Chamberlain NR449 EBP CJE
Benchmark Exam Questions and Well
Graded Solutions with Rationales
Updated 2026-2027
Pass your Chamberlain University NR449 Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) CJE
Benchmark Exam with this comprehensive 250+ question master study bank. Includes
labelled multiple-choice questions, bolded correct answers, and detailed rationales for
every item. Master critical concepts like PICOT formulation, quantitative vs. qualitative
methods, variables, sampling, the Belmont Report, statistics (p-values), and IRB levels.
Perfect for nursing students looking to guarantee a passing score.
1|Page
,Question 1: Which of the following is considered the primary purpose of evidence-
based practice (EBP) in nursing?
a) To reduce healthcare costs for the organization
b) To standardize care across all national hospital systems
c) To guide clinical decision-making using the best available research, clinical
expertise, and patient preferences
d) To replace traditional nursing nursing textbooks with journal articles
Answer: c) To guide clinical decision-making using the best available
research, clinical expertise, and patient preferences
Rationale: EBP is a tripartite model that integrates the best research evidence with
clinical expertise and patient values to optimize health outcomes.
Question 2: A nurse researcher is looking for a synthesis of multiple studies on a
specific clinical intervention. Which level of evidence should the nurse look for at the
top of the evidence hierarchy?
a) A single randomized controlled trial (RCT)
b) A systematic review or meta-analysis
c) A descriptive qualitative study
d) An expert opinion report
Answer: b) A systematic review or meta-analysis
Rationale: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses sit at Level I (the peak) of the
traditional evidence hierarchy because they rigorously synthesize data from multiple
primary studies to minimize bias.
Question 3: In a PICOT question, what does the "O" represent?
a) Outcome
b) Objective
c) Observation
d) Organization
Answer: a) Outcome
Rationale: PICOT stands for Patient/Population (P), Intervention (I), Comparison (C),
Outcome (O), and Time (T). The outcome defines the measurable result the nurse
expects to see.
Question 4: A nurse is formulating a PICOT question regarding the effectiveness of
chlorhexidine vs. soap and water for central line care. Chlorhexidine represents
which component of PICOT?
a) P
b) I
c) C
d) O
Answer: b) I
Rationale: Chlorhexidine is the specific treatment, therapy, or intervention being
introduced and tested.
Question 5: Which search strategy is most effective when a nurse wants to find
articles that contain both the terms "heart failure" and "readmission"?
a) Heart failure OR readmission
b) Heart failure NOT readmission
c) Heart failure AND readmission
d) Heart failure EXCEPT readmission
Answer: c) Heart failure AND readmission
2|Page
,Rationale: The Boolean operator 'AND' narrows a search by instructing the database
to retrieve only resources that contain every single search term specified.
Question 6: What is the main difference between a primary source and a secondary
source in a literature review?
a) Primary sources are peer-reviewed, while secondary sources are never peer-
reviewed
b) Primary sources are written by the original researchers who conducted the study,
while secondary sources summarize or comment on original work
c) Primary sources are always qualitative, while secondary sources are always
quantitative
d) Primary sources are online journals, while secondary sources are physical
textbooks
Answer: b) Primary sources are written by the original researchers who
conducted the study, while secondary sources summarize or comment on
original work
Rationale: A primary source is an firsthand account written by the investigators who
generated the data. Secondary sources synthesize, interpret, or review those
primary studies.
Question 7: A researcher investigates the lived experiences of mothers caring for
chronically ill infants. What type of research design is this?
a) Quantitative experimental
b) Qualitative phenomenological
c) Quantitative quasi-experimental
d) Meta-analysis
Answer: b) Qualitative phenomenological
Rationale: Phenomenology is a qualitative research approach that focuses
specifically on understanding the lived experiences of individuals encountering a
specific phenomenon.
Question 8: What concept describes the point in qualitative data collection where no
new information, themes, or perspectives are obtained from participants?
a) Statistical significance
b) Generalizability
c) Data saturation
d) Reliability
Answer: c) Data saturation
Rationale: Data saturation occurs in qualitative studies when sample sizes are
sufficient because subsequent interviews or observations yield repetitive data rather
than fresh insights.
Question 9: In an experimental study testing a new pain medication, the dose of the
medication administered is which type of variable?
a) Dependent variable
b) Confounding variable
c) Independent variable
d) Demographic variable
Answer: c) Independent variable
Rationale: The independent variable is the intervention or factor that is actively
manipulated or controlled by the researcher to observe its effect.
3|Page
, Question 10: In the same experimental study testing a new pain medication, the
patient's reported pain score on a scale of 0-10 is which type of variable?
a) Independent variable
b) Dependent variable
c) Extraneous variable
d) Qualitative variable
Answer: b) Dependent variable
Rationale: The dependent variable is the outcome or response variable that is
measured to see how much it is influenced by the independent variable.
Question 11: A nurse reads a research study with a reported p-value of 0.02. How
should the nurse interpret this finding?
a) The finding is clinically important but not statistically significant
b) There is a 20% chance that the results occurred due to random luck
c) The results are statistically significant because the p-value is less than or equal to
0.05
d) The hypothesis must be completely rewritten
Answer: c) The results are statistically significant because the p-value is less
than or equal to 0.05
Rationale: A p-value of less than 0.05 indicates that there is a less than 5%
probability that the observed results occurred by random chance, making the finding
statistically significant.
Question 12: If a blood pressure cuff consistently reads 15 mmHg higher than a
patient's actual blood pressure every single time it is used, the instrument is:
a) Valid but not reliable
b) Reliable but not valid
c) Both reliable and valid
d) Neither reliable nor valid
Answer: b) Reliable but not valid
Rationale: Reliability refers to consistency of measurement. Because it gives the
same reading repeatedly, it is reliable. Validity refers to accuracy; since it does not
measure the true blood pressure, it is invalid.
Question 13: Which ethical principle from the Belmont Report requires researchers
to treat participants autonomously and protect those with diminished autonomy?
a) Beneficence
b) Justice
c) Respect for Persons
d) Non-maleficence
Answer: c) Respect for Persons
Rationale: Respect for persons incorporates the requirement to acknowledge
autonomy and protect individuals with vulnerable or compromised decision-making
capacity.
Question 14: Which group of individuals would require a Full Review by an
Institutional Review Board (IRB) due to their vulnerable status?
a) Registered nurses working in an ICU
b) Healthy college students aged 21 to 25
c) Pregnant women and fetuses
d) Homeowners living in suburban neighborhoods
Answer: c) Pregnant women and fetuses
4|Page
Benchmark Exam Questions and Well
Graded Solutions with Rationales
Updated 2026-2027
Pass your Chamberlain University NR449 Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) CJE
Benchmark Exam with this comprehensive 250+ question master study bank. Includes
labelled multiple-choice questions, bolded correct answers, and detailed rationales for
every item. Master critical concepts like PICOT formulation, quantitative vs. qualitative
methods, variables, sampling, the Belmont Report, statistics (p-values), and IRB levels.
Perfect for nursing students looking to guarantee a passing score.
1|Page
,Question 1: Which of the following is considered the primary purpose of evidence-
based practice (EBP) in nursing?
a) To reduce healthcare costs for the organization
b) To standardize care across all national hospital systems
c) To guide clinical decision-making using the best available research, clinical
expertise, and patient preferences
d) To replace traditional nursing nursing textbooks with journal articles
Answer: c) To guide clinical decision-making using the best available
research, clinical expertise, and patient preferences
Rationale: EBP is a tripartite model that integrates the best research evidence with
clinical expertise and patient values to optimize health outcomes.
Question 2: A nurse researcher is looking for a synthesis of multiple studies on a
specific clinical intervention. Which level of evidence should the nurse look for at the
top of the evidence hierarchy?
a) A single randomized controlled trial (RCT)
b) A systematic review or meta-analysis
c) A descriptive qualitative study
d) An expert opinion report
Answer: b) A systematic review or meta-analysis
Rationale: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses sit at Level I (the peak) of the
traditional evidence hierarchy because they rigorously synthesize data from multiple
primary studies to minimize bias.
Question 3: In a PICOT question, what does the "O" represent?
a) Outcome
b) Objective
c) Observation
d) Organization
Answer: a) Outcome
Rationale: PICOT stands for Patient/Population (P), Intervention (I), Comparison (C),
Outcome (O), and Time (T). The outcome defines the measurable result the nurse
expects to see.
Question 4: A nurse is formulating a PICOT question regarding the effectiveness of
chlorhexidine vs. soap and water for central line care. Chlorhexidine represents
which component of PICOT?
a) P
b) I
c) C
d) O
Answer: b) I
Rationale: Chlorhexidine is the specific treatment, therapy, or intervention being
introduced and tested.
Question 5: Which search strategy is most effective when a nurse wants to find
articles that contain both the terms "heart failure" and "readmission"?
a) Heart failure OR readmission
b) Heart failure NOT readmission
c) Heart failure AND readmission
d) Heart failure EXCEPT readmission
Answer: c) Heart failure AND readmission
2|Page
,Rationale: The Boolean operator 'AND' narrows a search by instructing the database
to retrieve only resources that contain every single search term specified.
Question 6: What is the main difference between a primary source and a secondary
source in a literature review?
a) Primary sources are peer-reviewed, while secondary sources are never peer-
reviewed
b) Primary sources are written by the original researchers who conducted the study,
while secondary sources summarize or comment on original work
c) Primary sources are always qualitative, while secondary sources are always
quantitative
d) Primary sources are online journals, while secondary sources are physical
textbooks
Answer: b) Primary sources are written by the original researchers who
conducted the study, while secondary sources summarize or comment on
original work
Rationale: A primary source is an firsthand account written by the investigators who
generated the data. Secondary sources synthesize, interpret, or review those
primary studies.
Question 7: A researcher investigates the lived experiences of mothers caring for
chronically ill infants. What type of research design is this?
a) Quantitative experimental
b) Qualitative phenomenological
c) Quantitative quasi-experimental
d) Meta-analysis
Answer: b) Qualitative phenomenological
Rationale: Phenomenology is a qualitative research approach that focuses
specifically on understanding the lived experiences of individuals encountering a
specific phenomenon.
Question 8: What concept describes the point in qualitative data collection where no
new information, themes, or perspectives are obtained from participants?
a) Statistical significance
b) Generalizability
c) Data saturation
d) Reliability
Answer: c) Data saturation
Rationale: Data saturation occurs in qualitative studies when sample sizes are
sufficient because subsequent interviews or observations yield repetitive data rather
than fresh insights.
Question 9: In an experimental study testing a new pain medication, the dose of the
medication administered is which type of variable?
a) Dependent variable
b) Confounding variable
c) Independent variable
d) Demographic variable
Answer: c) Independent variable
Rationale: The independent variable is the intervention or factor that is actively
manipulated or controlled by the researcher to observe its effect.
3|Page
, Question 10: In the same experimental study testing a new pain medication, the
patient's reported pain score on a scale of 0-10 is which type of variable?
a) Independent variable
b) Dependent variable
c) Extraneous variable
d) Qualitative variable
Answer: b) Dependent variable
Rationale: The dependent variable is the outcome or response variable that is
measured to see how much it is influenced by the independent variable.
Question 11: A nurse reads a research study with a reported p-value of 0.02. How
should the nurse interpret this finding?
a) The finding is clinically important but not statistically significant
b) There is a 20% chance that the results occurred due to random luck
c) The results are statistically significant because the p-value is less than or equal to
0.05
d) The hypothesis must be completely rewritten
Answer: c) The results are statistically significant because the p-value is less
than or equal to 0.05
Rationale: A p-value of less than 0.05 indicates that there is a less than 5%
probability that the observed results occurred by random chance, making the finding
statistically significant.
Question 12: If a blood pressure cuff consistently reads 15 mmHg higher than a
patient's actual blood pressure every single time it is used, the instrument is:
a) Valid but not reliable
b) Reliable but not valid
c) Both reliable and valid
d) Neither reliable nor valid
Answer: b) Reliable but not valid
Rationale: Reliability refers to consistency of measurement. Because it gives the
same reading repeatedly, it is reliable. Validity refers to accuracy; since it does not
measure the true blood pressure, it is invalid.
Question 13: Which ethical principle from the Belmont Report requires researchers
to treat participants autonomously and protect those with diminished autonomy?
a) Beneficence
b) Justice
c) Respect for Persons
d) Non-maleficence
Answer: c) Respect for Persons
Rationale: Respect for persons incorporates the requirement to acknowledge
autonomy and protect individuals with vulnerable or compromised decision-making
capacity.
Question 14: Which group of individuals would require a Full Review by an
Institutional Review Board (IRB) due to their vulnerable status?
a) Registered nurses working in an ICU
b) Healthy college students aged 21 to 25
c) Pregnant women and fetuses
d) Homeowners living in suburban neighborhoods
Answer: c) Pregnant women and fetuses
4|Page
