NURS 354: NURSING RESEARCH AND
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
1. A researcher is planning a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a new wound care
protocol. Which level of evidence is considered the highest in the hierarchy for clinical
decision-making?
A. Systematic review or meta-analysis of all relevant RCTs
B. A single randomized controlled trial (RCT)
C. Expert opinion and clinical practice guidelines
D. Well-designed case-control and cohort studies
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: A systematic review or meta-analysis of all relevant randomized
controlled trials (Level I) provides the most rigorous evidence for clinical practice by
synthesizing data from multiple high-quality studies.
2. Which component of the PICO(T) format represents the ‘O’ in a research question?
A. Object of the study
,B. Observation period
C. Organization of the intervention
D. Outcome of interest
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: In PICO(T), P stands for Population/Patient, I for Intervention, C
for Comparison, O for Outcome, and T for Time.
3. A study designed to investigate the lived experience of mothers who have lost a child to a
chronic illness is best suited for which qualitative methodology?
A. Ethnography
B. Historical Research
C. Grounded Theory
D. Phenomenology
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Phenomenology is specifically designed to describe the ‘lived
experience’ of individuals regarding a specific phenomenon.
4. In a quantitative research study, the researcher defines the ‘degree of pain’ as the score on
a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from 0 to 10. This is an example of:
A. A theoretical framework
B. A research hypothesis
, C. An operational definition
D. An extraneous variable
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: An operational definition specifies how a variable will be
measured or manipulated within a specific study.
5. A researcher rejects the null hypothesis when, in reality, there is no significant difference
between the groups. This error is known as:
A. Sampling error
B. Type II error
C. Type I error
D. Measurement error
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: A Type I error occurs when the null hypothesis is rejected
(stating there is an effect) when it is actually true (there is no effect).
6. What is the primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects
B. To verify the statistical accuracy of the research findings
C. To ensure the study has sufficient funding
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
1. A researcher is planning a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a new wound care
protocol. Which level of evidence is considered the highest in the hierarchy for clinical
decision-making?
A. Systematic review or meta-analysis of all relevant RCTs
B. A single randomized controlled trial (RCT)
C. Expert opinion and clinical practice guidelines
D. Well-designed case-control and cohort studies
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: A systematic review or meta-analysis of all relevant randomized
controlled trials (Level I) provides the most rigorous evidence for clinical practice by
synthesizing data from multiple high-quality studies.
2. Which component of the PICO(T) format represents the ‘O’ in a research question?
A. Object of the study
,B. Observation period
C. Organization of the intervention
D. Outcome of interest
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: In PICO(T), P stands for Population/Patient, I for Intervention, C
for Comparison, O for Outcome, and T for Time.
3. A study designed to investigate the lived experience of mothers who have lost a child to a
chronic illness is best suited for which qualitative methodology?
A. Ethnography
B. Historical Research
C. Grounded Theory
D. Phenomenology
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Phenomenology is specifically designed to describe the ‘lived
experience’ of individuals regarding a specific phenomenon.
4. In a quantitative research study, the researcher defines the ‘degree of pain’ as the score on
a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from 0 to 10. This is an example of:
A. A theoretical framework
B. A research hypothesis
, C. An operational definition
D. An extraneous variable
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: An operational definition specifies how a variable will be
measured or manipulated within a specific study.
5. A researcher rejects the null hypothesis when, in reality, there is no significant difference
between the groups. This error is known as:
A. Sampling error
B. Type II error
C. Type I error
D. Measurement error
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: A Type I error occurs when the null hypothesis is rejected
(stating there is an effect) when it is actually true (there is no effect).
6. What is the primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects
B. To verify the statistical accuracy of the research findings
C. To ensure the study has sufficient funding
