit y in which the facilit y sends information to The
National Data Base for Nursing Qualit y Improvement (NDNQI) regarding
patient falls, pressure ulcer incidence, and nursing satisfaction. The nurse
works at which facility?
a. The Joint Commission
b. A magnet-designated hospital
c. The Centers for Disease Control and P revention
d. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses
ANS: B
All magnet -designated hospitals maintain the National Database of
Nursing Qualit y Improvement (NDNQI). The database includes
information from Magnet hospitals on falls, pressure ulcer in cidence,
and nurse satisfaction. The Joint Commission produces patient safet y
goals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention help produce
guidelines for clinical practice. American Association of Critical Care
Nurses provides standards and practice guidelines for critical care
nurses.
3. A student nurse is looking for research articles that can be used to
complete a research paper. Where can the nursing student look to quickl y
find out if an article is research or clinicall y based?
a. p value
b. Abstract
c. Anal ysis
d. Literature review
ANS: B
An abstract is a brief summary of the article that quickl y shows
whether the article is research or clinically based. An abstract
summarizes the purpose of the study or clinical review, the major
, themes or findings, a nd the implications for nursing practice. A good
author offers a detailed background of previous studies and the level of
evidence or clinical information that exists about the topic of the
article, which is called the literature review. Anal ysis is the se ction
that explains how the data collected in a study are anal yzed. The p
value (usuall y set at 0.05) is a probabilit y level that tells you whether
the difference between two groups was likel y related to the
intervention or if it was simpl y a difference by chance.
4. A nurse working in an acute care setting wanted to determine the most
accurate way to take patients temperatures. The nurse noticed that the
tympanic thermometers used by the unit were often not accurate. The
nurse found that the literature show ed t ympanic thermometers were not
the most accurate method of obtaining a temperature. The nurse wants to
change the nursing practice of the unit. What is the nurses most logical
next step?
a. Discuss the findings with a patient to gain support.
b. Tell the aides to stop taking temperatures.
c. Share the findings with the nursing policy and procedure committee.
d. Write an editorial in the public newspaper to bring the communit y
into the process.
ANS: C
A key feature of a practice environment that supports the u se of best
evidence is requiring clinical practice policies and procedures to be
evidence based. Many organizations involve staff nurses and research -
prepared advanced practice nurses in reviewing scientific articles
relevant to policies and procedures and then making appropriate
revisions. Policies and procedures are important tools for supporting
hospital-based nurses in using evidence in their everyday practice and
promoting positive patient outcomes. Discussing results with the
patient will not get the procedure changed. Telling the aides to stop
, taking the temperatures is dangerous. Writing an editorial in the public
newspaper is inappropriate to effect change on the unit. First follow
policies and procedures of the agency in which one works.
5. After a practice change has taken place in an organization because of a
nurse following evidence -based practice in a task force, which final step
should the nurse take?
a. Evaluate
b. Encourage
c. Engage
d. Execute
ANS: A
After appl ying evidence in practice, the next step is to evaluate the
effect. Newhouse and White (2011) recommend that to be successful in
changing practice within an organization, it is essential to Engage,
Educate, Execute, and Evaluate. Engage and execu te have already
occurred because the change has taken place. Encourage is not a step in
the evidence-based process.
6. The nursing unit staff has used evidence -based practice to implement a
practice change. What is the next step in the process the nursing s taff
should implement?
a. Review literature.
b. Engage companies.
c. Measure outcomes.
d. Ask a clinical question.
ANS: C
Nurse and Research
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A registered nurse is concerned about the patients perceptions and
feelings about the qualit y of life that they experience after a diagnosis of
liver cancer. Which is the most appropriate t ype of research study the
nurse should use to gather information about this situation?
a. Quantitative study
b. Randomized trial
c. Qualitative study
d. Case controlled study
ANS: C
Qualitative research offers anal ysis of interviews, observations, and/or
surveys to measure peoples perceptions, feelings, or views of
phenomena about which little is known. Randomized trial has
participants divided into groups to test for the same outcome to
determine if there is a difference in the effect of a treatment or
intervention compared with a standard of care. A case control study
compares patients who have a disease or outcome of intere st with
patients who do not have the disease or outcome. The researcher looks
back to compare how frequentl y the exposure to a risk factor is present
in each group to determine the relationship between the risk factor and
disease. If quantitative data such as physical measurements and scores
on surveys are collected, statistical results from the study are
explained. Quantitative data do not focus on perceptions and feelings.
,2. A nurse works for a facilit y in which the facilit y sends information to The
National Data Base for Nursing Qualit y Improvement (NDNQI) regarding
patient falls, pressure ulcer incidence, and nursing satisfaction. The nurse
works at which facility?
a. The Joint Commission
b. A magnet-designated hospital
c. The Centers for Disease Control and P revention
d. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses
ANS: B
All magnet -designated hospitals maintain the National Database of
Nursing Qualit y Improvement (NDNQI). The database includes
information from Magnet hospitals on falls, pressure ulcer in cidence,
and nurse satisfaction. The Joint Commission produces patient safet y
goals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention help produce
guidelines for clinical practice. American Association of Critical Care
Nurses provides standards and practice guidelines for critical care
nurses.
3. A student nurse is looking for research articles that can be used to
complete a research paper. Where can the nursing student look to quickl y
find out if an article is research or clinicall y based?
a. p value
b. Abstract
c. Anal ysis
d. Literature review
ANS: B
An abstract is a brief summary of the article that quickl y shows
whether the article is research or clinically based. An abstract
summarizes the purpose of the study or clinical review, the major
, themes or findings, a nd the implications for nursing practice. A good
author offers a detailed background of previous studies and the level of
evidence or clinical information that exists about the topic of the
article, which is called the literature review. Anal ysis is the se ction
that explains how the data collected in a study are anal yzed. The p
value (usuall y set at 0.05) is a probabilit y level that tells you whether
the difference between two groups was likel y related to the
intervention or if it was simpl y a difference by chance.
4. A nurse working in an acute care setting wanted to determine the most
accurate way to take patients temperatures. The nurse noticed that the
tympanic thermometers used by the unit were often not accurate. The
nurse found that the literature show ed t ympanic thermometers were not
the most accurate method of obtaining a temperature. The nurse wants to
change the nursing practice of the unit. What is the nurses most logical
next step?
a. Discuss the findings with a patient to gain support.
b. Tell the aides to stop taking temperatures.
c. Share the findings with the nursing policy and procedure committee.
d. Write an editorial in the public newspaper to bring the communit y
into the process.
ANS: C
A key feature of a practice environment that supports the u se of best
evidence is requiring clinical practice policies and procedures to be
evidence based. Many organizations involve staff nurses and research -
prepared advanced practice nurses in reviewing scientific articles
relevant to policies and procedures and then making appropriate
revisions. Policies and procedures are important tools for supporting
hospital-based nurses in using evidence in their everyday practice and
promoting positive patient outcomes. Discussing results with the
patient will not get the procedure changed. Telling the aides to stop
, taking the temperatures is dangerous. Writing an editorial in the public
newspaper is inappropriate to effect change on the unit. First follow
policies and procedures of the agency in which one works.
5. After a practice change has taken place in an organization because of a
nurse following evidence -based practice in a task force, which final step
should the nurse take?
a. Evaluate
b. Encourage
c. Engage
d. Execute
ANS: A
After appl ying evidence in practice, the next step is to evaluate the
effect. Newhouse and White (2011) recommend that to be successful in
changing practice within an organization, it is essential to Engage,
Educate, Execute, and Evaluate. Engage and execu te have already
occurred because the change has taken place. Encourage is not a step in
the evidence-based process.
6. The nursing unit staff has used evidence -based practice to implement a
practice change. What is the next step in the process the nursing s taff
should implement?
a. Review literature.
b. Engage companies.
c. Measure outcomes.
d. Ask a clinical question.
ANS: C
