MSN Final Capstone Paper and Graduate Specialty Synthesis Quiz
2026 |Galen
1. What is the primary purpose of the MSN Final Capstone Project?
A. To demonstrate synthesis of graduate-level competencies through scholarly integration
B. To conduct a randomized controlled trial that establishes new medical laws
C. To fulfill a basic requirement for undergraduate clinical hours
D. To provide a summary of all textbooks read during the program
Answer: A
Rationale: The MSN Capstone is designed to integrate and apply knowledge gained
throughout the graduate program into a final scholarly project.
2. In the PICOT framework for developing clinical questions, what does the ‘I’
represent?
A. Implementation
B. Inquiry
C. Intervention
D. Integration
Answer: C
Rationale: In PICOT, ‘I’ stands for Intervention or Interest, representing the specific action
or treatment being studied.
,3. Which of the following best describes ‘Evidence-Based Practice’ (EBP)?
A. Using only the oldest available research to maintain tradition
B. Basing clinical decisions solely on a physician’s intuition
C. Trial and error in the clinical setting until a solution is found
D. Integrating clinical expertise with the best research evidence and patient values
Answer: D
Rationale: EBP is a triad of best research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient
preferences.
4. What is the significance of a ‘Literature Synthesis’ compared to a ‘Literature
Review’?
A. Synthesis summarizes each article one by one without connection
B. Review is always longer and more complex than synthesis
C. Synthesis is only used in undergraduate papers
D. Synthesis integrates findings across studies to identify themes and gaps
Answer: D
Rationale: Synthesis involves drawing connections between multiple sources to show a
collective body of evidence.
5. Which nursing theorist’s work is most often used to guide projects focused on
patient independence?
A. Florence Nightingale
B. Dorothea Orem
C. Jean Watson
D. Martha Rogers
Answer: B
Rationale: Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory focuses on the patient’s ability to perform self-
care and the nurse’s role when they cannot.
, 6. What is the primary role of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To check for grammar and spelling in the capstone paper
B. To protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects
C. To ensure the project is profitable for the hospital
D. To assign grades to graduate students
Answer: B
Rationale: The IRB’s ethical mandate is to ensure that human subjects are protected from
harm during research.
7. Which section of the Capstone paper discusses the limitations of the project?
A. Abstract
B. Introduction
C. Discussion
D. Results
Answer: C
Rationale: The Discussion section typically includes a reflection on the project’s
limitations and implications for future practice.
8. In quantitative research, what does a p-value of less than 0.05 typically
indicate?
A. The results are due to chance
B. The sample size was too small
C. The results are statistically significant
D. The study should be discarded
Answer: C
Rationale: A p-value < 0.05 suggests that there is less than a 5% probability that the
results occurred by random chance.
2026 |Galen
1. What is the primary purpose of the MSN Final Capstone Project?
A. To demonstrate synthesis of graduate-level competencies through scholarly integration
B. To conduct a randomized controlled trial that establishes new medical laws
C. To fulfill a basic requirement for undergraduate clinical hours
D. To provide a summary of all textbooks read during the program
Answer: A
Rationale: The MSN Capstone is designed to integrate and apply knowledge gained
throughout the graduate program into a final scholarly project.
2. In the PICOT framework for developing clinical questions, what does the ‘I’
represent?
A. Implementation
B. Inquiry
C. Intervention
D. Integration
Answer: C
Rationale: In PICOT, ‘I’ stands for Intervention or Interest, representing the specific action
or treatment being studied.
,3. Which of the following best describes ‘Evidence-Based Practice’ (EBP)?
A. Using only the oldest available research to maintain tradition
B. Basing clinical decisions solely on a physician’s intuition
C. Trial and error in the clinical setting until a solution is found
D. Integrating clinical expertise with the best research evidence and patient values
Answer: D
Rationale: EBP is a triad of best research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient
preferences.
4. What is the significance of a ‘Literature Synthesis’ compared to a ‘Literature
Review’?
A. Synthesis summarizes each article one by one without connection
B. Review is always longer and more complex than synthesis
C. Synthesis is only used in undergraduate papers
D. Synthesis integrates findings across studies to identify themes and gaps
Answer: D
Rationale: Synthesis involves drawing connections between multiple sources to show a
collective body of evidence.
5. Which nursing theorist’s work is most often used to guide projects focused on
patient independence?
A. Florence Nightingale
B. Dorothea Orem
C. Jean Watson
D. Martha Rogers
Answer: B
Rationale: Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory focuses on the patient’s ability to perform self-
care and the nurse’s role when they cannot.
, 6. What is the primary role of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To check for grammar and spelling in the capstone paper
B. To protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects
C. To ensure the project is profitable for the hospital
D. To assign grades to graduate students
Answer: B
Rationale: The IRB’s ethical mandate is to ensure that human subjects are protected from
harm during research.
7. Which section of the Capstone paper discusses the limitations of the project?
A. Abstract
B. Introduction
C. Discussion
D. Results
Answer: C
Rationale: The Discussion section typically includes a reflection on the project’s
limitations and implications for future practice.
8. In quantitative research, what does a p-value of less than 0.05 typically
indicate?
A. The results are due to chance
B. The sample size was too small
C. The results are statistically significant
D. The study should be discarded
Answer: C
Rationale: A p-value < 0.05 suggests that there is less than a 5% probability that the
results occurred by random chance.
