NSGD 2216 – Critical Inquiry & Evidence Exam | Complete
Questions with Correct Answers and Detailed Rationale – Latest
Update
Question 1. What is the primary purpose of evidence-based practice in
healthcare?
A. To replace clinical judgment
B. To integrate the best available evidence with clinical expertise and patient
preferences
C. To ensure every patient receives identical treatment
D. To eliminate the need for research
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Evidence-based practice combines high-quality research evidence,
professional clinical expertise, and the patient’s values and preferences to
guide safe and effective care.
Question 2. Which component of evidence-based practice focuses on what
the patient wants, values, or considers important?
A. Clinical expertise
B. Research evidence
C. Patient preferences
D. Statistical analysis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Patient preferences and values are essential because healthcare
decisions should reflect the individual patient's goals, beliefs, circumstances,
and desired outcomes.
Question 3. Which question is most appropriate for a well-developed PICO
question?
A. Why do patients become sick?
B. What medications exist?
C. In adults with hypertension, does regular exercise compared with usual
1
,care reduce blood pressure?
D. Is hypertension dangerous?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A PICO question identifies the Population/Problem,
Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome, making the clinical question
focused and searchable.
Question 4. In the PICO framework, what does the letter I represent?
A. Information
B. Intervention
C. Investigation
D. Incidence
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The I represents the intervention, treatment, exposure, diagnostic
test, or other action being evaluated.
Question 5. Which research design is generally considered strongest for
determining the effectiveness of an intervention?
A. Case report
B. Expert opinion
C. Randomized controlled trial
D. Cross-sectional study
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Randomized controlled trials reduce selection bias through
random allocation and can provide strong evidence about cause-and-effect
relationships for interventions.
Question 6. What is the main purpose of randomization in a research study?
A. To increase the cost of the study
2
,B. To eliminate all research errors
C. To distribute potential confounding variables more evenly between groups
D. To guarantee statistically significant findings
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Randomization helps create comparable groups by distributing
known and unknown confounding factors more evenly, reducing systematic
differences between groups.
Question 7. Which source generally provides the highest level of evidence for
evaluating the effectiveness of a clinical intervention?
A. Systematic review of randomized controlled trials
B. Expert opinion
C. Case report
D. Personal experience
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A systematic review that appropriately synthesizes multiple high-
quality randomized controlled trials can provide stronger overall evidence
than an individual study or expert opinion.
Question 8. What is a systematic review?
A. A personal summary of clinical experiences
B. A structured synthesis of research addressing a specific question
C. A single case study
D. A collection of opinions from healthcare providers
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A systematic review uses predefined, transparent methods to
identify, evaluate, and synthesize relevant studies addressing a focused
research question.
3
, Question 9. What is the primary purpose of a literature search?
A. To find information supporting the researcher's opinion
B. To identify relevant existing evidence related to the clinical question
C. To avoid reading research articles
D. To guarantee a positive research outcome
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A literature search identifies existing research and evidence that
can help answer the clinical question and reveal what is already known.
Question 10. Which database is particularly important for locating nursing
and allied health literature?
A. CINAHL
B. Weather database
C. Census database only
D. Financial database
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: CINAHL is a major database for nursing and allied health literature
and is frequently used to locate peer-reviewed healthcare research.
Question 11. What does the term peer reviewed mean?
A. The article was written by a patient
B. The research was evaluated by knowledgeable experts before publication
C. The article has no limitations
D. The research was automatically accepted
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Peer review involves evaluation by qualified experts who assess
aspects such as methodology, interpretation, significance, and scientific
quality before publication.
4
Questions with Correct Answers and Detailed Rationale – Latest
Update
Question 1. What is the primary purpose of evidence-based practice in
healthcare?
A. To replace clinical judgment
B. To integrate the best available evidence with clinical expertise and patient
preferences
C. To ensure every patient receives identical treatment
D. To eliminate the need for research
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Evidence-based practice combines high-quality research evidence,
professional clinical expertise, and the patient’s values and preferences to
guide safe and effective care.
Question 2. Which component of evidence-based practice focuses on what
the patient wants, values, or considers important?
A. Clinical expertise
B. Research evidence
C. Patient preferences
D. Statistical analysis
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Patient preferences and values are essential because healthcare
decisions should reflect the individual patient's goals, beliefs, circumstances,
and desired outcomes.
Question 3. Which question is most appropriate for a well-developed PICO
question?
A. Why do patients become sick?
B. What medications exist?
C. In adults with hypertension, does regular exercise compared with usual
1
,care reduce blood pressure?
D. Is hypertension dangerous?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A PICO question identifies the Population/Problem,
Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome, making the clinical question
focused and searchable.
Question 4. In the PICO framework, what does the letter I represent?
A. Information
B. Intervention
C. Investigation
D. Incidence
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The I represents the intervention, treatment, exposure, diagnostic
test, or other action being evaluated.
Question 5. Which research design is generally considered strongest for
determining the effectiveness of an intervention?
A. Case report
B. Expert opinion
C. Randomized controlled trial
D. Cross-sectional study
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Randomized controlled trials reduce selection bias through
random allocation and can provide strong evidence about cause-and-effect
relationships for interventions.
Question 6. What is the main purpose of randomization in a research study?
A. To increase the cost of the study
2
,B. To eliminate all research errors
C. To distribute potential confounding variables more evenly between groups
D. To guarantee statistically significant findings
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Randomization helps create comparable groups by distributing
known and unknown confounding factors more evenly, reducing systematic
differences between groups.
Question 7. Which source generally provides the highest level of evidence for
evaluating the effectiveness of a clinical intervention?
A. Systematic review of randomized controlled trials
B. Expert opinion
C. Case report
D. Personal experience
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A systematic review that appropriately synthesizes multiple high-
quality randomized controlled trials can provide stronger overall evidence
than an individual study or expert opinion.
Question 8. What is a systematic review?
A. A personal summary of clinical experiences
B. A structured synthesis of research addressing a specific question
C. A single case study
D. A collection of opinions from healthcare providers
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A systematic review uses predefined, transparent methods to
identify, evaluate, and synthesize relevant studies addressing a focused
research question.
3
, Question 9. What is the primary purpose of a literature search?
A. To find information supporting the researcher's opinion
B. To identify relevant existing evidence related to the clinical question
C. To avoid reading research articles
D. To guarantee a positive research outcome
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A literature search identifies existing research and evidence that
can help answer the clinical question and reveal what is already known.
Question 10. Which database is particularly important for locating nursing
and allied health literature?
A. CINAHL
B. Weather database
C. Census database only
D. Financial database
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: CINAHL is a major database for nursing and allied health literature
and is frequently used to locate peer-reviewed healthcare research.
Question 11. What does the term peer reviewed mean?
A. The article was written by a patient
B. The research was evaluated by knowledgeable experts before publication
C. The article has no limitations
D. The research was automatically accepted
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Peer review involves evaluation by qualified experts who assess
aspects such as methodology, interpretation, significance, and scientific
quality before publication.
4
