EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE IN NURSING
& HEALTHCARE
A GUIDE TO BEST PRACTICE
5TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)BERNADETTE MAZUREK
MELNYK; ELLEN FINEOUT-OVERHOLT
TEST BANK
1) Reference
Ch. 1 — Making the Case for EBP and Cultivating a Spirit of
Inquiry — Practice Variation and Uncertainty
A medical-surgical unit has used the same postoperative
mobility protocol for years, yet its fall rate remains above
benchmark. A staff nurse wonders whether the current
approach is still the best practice, but several senior nurses
,insist the policy should stay because it is “how we have always
done it.”
Which response best reflects a spirit of inquiry?
A. Accept the current policy because long-standing routines are
usually safest
B. Ask what evidence supports the current practice and
whether outcomes could be improved
C. Wait until a formal research study is published before
questioning the policy
D. Implement a new mobility plan immediately without
consulting anyone
Correct Answer: B
Correct Answer Rationale:
A spirit of inquiry begins with questioning practice patterns that
do not produce expected outcomes. The nurse is identifying a
practice gap and asking whether the current protocol is
supported by evidence and outcomes data. That is the entry
point to EBP.
Incorrect Options:
A. Tradition alone does not establish effectiveness. Persisting
with a practice despite poor outcomes ignores EBP principles.
C. EBP does not require waiting for new primary research if
evidence already exists.
D. Immediate change without evidence review or stakeholder
input is premature and not systematic.
,Teaching Point:
Question routine practice when outcomes do not match
expectations.
Citation:
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2023). Evidence-Based
Practice in Nursing & Healthcare (5th ed.). Ch. 1.
2) Reference
Ch. 1 — Making the Case for EBP and Cultivating a Spirit of
Inquiry — EBP Versus Tradition
During shift report, a new graduate nurse asks why the unit still
performs routine gastric residual checks before every enteral
feeding. The preceptor replies, “Because we have always done
it this way, and I do not want to cause problems.”
Which statement is the best EBP-focused response?
A. “Tradition is enough if no one has complained.”
B. “Let’s look for current evidence and unit outcomes before
deciding whether the practice should continue.”
C. “We should change practice only if the nurse manager orders
it.”
D. “The safest choice is to keep the current practice
indefinitely.”
Correct Answer: B
, Correct Answer Rationale:
EBP requires using the best available evidence rather than
relying on habit or authority alone. The nurse’s response
appropriately links current practice to evidence and outcomes.
It also supports a culture of inquiry instead of passive
acceptance.
Incorrect Options:
A. A lack of complaints does not prove a practice is effective or
necessary.
C. Leadership support helps, but evidence review should not
wait for a command.
D. Permanently preserving a practice without evaluation
contradicts EBP.
Teaching Point:
Evidence, not habit, should drive clinical decisions.
Citation:
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2023). Evidence-Based
Practice in Nursing & Healthcare (5th ed.). Ch. 1.
3) Reference
Ch. 1 — Making the Case for EBP and Cultivating a Spirit of
Inquiry — Recognizing a Practice Gap
A pediatric clinic notices that many children leave after
vaccination with inconsistent pain-management teaching. Some
& HEALTHCARE
A GUIDE TO BEST PRACTICE
5TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)BERNADETTE MAZUREK
MELNYK; ELLEN FINEOUT-OVERHOLT
TEST BANK
1) Reference
Ch. 1 — Making the Case for EBP and Cultivating a Spirit of
Inquiry — Practice Variation and Uncertainty
A medical-surgical unit has used the same postoperative
mobility protocol for years, yet its fall rate remains above
benchmark. A staff nurse wonders whether the current
approach is still the best practice, but several senior nurses
,insist the policy should stay because it is “how we have always
done it.”
Which response best reflects a spirit of inquiry?
A. Accept the current policy because long-standing routines are
usually safest
B. Ask what evidence supports the current practice and
whether outcomes could be improved
C. Wait until a formal research study is published before
questioning the policy
D. Implement a new mobility plan immediately without
consulting anyone
Correct Answer: B
Correct Answer Rationale:
A spirit of inquiry begins with questioning practice patterns that
do not produce expected outcomes. The nurse is identifying a
practice gap and asking whether the current protocol is
supported by evidence and outcomes data. That is the entry
point to EBP.
Incorrect Options:
A. Tradition alone does not establish effectiveness. Persisting
with a practice despite poor outcomes ignores EBP principles.
C. EBP does not require waiting for new primary research if
evidence already exists.
D. Immediate change without evidence review or stakeholder
input is premature and not systematic.
,Teaching Point:
Question routine practice when outcomes do not match
expectations.
Citation:
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2023). Evidence-Based
Practice in Nursing & Healthcare (5th ed.). Ch. 1.
2) Reference
Ch. 1 — Making the Case for EBP and Cultivating a Spirit of
Inquiry — EBP Versus Tradition
During shift report, a new graduate nurse asks why the unit still
performs routine gastric residual checks before every enteral
feeding. The preceptor replies, “Because we have always done
it this way, and I do not want to cause problems.”
Which statement is the best EBP-focused response?
A. “Tradition is enough if no one has complained.”
B. “Let’s look for current evidence and unit outcomes before
deciding whether the practice should continue.”
C. “We should change practice only if the nurse manager orders
it.”
D. “The safest choice is to keep the current practice
indefinitely.”
Correct Answer: B
, Correct Answer Rationale:
EBP requires using the best available evidence rather than
relying on habit or authority alone. The nurse’s response
appropriately links current practice to evidence and outcomes.
It also supports a culture of inquiry instead of passive
acceptance.
Incorrect Options:
A. A lack of complaints does not prove a practice is effective or
necessary.
C. Leadership support helps, but evidence review should not
wait for a command.
D. Permanently preserving a practice without evaluation
contradicts EBP.
Teaching Point:
Evidence, not habit, should drive clinical decisions.
Citation:
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2023). Evidence-Based
Practice in Nursing & Healthcare (5th ed.). Ch. 1.
3) Reference
Ch. 1 — Making the Case for EBP and Cultivating a Spirit of
Inquiry — Recognizing a Practice Gap
A pediatric clinic notices that many children leave after
vaccination with inconsistent pain-management teaching. Some
