BURNS AND GROVE’S THE PRACTICE OF
NURSING RESEARCH PRACTICE TEST 2026
EXAM SCRIPT WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
◉ A pretest in a pretest-posttest design corresponds to:
A) An outcome measure
B) A baseline measure
C) A measure of attitudes toward the intervention
D) A measure of the independent variable. Answer: B) A baseline
measure
◉ Which of the following statements best represents a criticism of
evidence-based practice?
A) Evidence-based practice is universally applicable and does not
require adaptation to different clinical settings.
B) Evidence-based practice can be overly rigid and may not account for
individual patient preferences and values.
C) Evidence-based practice promotes excessive reliance on expert
opinion and ignores scientific evidence.
D) Evidence-based practice does not prioritize cost-effectiveness and
may lead to wasteful healthcare spending.. Answer: B) Evidence-based
,practice can be overly rigid and may not account for individual patient
preferences and values.
◉ Which of the following research designs is typically used to establish
cause-and-effect relationships in quantitative research?
A) Descriptive longitudinal design
B) Ethnographic design
C) Correlational design
D) Quasi-experimental design. Answer: D) Quasi-experimental Design
◉ Which of the following options correctly represents the evidence
hierarchy in research, from the highest level of evidence to the lowest?
A) Randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, cohort studies,
meta-analysis, expert opinions
B) Systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, case-control
studies, cohort studies, expert opinions
C) Systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, cohort studies,
case-control studies, expert opinions.
D) Randomized controlled trials, meta-analysis, cohort studies, case-
control studies, expert opinions. Answer: C) Systematic reviews,
randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, expert
opinions.
,◉ Which of the following statements best describes a key difference
between quantitative and qualitative research?
A) Quantitative research designs tend to require larger sample sizes,
while qualitative research involves smaller sample sizes.
B) Quantitative and qualitative research designs use both open-ended
and close-ended questions.
C) Quantitative research uses probability and non-probability sampling
methods, while qualitative research emphasizes probability sampling
methods.
D) Quantitative research prioritizes an in-depth understanding of
individual experiences, while qualitative research aims for
generalizability.. Answer: A) Quantitative research designs tend to
require larger sample sizes, while qualitative research involves smaller
sample sizes.
◉ 2. Within which qualitative tradition would the following question be
addressed? "What is the essence of men's experiences of chemotherapy
treatment for prostate cancer?"
A) Grounded theory
B) Ethnography
C) Phenomenology
D) Qualitative description. Answer: C) Phenomenology
, ◉ 3. Which design question is relevant in both quantitative and
qualitative studies?
A) How will confounding variables be controlled?
B) How often will data be collected?
C) Will the independent variable be manipulated?
D) Who will be blinded?. Answer: B) How often will data be collected?
◉ Kendall randomly assigned postsurgical patients to aromatherapy or
usual care, to assess effects on nausea. Indicate whether the study design
is:
A) Experimental
B) Quasi-experimental or
C) Non-experimental. Answer: A) Experimental
◉ Madden compared levels of agitation in two groups of nursing home
residents, one group living in a home where they received a daily foot
massage for two weeks, the other in a home without the massages.
Indicate whether the study design is:
A) Experimental
B) Quasi-experimental or
NURSING RESEARCH PRACTICE TEST 2026
EXAM SCRIPT WITH VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
◉ A pretest in a pretest-posttest design corresponds to:
A) An outcome measure
B) A baseline measure
C) A measure of attitudes toward the intervention
D) A measure of the independent variable. Answer: B) A baseline
measure
◉ Which of the following statements best represents a criticism of
evidence-based practice?
A) Evidence-based practice is universally applicable and does not
require adaptation to different clinical settings.
B) Evidence-based practice can be overly rigid and may not account for
individual patient preferences and values.
C) Evidence-based practice promotes excessive reliance on expert
opinion and ignores scientific evidence.
D) Evidence-based practice does not prioritize cost-effectiveness and
may lead to wasteful healthcare spending.. Answer: B) Evidence-based
,practice can be overly rigid and may not account for individual patient
preferences and values.
◉ Which of the following research designs is typically used to establish
cause-and-effect relationships in quantitative research?
A) Descriptive longitudinal design
B) Ethnographic design
C) Correlational design
D) Quasi-experimental design. Answer: D) Quasi-experimental Design
◉ Which of the following options correctly represents the evidence
hierarchy in research, from the highest level of evidence to the lowest?
A) Randomized controlled trials, case-control studies, cohort studies,
meta-analysis, expert opinions
B) Systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, case-control
studies, cohort studies, expert opinions
C) Systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, cohort studies,
case-control studies, expert opinions.
D) Randomized controlled trials, meta-analysis, cohort studies, case-
control studies, expert opinions. Answer: C) Systematic reviews,
randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, expert
opinions.
,◉ Which of the following statements best describes a key difference
between quantitative and qualitative research?
A) Quantitative research designs tend to require larger sample sizes,
while qualitative research involves smaller sample sizes.
B) Quantitative and qualitative research designs use both open-ended
and close-ended questions.
C) Quantitative research uses probability and non-probability sampling
methods, while qualitative research emphasizes probability sampling
methods.
D) Quantitative research prioritizes an in-depth understanding of
individual experiences, while qualitative research aims for
generalizability.. Answer: A) Quantitative research designs tend to
require larger sample sizes, while qualitative research involves smaller
sample sizes.
◉ 2. Within which qualitative tradition would the following question be
addressed? "What is the essence of men's experiences of chemotherapy
treatment for prostate cancer?"
A) Grounded theory
B) Ethnography
C) Phenomenology
D) Qualitative description. Answer: C) Phenomenology
, ◉ 3. Which design question is relevant in both quantitative and
qualitative studies?
A) How will confounding variables be controlled?
B) How often will data be collected?
C) Will the independent variable be manipulated?
D) Who will be blinded?. Answer: B) How often will data be collected?
◉ Kendall randomly assigned postsurgical patients to aromatherapy or
usual care, to assess effects on nausea. Indicate whether the study design
is:
A) Experimental
B) Quasi-experimental or
C) Non-experimental. Answer: A) Experimental
◉ Madden compared levels of agitation in two groups of nursing home
residents, one group living in a home where they received a daily foot
massage for two weeks, the other in a home without the massages.
Indicate whether the study design is:
A) Experimental
B) Quasi-experimental or
