BSN3A Nursing Research Exam Practice
Questions & [Verified Answers], Plus
Explained Rationales|2026 Latest Update|
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1. What is the primary purpose of nursing research?
A. To replace clinical judgment
B. To increase the workload of nurses
C. To generate evidence that improves nursing practice and patient
outcomes
D. To eliminate the need for nursing theories
Rationale: Nursing research systematically generates and evaluates
evidence that can improve nursing care, patient safety, healthcare
outcomes, and nursing knowledge.
2. Which characteristic best describes scientific research?
A. It relies primarily on personal opinions
B. It uses information that cannot be verified
C. It follows a systematic and organized process
D. It avoids the use of previous research
Rationale: Scientific research follows a systematic process involving
identification of a problem, review of literature, methodology, data
collection, analysis, and interpretation.
1|Page
,3. What is the first step in the research process?
A. Data analysis
B. Selection of statistical tests
C. Identification of the research problem
D. Publication of findings
Rationale: A research study begins with identifying a problem or area
of interest that requires investigation.
4. A nurse researcher wants to determine whether a new wound-care
protocol reduces healing time compared with the existing protocol.
Which type of research is most appropriate?
A. Qualitative research
B. Historical research
C. Experimental research
D. Phenomenological research
Rationale: Experimental research examines cause-and-effect
relationships by manipulating an independent variable and observing
its effect on a dependent variable.
5. Which statement best describes quantitative research?
A. It focuses primarily on personal experiences
B. It uses narrative descriptions rather than numerical data
C. It collects and analyzes numerical data
D. It avoids statistical analysis
Rationale: Quantitative research uses measurable variables and
numerical data that can be analyzed statistically.
2|Page
,6. Which research approach is most appropriate for exploring how
patients experience living with chronic pain?
A. Experimental
B. Quasi-experimental
C. Qualitative
D. Correlational
Rationale: Qualitative research is appropriate for exploring
experiences, perceptions, meanings, beliefs, and other subjective
phenomena.
7. A researcher investigates the relationship between nurses'
workload and medication errors without manipulating either variable.
What type of study is this?
A. Experimental
B. Correlational
C. Phenomenological
D. Ethnographic
Rationale: Correlational research examines relationships between
variables without manipulating them. It can identify associations but
cannot by itself establish causation.
8. What is a research hypothesis?
A. A summary of research findings
B. A statement describing the sample
C. A testable prediction about the relationship between variables
D. A list of references used in the study
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, Rationale: A hypothesis is a testable prediction concerning expected
relationships or differences among variables.
9. Which hypothesis predicts that there is no relationship between
two variables?
A. Directional hypothesis
B. Research hypothesis
C. Null hypothesis
D. Statistical assumption
Rationale: The null hypothesis states that no statistically significant
relationship or difference exists between the variables being studied.
10. A researcher predicts that patients receiving a new educational
intervention will have higher medication-adherence scores than
patients receiving standard education. What type of hypothesis is
this?
A. Null hypothesis
B. Nondirectional hypothesis
C. Directional hypothesis
D. Descriptive hypothesis
Rationale: A directional hypothesis specifies the expected direction of
the relationship or difference—in this case, higher adherence scores.
11. In a study examining the effect of exercise on blood pressure,
exercise is the:
4|Page
Questions & [Verified Answers], Plus
Explained Rationales|2026 Latest Update|
Instant Download PDF
1. What is the primary purpose of nursing research?
A. To replace clinical judgment
B. To increase the workload of nurses
C. To generate evidence that improves nursing practice and patient
outcomes
D. To eliminate the need for nursing theories
Rationale: Nursing research systematically generates and evaluates
evidence that can improve nursing care, patient safety, healthcare
outcomes, and nursing knowledge.
2. Which characteristic best describes scientific research?
A. It relies primarily on personal opinions
B. It uses information that cannot be verified
C. It follows a systematic and organized process
D. It avoids the use of previous research
Rationale: Scientific research follows a systematic process involving
identification of a problem, review of literature, methodology, data
collection, analysis, and interpretation.
1|Page
,3. What is the first step in the research process?
A. Data analysis
B. Selection of statistical tests
C. Identification of the research problem
D. Publication of findings
Rationale: A research study begins with identifying a problem or area
of interest that requires investigation.
4. A nurse researcher wants to determine whether a new wound-care
protocol reduces healing time compared with the existing protocol.
Which type of research is most appropriate?
A. Qualitative research
B. Historical research
C. Experimental research
D. Phenomenological research
Rationale: Experimental research examines cause-and-effect
relationships by manipulating an independent variable and observing
its effect on a dependent variable.
5. Which statement best describes quantitative research?
A. It focuses primarily on personal experiences
B. It uses narrative descriptions rather than numerical data
C. It collects and analyzes numerical data
D. It avoids statistical analysis
Rationale: Quantitative research uses measurable variables and
numerical data that can be analyzed statistically.
2|Page
,6. Which research approach is most appropriate for exploring how
patients experience living with chronic pain?
A. Experimental
B. Quasi-experimental
C. Qualitative
D. Correlational
Rationale: Qualitative research is appropriate for exploring
experiences, perceptions, meanings, beliefs, and other subjective
phenomena.
7. A researcher investigates the relationship between nurses'
workload and medication errors without manipulating either variable.
What type of study is this?
A. Experimental
B. Correlational
C. Phenomenological
D. Ethnographic
Rationale: Correlational research examines relationships between
variables without manipulating them. It can identify associations but
cannot by itself establish causation.
8. What is a research hypothesis?
A. A summary of research findings
B. A statement describing the sample
C. A testable prediction about the relationship between variables
D. A list of references used in the study
3|Page
, Rationale: A hypothesis is a testable prediction concerning expected
relationships or differences among variables.
9. Which hypothesis predicts that there is no relationship between
two variables?
A. Directional hypothesis
B. Research hypothesis
C. Null hypothesis
D. Statistical assumption
Rationale: The null hypothesis states that no statistically significant
relationship or difference exists between the variables being studied.
10. A researcher predicts that patients receiving a new educational
intervention will have higher medication-adherence scores than
patients receiving standard education. What type of hypothesis is
this?
A. Null hypothesis
B. Nondirectional hypothesis
C. Directional hypothesis
D. Descriptive hypothesis
Rationale: A directional hypothesis specifies the expected direction of
the relationship or difference—in this case, higher adherence scores.
11. In a study examining the effect of exercise on blood pressure,
exercise is the:
4|Page
