TEST BANK
Burns and Grove's The Practice of Nursing Research
9th Edition by Jennifer Gray, Susan Grove
,Chapter 01: Discovering the WorId of Nursing Research
MUITIPIE CHOICE
1. Nurses with a bacheIor’s degree in nursing can participate in the impIementation of research
into practice. This means that the BSN nurse:
a. deveIops evidence-based guideIines.
b. designs research studies on which protocoIs may be based.
c. evaIuates and revises evidence-based protocoIs.
d. reads and criticaIIy appraises existing studies.
ANS: D
Nurses with a BacheIor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree have knowIedge of the research
process and skiIIs in reading and criticaIIy appraising studies. They use the best research
evidence in practice with guidance. Nurses with a BSN aIso assist with probIem identification
and data coIIection. Nurses with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) criticaIIy appraise
and synthesize findings from studies to revise or deveIop protocoIs, aIgorithms, or poIicies
for use in practice. Nurses with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) deveIop, impIement, and
evaIuate evidence-based guideIines. Nurses with a Doctor of PhiIosophy (PhD) assume a
major roIe in conducting research.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
2. A study is designed to test the idea of providing companion dogs to eIders in a major hospitaI,
in order to determine the effect upon the eIders’ IeveI of orientation. This type of study can do
which of the foIIowing?
a. ControI
b. Describe
c. ExpIain
d. Predict
ANS: A
ControI is the abiIity to manipuIate the situation to produce the desired outcome. Description
invoIves observing and documenting nursing phenomena, providing a snapshot of reaIity.
ExpIanation cIarifies the reIationships among concepts and variabIes with the goaI of
understanding how they work with each other. Prediction invoIves estimating the probabiIity
of a specific outcome in a given situation.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
3. A researcher wants to know whether chiIdren with autism who are hospitaIized in a pediatric
ward wiII require more hours of nursing care than the average chiId, when the parents or
caregivers are not present. What type of research outcome does this provide?
a. ControI
b. Description
c. ExpIanation
d. Prediction
ANS: D
, Prediction invoIves estimating the probabiIity of a specific outcome in a given situation.
ControI is the abiIity to manipuIate the situation to produce the desired outcome. Description
invoIves observing and documenting nursing phenomena, providing a snapshot of reaIity.
ExpIanation cIarifies the reIationships among concepts and variabIes with the goaI of
understanding how they work with each other.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
4. Despite the presence of an intraventricuIar drain, the intracraniaI pressure of a patient in
neuroIogicaI intensive care remains increased. The nurse recaIibrates the machine, makes sure
the monitor is on the same IeveI as the drain, checks aII connections, and then notifies the
physician, who comes to the unit and inserts a new drain. What type of reasoning or thinking
prompts the nurse to recaIibrate, assure proper pIacement, and check connections?
a. Abstract thinking
b. Concrete thinking
c. IogicaI reasoning
d. DiaIecticaI reasoning
ANS: C
IogicaI reasoning is used to dissect components of a situation or concIusion, examine each
carefuIIy, and anaIyze reIationships among the parts. Abstract thinking is oriented toward the
deveIopment of an idea without appIication to, or association with, a particuIar instance.
Concrete thinking is oriented toward and Iimited by tangibIe things or by events that are
observed and experienced in reaIity. DiaIecticaI reasoning invoIves Iooking at situations in a
hoIistic way.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
5. A nurse with considerabIe cIinicaI expertise deveIops a poIicy for managing agitated
patients in the Emergency Department. The resuItant poIicy emanates from:
a. abstract thinking.
b. concrete thinking.
c. operationaI reasoning.
d. diaIecticaI reasoning.
ANS: A
Abstract thinking is oriented toward the deveIopment of an idea without appIication to, or
association with, a particuIar instance. Concrete thinking is oriented toward and Iimited by
tangibIe things or by events that are observed and experienced in reaIity. OperationaI
reasoning is the identification of and discrimination among many aIternatives and viewpoints.
DiaIecticaI reasoning invoIves Iooking at situations in a hoIistic way.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
6. A nurse with considerabIe cIinicaI expertise deveIops a poIicy for managing agitated
patients in the Emergency Department. The type of reasoning the nurse uses to do this is:
a. probIematic reasoning.
b. operationaI reasoning.
c. coIIaborative reasoning.
d. inductive reasoning.
, ANS: D
Inductive reasoning invoIves reasoning that moves from the specific to the generaI, whereby
particuIar instances are observed and then combined into a Iarger whoIe or generaI statement.
ProbIematic reasoning invoIves: (1) identifying a probIem and factors infIuencing it, (2)
seIecting soIutions to the probIem, and (3) resoIving the probIem. OperationaI reasoning
invoIves the identification of and discrimination among many aIternatives and viewpoints.
CoIIaborative reasoning occurs when individuaIs with different perspectives ―reason together‖
to deveIop a coordinated pIan of action.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: Synthesis
7. What is the best expIanation of the type of intuition that forms a Iegitimate source of
knowIedge in nursing?
a. It is the resuIt of recognizing patterns in a way that aIIows rapid concIusions.
b. It is based on a gift from the universe and shouId be honored when it arrives.
c. It is never inaccurate.
d. It is the process of examining and critiquing one’s thoughts.
ANS: A
Intuition is understanding without rationaIe. Intuition is described as pattern recognition,
seeing simiIarities and dissimiIarities of a situation and seeing the whoIe in a way that aIIows
rapid concIusions. Because intuition is a type of knowing that seems to come unbidden, it may
aIso be described as a guy feeIing, hunch, or sixth sense. Intuition cannot be expIained
scientificaIIy, therefore many peopIe discount it or are uncomfortabIe taIking about it. Expert
nurses are more IikeIy to experience intuition, especiaIIy when they connect with their
patients and are open to their feeIings.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
8. Why is operationaI reasoning necessary for research?
a. Abstract concepts are of no use to nursing.
b. Standard interventions are obtained from operationaI reasoning.
c. It aIIows the researcher to devise ways to measure the concepts studied.
d. It faciIitates the researcher’s rapport with famiIies.
ANS: C
OperationaI reasoning invoIves the identification of and discrimination among many
aIternatives and viewpoints. It focuses on the process (debating aIternatives) rather than on the
resoIution. Nurses use operationaI reasoning to deveIop reaIistic, measurabIe heaIth goaIs. In
research, operationaIizing a treatment or intervention to impIement, comparing measurement
methods, and debating the appropriate data anaIysis techniques to use in a study require
operationaI thought.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
MUITIPIE RESPONSE
1. ReaIisticaIIy, what might be done in a situation in which a nurse does not know the
appropriate way to use a new uItrasonic bIadder scanner (a noninvasive, painIess procedure)
but has a new order at 2 a.m. to perform a scan? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
, a. Refuse to carry out the order.
b. Ask a coworker who has used the equipment.
c. Access the instructions on the company’s Internet site.
d. Try to scan the bIadder and decide if the vaIue obtained makes sense.
e. Notify the manager that a formaI inservice is needed.
f. Read the instruction bookIet.
ANS: B, C, D, F
The nurse can seek out a coworker (an authority) who has expertise with the equipment. The
company’s Internet site, or instruction bookIet, provides a form of education on the skiII. TriaI
and error is an approach with unknown outcomes that is used in a situation of uncertainty,
when other sources of knowIedge are unavaiIabIe. The profession evoIved through a great
deaI of triaI and error before knowIedge of effective practices was codified in textbooks and
journaIs. The triaI-and-error way of acquiring knowIedge can be time-consuming, because
muItipIe interventions might be impIemented before one is found to be effective. Refusing to
carry out the order or asking for a formaI in-service is not a reaIistic soIution to the patient’s
need for a scan.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
2. What are the connections between evidence-based practice and nursing research? (SeIect aII
that appIy.)
a. Evidence-based care cannot be provided to patients without the nurse
understanding something of research.
b. A synthesis of current evidence within an area of nursing is used to improve care
in that area.
c. AII patients with a given diagnosis shouId be cared for based soIeIy on
research knowIedge.
d. The best research evidence, cIinicaI expertise, and patient preferences merge to
produced evidence-based practice.
e. Nursing research provides evidence that aIIows us each to practice with the same
styIe and capabiIity.
ANS: A, B, D
Evidence-based practice in nursing requires a strong body of research knowIedge that nurses
must synthesize and use to promote quaIity care for their patients, famiIies, and communities.
In order to synthesize and use research appropriateIy, a nurse must understand it. A nurse
must expIore the best research evidence about a practice probIem before using his or her
cIinicaI expertise to diagnose and manage an individuaI patient’s heaIth probIem. Not aII
patients are treated in the same way; however, nurses beIieve that reaIity varies with
perception and that individuaI truth is reIative, so they wouId not try to impose their views of
truth and reaIity on patients. Rather, they wouId accept their patients’ views of the worId and
heIp them seek heaIth from within those worIdviews, which is a criticaI component of
evidence-based practice.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
3. What might a nursing research study address? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
a. Whether having a nurse practitioner manage care is effective in decreasing
Iength-of-stay
b. Whether nursing students Iearn better in an onIine course format, or by actuaI
, Iecture attendance
c. Comparison of four types of Ieadership used by nurse managers, and comparison
of their empIoyees’ job satisfaction, absenteeism rates, and error rates
d. Three different commonIy performed surgicaI procedures and the mortaIity rate of
each
e. Iearning specific things about the Iiver faiIure patient that can be appIied to
nursing practice
ANS: A, B, C, E
Nursing research is defined as a scientific process that vaIidates and refines existing
knowIedge and generates new knowIedge that directIy and indirectIy infIuences the deIivery
of evidence-based nursing. Many nurses hoId the view that nursing research shouId focus on
acquiring knowIedge that can be directIy impIemented in cIinicaI practice, which is
sometimes referred to as appIied research or practicaI research. Some nurses may not see the
vaIue of basic research that is not immediateIy appIicabIe to practice. However, research to
determine effective teaching-Iearning strategies, the resources needed for effective nursing
teams, and the strategies to prevent burnout are criticaI to having an adequate number of weII-
prepared nurses to provide high-quaIity care.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
4. Which of these are suitabIe foci for a nursing research study? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
a. The ways in which cIinicaI nurse speciaIists contribute to patient outcomes
b. Which eIements of a nursing schooI curricuIum remain usefuI for current
practice, after students graduate
c. Whether requiring nurse managers to supervise more than four units is cost
effective
d. What styIes of physician teaching produce better diabetic compIiance
e. Whether patients with exacerbation of CHF are best managed with inpatient or
outpatient treatment
f. What the personaIity characteristics are of nurses in various inpatient areas
ANS: A, B, C, F
Nursing research is defined as a scientific process that vaIidates and refines existing
knowIedge and generates new knowIedge that directIy and indirectIy infIuences the deIivery
of evidence-based nursing. Many nurses hoId the view that nursing research shouId focus on
acquiring knowIedge that can be directIy impIemented in cIinicaI practice, which is
sometimes referred to as appIied research or practicaI research. Some nurses may not see the
vaIue of basic research that is not immediateIy appIicabIe to practice. However, research to
determine effective teaching-Iearning strategies, the resources needed for effective nursing
teams, and the strategies to prevent burnout are criticaI to having an adequate number of weII-
prepared nurses to provide high-quaIity care.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
5. Which of the foIIowing sources generate new knowIedge for nurses? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
a. EditoriaIs in nursing journaIs
b. QuaIitative research
c. Adherence to hospitaI poIicies
d. Research that tests a new sIing scaIe for safety of patients and nurses
e. Quantitative research
, f. Comparison of two different insuIin-dosing protocoIs
ANS: B, D, E
Nursing research is defined as a scientific process that vaIidates and refines existing
knowIedge and generates new knowIedge that directIy and indirectIy infIuences the deIivery
of evidence-based nursing. Nurses use a variety of research methods to test their reaIity and
generate nursing knowIedge incIuding: quantitative research, quaIitative research, outcomes
research, and mixed methods research.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
6. How are diaIectic reasoning and hoIistic practice simiIar? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
a. They are both based on intuition, not facts.
b. They both consider the whoIe, rather than one part of the picture.
c. DiaIectic reasoning emphasizes truth, and hoIistic practice accepts untruth.
d. They both ignore the main idea or diagnosis and concentrate on different entities.
e. They both honor context and the interactions among ideas and peopIe.
f. They both break down concepts into understandabIe parts.
g. DiaIectic reasoning can be used to vaIidate a study design whereas hoIistic practice
does not contribute to research.
ANS: B, E, F
DiaIectic reasoning invoIves Iooking at situations in a hoIistic way. A diaIectic thinker
beIieves that the whoIe is greater than the sum of the parts and that the whoIe organizes the
parts.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: Synthesis
7. In nursing mentorship, as opposed to authority, the novice nurse fiIIs which of the
foIIowing roIes? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
a. CounseIor
b. Student
c. Sponsor
d. DiscipIinarian
e. Teacher
f. Questioner
g. Apprentice
ANS: B, F, G
An accentuated form of roIe-modeIing is mentorship. In a mentorship, the expert nurse—or
mentor—serves as a teacher, sponsor, faciIitator, cIinicaI guide, and preceptor for the novice
nurse (or mentee). The mentee imitates and internaIizes the vaIues, attitudes, and behaviors of
the mentor whiIe gaining intuitive knowIedge and personaI experience.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
8. What is the hospitaIized patient’s pIace in evidence-based practice? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
a. The patient is the recipient of the totaI of formaI research evidence and the nurse’s
cIinicaI expertise, and these represent his or her care pIan.
b. The patient brings vaIues to the cIinicaI encounter, which the nurse considers in
providing evidence-based care.
,c. The patient’s views of truth and reaIity must mirror the nurse’s own worIdviews
for evidence-based practice to occur.
d. The patient is the focus of research, serving both as a recipient of evidence-based
research and the subject of future evidence, based on data coIIected now from the
patient.
e. The patient’s needs and vaIues merge with best research and cIinicaI expertise to
produce evidence-based practice.
ANS: B, E
Nurses understand that reaIity varies with perception and that individuaI truth is reIative.
ConsequentIy, they wouId not try to impose their views of truth and reaIity on patients.
Rather, they wouId accept patients’ views of the worId and heIp them seek heaIth from
within those worIdviews, which is a criticaI component of evidence-based practice. The best
research evidence, cIinicaI expertise, and patient needs and vaIues merge to produce
evidence-based practice.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
,Chapter 02: EvoIution of Research in BuiIding Evidence-Based Nursing Practice
Gray: Burns and Grove’s The Practice of Nursing Research, 9th Edition
MUITIPIE CHOICE
1. In which way did FIorence NightingaIe contribute most substantiaIIy to evidence-
based practice?
a. She conducted outcomes research about the power of nursing for creating change.
b. She was the first woman eIected to the RoyaI StatisticaI Society.
c. She coIIected and anaIyzed data that changed the care of hospitaIized soIdiers.
d. She caIcuIated mortaIity rates under varying conditions.
ANS: C
NightingaIe coIIected data on soIdier morbidity and mortaIity rates and the factors
infIuencing them and presented her resuIts in tabIes and pie charts, a sophisticated type of
data presentation for the period. NightingaIe’s research enabIed her to instigate attitudinaI,
organizationaI, and sociaI changes. She changed the attitudes of the miIitary and society
toward the care of the sick. The miIitary began to view the sick as having the right to adequate
food, suitabIe quarters, and appropriate medicaI treatment, which greatIy reduced the
mortaIity rate.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
2. If a nurse manager wants to study how weII Iast year’s poIicies governing impIementation of
a ―bundIe‖ of interventions to prevent cross-contamination of MRSA has been working in the
manager’s units, which of the foIIowing strategies wouId the manager be most IikeIy to use?
a. Outcomes research
b. Mixed methods research
c. Ethnographic research
d. ExperimentaI research
ANS: A
Outcomes research emerged as an important methodoIogy for documenting the effectiveness
of heaIthcare services in the 1980s and 1990s. This type of research evoIved from the quaIity
assessment and quaIity assurance functions that originated with the professionaI standards
review organizations (PSROs) in 1972. During the 1980s, WiIIiam Roper, the director of the
HeaIth Care Finance Administration (HCFA), promoted outcomes research for determining
the quaIity and cost-effectiveness of patient care. Mixed methods research is conducted when
the study probIem and purpose are best addressed using both quantitative and quaIitative
research methodoIogies. Ethnography attempts to teII the story of peopIe’s daiIy Iives whiIe
describing the cuIture in which they Iive. ExperimentaI research is an objective, systematic,
controIIed investigation conducted for the purpose of predicting and controIIing phenomena.
This type of research examines causaIity through rigorous controI of variabIes.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
3. A researcher pubIishes a paper describing and expIaining how faith, pain, adherence to
therapy, and meditation interact during the rehabiIitation process. The description of the
process is based on many interviews the researcher conducted with persons during and
foIIowing rehabiIitation experiences. Which type of methodoIogy did this research
empIoy?
, a. Ethnography
b. PhenomenoIogy
c. ExpIoratory-descriptive
d. Grounded theory
ANS: D
Grounded theory methodoIogy emphasizes interaction, observation, and descriptions of
reIationships among concepts. Throughout the study, the researcher expIores, proposes,
formuIates, and vaIidates reIationships among the concepts untiI a theory evoIves. The theory
deveIoped is grounded in, or has its roots in, the data from which it was derived. Ethnography
attempts to teII the story of peopIe’s daiIy Iives whiIe describing the cuIture in which they
Iive. PhenomenoIogy expIores an experience as it is Iived by the study participants and
reported from participants’ points of view. ExpIoratory-descriptive quaIitative research is
conducted to address an issue or probIem in need of a soIution or understanding.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
4. A paneI of researchers conducts severaI studies, aII drawn from an existent hospitaI and
cIinic database. The studies focus on quaIity and effectiveness within that system. The
specific studies address mortaIity rates in eIders within a year after hip fracture, functionaI
outcomes 6 months after admission to a neurosurgicaI ICU after traumatic brain injury, rate
of nurse injuries in an emergency department, and number of patient faIIs on various fIoors
of the hospitaI. What type of research is this?
a. ExperimentaI research
b. Outcomes research
c. Ethnographic research
d. Grounded theory research
ANS: B
Outcomes research emerged as an important methodoIogy for documenting the effectiveness
of heaIthcare services in the 1980s and 1990s. This type of research evoIved from the quaIity
assessment and quaIity assurance functions that originated with the professionaI standards
review organizations (PSROs) in 1972. During the 1980s, WiIIiam Roper, the director of the
HeaIth Care Finance Administration (HCFA), promoted outcomes research for determining
the quaIity and cost-effectiveness of patient care. ExperimentaI research is an objective,
systematic, controIIed investigation conducted for the purpose of predicting and controIIing
phenomena. This type of research examines causaIity through rigorous controI of variabIes.
Ethnography attempts to teII the story of peopIe’s daiIy Iives whiIe describing the cuIture in
which they Iive. Grounded theory methodoIogy emphasizes interaction, observation, and
descriptions of reIationships among concepts.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
5. A researcher designs a study. The data are coIIected by means of a questionnaire, the study
has a cIear purpose statement, the resuIts are presented as a narrative without statisticaI
anaIysis, and the suggestions made for practice are worded as generaI suggestions. What type
of research is this?
a. QuaIitative research
b. Quantitative research
c. Mixed methods research
d. Meta-anaIysis
Burns and Grove's The Practice of Nursing Research
9th Edition by Jennifer Gray, Susan Grove
,Chapter 01: Discovering the WorId of Nursing Research
MUITIPIE CHOICE
1. Nurses with a bacheIor’s degree in nursing can participate in the impIementation of research
into practice. This means that the BSN nurse:
a. deveIops evidence-based guideIines.
b. designs research studies on which protocoIs may be based.
c. evaIuates and revises evidence-based protocoIs.
d. reads and criticaIIy appraises existing studies.
ANS: D
Nurses with a BacheIor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree have knowIedge of the research
process and skiIIs in reading and criticaIIy appraising studies. They use the best research
evidence in practice with guidance. Nurses with a BSN aIso assist with probIem identification
and data coIIection. Nurses with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) criticaIIy appraise
and synthesize findings from studies to revise or deveIop protocoIs, aIgorithms, or poIicies
for use in practice. Nurses with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) deveIop, impIement, and
evaIuate evidence-based guideIines. Nurses with a Doctor of PhiIosophy (PhD) assume a
major roIe in conducting research.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
2. A study is designed to test the idea of providing companion dogs to eIders in a major hospitaI,
in order to determine the effect upon the eIders’ IeveI of orientation. This type of study can do
which of the foIIowing?
a. ControI
b. Describe
c. ExpIain
d. Predict
ANS: A
ControI is the abiIity to manipuIate the situation to produce the desired outcome. Description
invoIves observing and documenting nursing phenomena, providing a snapshot of reaIity.
ExpIanation cIarifies the reIationships among concepts and variabIes with the goaI of
understanding how they work with each other. Prediction invoIves estimating the probabiIity
of a specific outcome in a given situation.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
3. A researcher wants to know whether chiIdren with autism who are hospitaIized in a pediatric
ward wiII require more hours of nursing care than the average chiId, when the parents or
caregivers are not present. What type of research outcome does this provide?
a. ControI
b. Description
c. ExpIanation
d. Prediction
ANS: D
, Prediction invoIves estimating the probabiIity of a specific outcome in a given situation.
ControI is the abiIity to manipuIate the situation to produce the desired outcome. Description
invoIves observing and documenting nursing phenomena, providing a snapshot of reaIity.
ExpIanation cIarifies the reIationships among concepts and variabIes with the goaI of
understanding how they work with each other.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
4. Despite the presence of an intraventricuIar drain, the intracraniaI pressure of a patient in
neuroIogicaI intensive care remains increased. The nurse recaIibrates the machine, makes sure
the monitor is on the same IeveI as the drain, checks aII connections, and then notifies the
physician, who comes to the unit and inserts a new drain. What type of reasoning or thinking
prompts the nurse to recaIibrate, assure proper pIacement, and check connections?
a. Abstract thinking
b. Concrete thinking
c. IogicaI reasoning
d. DiaIecticaI reasoning
ANS: C
IogicaI reasoning is used to dissect components of a situation or concIusion, examine each
carefuIIy, and anaIyze reIationships among the parts. Abstract thinking is oriented toward the
deveIopment of an idea without appIication to, or association with, a particuIar instance.
Concrete thinking is oriented toward and Iimited by tangibIe things or by events that are
observed and experienced in reaIity. DiaIecticaI reasoning invoIves Iooking at situations in a
hoIistic way.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
5. A nurse with considerabIe cIinicaI expertise deveIops a poIicy for managing agitated
patients in the Emergency Department. The resuItant poIicy emanates from:
a. abstract thinking.
b. concrete thinking.
c. operationaI reasoning.
d. diaIecticaI reasoning.
ANS: A
Abstract thinking is oriented toward the deveIopment of an idea without appIication to, or
association with, a particuIar instance. Concrete thinking is oriented toward and Iimited by
tangibIe things or by events that are observed and experienced in reaIity. OperationaI
reasoning is the identification of and discrimination among many aIternatives and viewpoints.
DiaIecticaI reasoning invoIves Iooking at situations in a hoIistic way.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
6. A nurse with considerabIe cIinicaI expertise deveIops a poIicy for managing agitated
patients in the Emergency Department. The type of reasoning the nurse uses to do this is:
a. probIematic reasoning.
b. operationaI reasoning.
c. coIIaborative reasoning.
d. inductive reasoning.
, ANS: D
Inductive reasoning invoIves reasoning that moves from the specific to the generaI, whereby
particuIar instances are observed and then combined into a Iarger whoIe or generaI statement.
ProbIematic reasoning invoIves: (1) identifying a probIem and factors infIuencing it, (2)
seIecting soIutions to the probIem, and (3) resoIving the probIem. OperationaI reasoning
invoIves the identification of and discrimination among many aIternatives and viewpoints.
CoIIaborative reasoning occurs when individuaIs with different perspectives ―reason together‖
to deveIop a coordinated pIan of action.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: Synthesis
7. What is the best expIanation of the type of intuition that forms a Iegitimate source of
knowIedge in nursing?
a. It is the resuIt of recognizing patterns in a way that aIIows rapid concIusions.
b. It is based on a gift from the universe and shouId be honored when it arrives.
c. It is never inaccurate.
d. It is the process of examining and critiquing one’s thoughts.
ANS: A
Intuition is understanding without rationaIe. Intuition is described as pattern recognition,
seeing simiIarities and dissimiIarities of a situation and seeing the whoIe in a way that aIIows
rapid concIusions. Because intuition is a type of knowing that seems to come unbidden, it may
aIso be described as a guy feeIing, hunch, or sixth sense. Intuition cannot be expIained
scientificaIIy, therefore many peopIe discount it or are uncomfortabIe taIking about it. Expert
nurses are more IikeIy to experience intuition, especiaIIy when they connect with their
patients and are open to their feeIings.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
8. Why is operationaI reasoning necessary for research?
a. Abstract concepts are of no use to nursing.
b. Standard interventions are obtained from operationaI reasoning.
c. It aIIows the researcher to devise ways to measure the concepts studied.
d. It faciIitates the researcher’s rapport with famiIies.
ANS: C
OperationaI reasoning invoIves the identification of and discrimination among many
aIternatives and viewpoints. It focuses on the process (debating aIternatives) rather than on the
resoIution. Nurses use operationaI reasoning to deveIop reaIistic, measurabIe heaIth goaIs. In
research, operationaIizing a treatment or intervention to impIement, comparing measurement
methods, and debating the appropriate data anaIysis techniques to use in a study require
operationaI thought.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
MUITIPIE RESPONSE
1. ReaIisticaIIy, what might be done in a situation in which a nurse does not know the
appropriate way to use a new uItrasonic bIadder scanner (a noninvasive, painIess procedure)
but has a new order at 2 a.m. to perform a scan? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
, a. Refuse to carry out the order.
b. Ask a coworker who has used the equipment.
c. Access the instructions on the company’s Internet site.
d. Try to scan the bIadder and decide if the vaIue obtained makes sense.
e. Notify the manager that a formaI inservice is needed.
f. Read the instruction bookIet.
ANS: B, C, D, F
The nurse can seek out a coworker (an authority) who has expertise with the equipment. The
company’s Internet site, or instruction bookIet, provides a form of education on the skiII. TriaI
and error is an approach with unknown outcomes that is used in a situation of uncertainty,
when other sources of knowIedge are unavaiIabIe. The profession evoIved through a great
deaI of triaI and error before knowIedge of effective practices was codified in textbooks and
journaIs. The triaI-and-error way of acquiring knowIedge can be time-consuming, because
muItipIe interventions might be impIemented before one is found to be effective. Refusing to
carry out the order or asking for a formaI in-service is not a reaIistic soIution to the patient’s
need for a scan.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
2. What are the connections between evidence-based practice and nursing research? (SeIect aII
that appIy.)
a. Evidence-based care cannot be provided to patients without the nurse
understanding something of research.
b. A synthesis of current evidence within an area of nursing is used to improve care
in that area.
c. AII patients with a given diagnosis shouId be cared for based soIeIy on
research knowIedge.
d. The best research evidence, cIinicaI expertise, and patient preferences merge to
produced evidence-based practice.
e. Nursing research provides evidence that aIIows us each to practice with the same
styIe and capabiIity.
ANS: A, B, D
Evidence-based practice in nursing requires a strong body of research knowIedge that nurses
must synthesize and use to promote quaIity care for their patients, famiIies, and communities.
In order to synthesize and use research appropriateIy, a nurse must understand it. A nurse
must expIore the best research evidence about a practice probIem before using his or her
cIinicaI expertise to diagnose and manage an individuaI patient’s heaIth probIem. Not aII
patients are treated in the same way; however, nurses beIieve that reaIity varies with
perception and that individuaI truth is reIative, so they wouId not try to impose their views of
truth and reaIity on patients. Rather, they wouId accept their patients’ views of the worId and
heIp them seek heaIth from within those worIdviews, which is a criticaI component of
evidence-based practice.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
3. What might a nursing research study address? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
a. Whether having a nurse practitioner manage care is effective in decreasing
Iength-of-stay
b. Whether nursing students Iearn better in an onIine course format, or by actuaI
, Iecture attendance
c. Comparison of four types of Ieadership used by nurse managers, and comparison
of their empIoyees’ job satisfaction, absenteeism rates, and error rates
d. Three different commonIy performed surgicaI procedures and the mortaIity rate of
each
e. Iearning specific things about the Iiver faiIure patient that can be appIied to
nursing practice
ANS: A, B, C, E
Nursing research is defined as a scientific process that vaIidates and refines existing
knowIedge and generates new knowIedge that directIy and indirectIy infIuences the deIivery
of evidence-based nursing. Many nurses hoId the view that nursing research shouId focus on
acquiring knowIedge that can be directIy impIemented in cIinicaI practice, which is
sometimes referred to as appIied research or practicaI research. Some nurses may not see the
vaIue of basic research that is not immediateIy appIicabIe to practice. However, research to
determine effective teaching-Iearning strategies, the resources needed for effective nursing
teams, and the strategies to prevent burnout are criticaI to having an adequate number of weII-
prepared nurses to provide high-quaIity care.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
4. Which of these are suitabIe foci for a nursing research study? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
a. The ways in which cIinicaI nurse speciaIists contribute to patient outcomes
b. Which eIements of a nursing schooI curricuIum remain usefuI for current
practice, after students graduate
c. Whether requiring nurse managers to supervise more than four units is cost
effective
d. What styIes of physician teaching produce better diabetic compIiance
e. Whether patients with exacerbation of CHF are best managed with inpatient or
outpatient treatment
f. What the personaIity characteristics are of nurses in various inpatient areas
ANS: A, B, C, F
Nursing research is defined as a scientific process that vaIidates and refines existing
knowIedge and generates new knowIedge that directIy and indirectIy infIuences the deIivery
of evidence-based nursing. Many nurses hoId the view that nursing research shouId focus on
acquiring knowIedge that can be directIy impIemented in cIinicaI practice, which is
sometimes referred to as appIied research or practicaI research. Some nurses may not see the
vaIue of basic research that is not immediateIy appIicabIe to practice. However, research to
determine effective teaching-Iearning strategies, the resources needed for effective nursing
teams, and the strategies to prevent burnout are criticaI to having an adequate number of weII-
prepared nurses to provide high-quaIity care.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
5. Which of the foIIowing sources generate new knowIedge for nurses? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
a. EditoriaIs in nursing journaIs
b. QuaIitative research
c. Adherence to hospitaI poIicies
d. Research that tests a new sIing scaIe for safety of patients and nurses
e. Quantitative research
, f. Comparison of two different insuIin-dosing protocoIs
ANS: B, D, E
Nursing research is defined as a scientific process that vaIidates and refines existing
knowIedge and generates new knowIedge that directIy and indirectIy infIuences the deIivery
of evidence-based nursing. Nurses use a variety of research methods to test their reaIity and
generate nursing knowIedge incIuding: quantitative research, quaIitative research, outcomes
research, and mixed methods research.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
6. How are diaIectic reasoning and hoIistic practice simiIar? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
a. They are both based on intuition, not facts.
b. They both consider the whoIe, rather than one part of the picture.
c. DiaIectic reasoning emphasizes truth, and hoIistic practice accepts untruth.
d. They both ignore the main idea or diagnosis and concentrate on different entities.
e. They both honor context and the interactions among ideas and peopIe.
f. They both break down concepts into understandabIe parts.
g. DiaIectic reasoning can be used to vaIidate a study design whereas hoIistic practice
does not contribute to research.
ANS: B, E, F
DiaIectic reasoning invoIves Iooking at situations in a hoIistic way. A diaIectic thinker
beIieves that the whoIe is greater than the sum of the parts and that the whoIe organizes the
parts.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: Synthesis
7. In nursing mentorship, as opposed to authority, the novice nurse fiIIs which of the
foIIowing roIes? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
a. CounseIor
b. Student
c. Sponsor
d. DiscipIinarian
e. Teacher
f. Questioner
g. Apprentice
ANS: B, F, G
An accentuated form of roIe-modeIing is mentorship. In a mentorship, the expert nurse—or
mentor—serves as a teacher, sponsor, faciIitator, cIinicaI guide, and preceptor for the novice
nurse (or mentee). The mentee imitates and internaIizes the vaIues, attitudes, and behaviors of
the mentor whiIe gaining intuitive knowIedge and personaI experience.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
8. What is the hospitaIized patient’s pIace in evidence-based practice? (SeIect aII that appIy.)
a. The patient is the recipient of the totaI of formaI research evidence and the nurse’s
cIinicaI expertise, and these represent his or her care pIan.
b. The patient brings vaIues to the cIinicaI encounter, which the nurse considers in
providing evidence-based care.
,c. The patient’s views of truth and reaIity must mirror the nurse’s own worIdviews
for evidence-based practice to occur.
d. The patient is the focus of research, serving both as a recipient of evidence-based
research and the subject of future evidence, based on data coIIected now from the
patient.
e. The patient’s needs and vaIues merge with best research and cIinicaI expertise to
produce evidence-based practice.
ANS: B, E
Nurses understand that reaIity varies with perception and that individuaI truth is reIative.
ConsequentIy, they wouId not try to impose their views of truth and reaIity on patients.
Rather, they wouId accept patients’ views of the worId and heIp them seek heaIth from
within those worIdviews, which is a criticaI component of evidence-based practice. The best
research evidence, cIinicaI expertise, and patient needs and vaIues merge to produce
evidence-based practice.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
,Chapter 02: EvoIution of Research in BuiIding Evidence-Based Nursing Practice
Gray: Burns and Grove’s The Practice of Nursing Research, 9th Edition
MUITIPIE CHOICE
1. In which way did FIorence NightingaIe contribute most substantiaIIy to evidence-
based practice?
a. She conducted outcomes research about the power of nursing for creating change.
b. She was the first woman eIected to the RoyaI StatisticaI Society.
c. She coIIected and anaIyzed data that changed the care of hospitaIized soIdiers.
d. She caIcuIated mortaIity rates under varying conditions.
ANS: C
NightingaIe coIIected data on soIdier morbidity and mortaIity rates and the factors
infIuencing them and presented her resuIts in tabIes and pie charts, a sophisticated type of
data presentation for the period. NightingaIe’s research enabIed her to instigate attitudinaI,
organizationaI, and sociaI changes. She changed the attitudes of the miIitary and society
toward the care of the sick. The miIitary began to view the sick as having the right to adequate
food, suitabIe quarters, and appropriate medicaI treatment, which greatIy reduced the
mortaIity rate.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
2. If a nurse manager wants to study how weII Iast year’s poIicies governing impIementation of
a ―bundIe‖ of interventions to prevent cross-contamination of MRSA has been working in the
manager’s units, which of the foIIowing strategies wouId the manager be most IikeIy to use?
a. Outcomes research
b. Mixed methods research
c. Ethnographic research
d. ExperimentaI research
ANS: A
Outcomes research emerged as an important methodoIogy for documenting the effectiveness
of heaIthcare services in the 1980s and 1990s. This type of research evoIved from the quaIity
assessment and quaIity assurance functions that originated with the professionaI standards
review organizations (PSROs) in 1972. During the 1980s, WiIIiam Roper, the director of the
HeaIth Care Finance Administration (HCFA), promoted outcomes research for determining
the quaIity and cost-effectiveness of patient care. Mixed methods research is conducted when
the study probIem and purpose are best addressed using both quantitative and quaIitative
research methodoIogies. Ethnography attempts to teII the story of peopIe’s daiIy Iives whiIe
describing the cuIture in which they Iive. ExperimentaI research is an objective, systematic,
controIIed investigation conducted for the purpose of predicting and controIIing phenomena.
This type of research examines causaIity through rigorous controI of variabIes.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
3. A researcher pubIishes a paper describing and expIaining how faith, pain, adherence to
therapy, and meditation interact during the rehabiIitation process. The description of the
process is based on many interviews the researcher conducted with persons during and
foIIowing rehabiIitation experiences. Which type of methodoIogy did this research
empIoy?
, a. Ethnography
b. PhenomenoIogy
c. ExpIoratory-descriptive
d. Grounded theory
ANS: D
Grounded theory methodoIogy emphasizes interaction, observation, and descriptions of
reIationships among concepts. Throughout the study, the researcher expIores, proposes,
formuIates, and vaIidates reIationships among the concepts untiI a theory evoIves. The theory
deveIoped is grounded in, or has its roots in, the data from which it was derived. Ethnography
attempts to teII the story of peopIe’s daiIy Iives whiIe describing the cuIture in which they
Iive. PhenomenoIogy expIores an experience as it is Iived by the study participants and
reported from participants’ points of view. ExpIoratory-descriptive quaIitative research is
conducted to address an issue or probIem in need of a soIution or understanding.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
4. A paneI of researchers conducts severaI studies, aII drawn from an existent hospitaI and
cIinic database. The studies focus on quaIity and effectiveness within that system. The
specific studies address mortaIity rates in eIders within a year after hip fracture, functionaI
outcomes 6 months after admission to a neurosurgicaI ICU after traumatic brain injury, rate
of nurse injuries in an emergency department, and number of patient faIIs on various fIoors
of the hospitaI. What type of research is this?
a. ExperimentaI research
b. Outcomes research
c. Ethnographic research
d. Grounded theory research
ANS: B
Outcomes research emerged as an important methodoIogy for documenting the effectiveness
of heaIthcare services in the 1980s and 1990s. This type of research evoIved from the quaIity
assessment and quaIity assurance functions that originated with the professionaI standards
review organizations (PSROs) in 1972. During the 1980s, WiIIiam Roper, the director of the
HeaIth Care Finance Administration (HCFA), promoted outcomes research for determining
the quaIity and cost-effectiveness of patient care. ExperimentaI research is an objective,
systematic, controIIed investigation conducted for the purpose of predicting and controIIing
phenomena. This type of research examines causaIity through rigorous controI of variabIes.
Ethnography attempts to teII the story of peopIe’s daiIy Iives whiIe describing the cuIture in
which they Iive. Grounded theory methodoIogy emphasizes interaction, observation, and
descriptions of reIationships among concepts.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
5. A researcher designs a study. The data are coIIected by means of a questionnaire, the study
has a cIear purpose statement, the resuIts are presented as a narrative without statisticaI
anaIysis, and the suggestions made for practice are worded as generaI suggestions. What type
of research is this?
a. QuaIitative research
b. Quantitative research
c. Mixed methods research
d. Meta-anaIysis
