BSN Module 16: Evidence-Based Practice & Nursing
Research 2026/2027 UPDATE UPDATED ACTUAL Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
1. Which of the following is the first step in the Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)
process?
A. Search for the most relevant evidence
B. Critically appraise the evidence
C. Cultivate a spirit of inquiry
D. Ask a clinical question in PICOT format
Answer: C
Rationale: The very first step of EBP is cultivating a spirit of inquiry. Asking the clinical
question follows this foundational mindset.
2. In a PICOT question, what does the ‘I’ represent?
A. Identification
B. Implementation
C. Incidence
D. Intervention
Answer: D
Rationale: In the PICOT format, ‘I’ stands for Intervention or area of Interest.
,3. Which level of evidence is considered the highest or ‘gold standard’ in the
hierarchy of evidence?
A. Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
B. Case-control studies
C. Expert opinion
D. Single descriptive studies
Answer: A
Rationale: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs are at the top of the evidence
hierarchy.
4. A nurse researcher is studying the ‘lived experience’ of patients undergoing
chemotherapy. This is an example of which type of research?
A. Quasi-experimental
B. Grounded Theory
C. Ethnography
D. Phenomenology
Answer: D
Rationale: Phenomenological research focuses on the lived experience of individuals
regarding a specific phenomenon.
5. Which part of a research report provides a brief summary of the entire study?
A. Introduction
B. Abstract
C. Methods
D. Discussion
Answer: B
Rationale: The abstract is a short summary of the study’s purpose, methods, results, and
conclusions.
, 6. What is the primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To ensure the study is profitable
B. To protect the rights and welfare of human subjects
C. To verify the statistical accuracy of the data
D. To select the research design
Answer: B
Rationale: The IRB’s main function is to ensure that research is ethical and protects human
subjects from harm.
7. Which research design is used to examine a cause-and-effect relationship but
lacks randomization?
A. Experimental
B. Quasi-experimental
C. Correlational
D. Descriptive
Answer: B
Rationale: Quasi-experimental designs test interventions but do not use random
assignment of subjects.
8. In quantitative research, the variable that is manipulated by the researcher is
the:
A. Independent variable
B. Extraneous variable
C. Dependent variable
D. Confounding variable
Answer: A
Rationale: The independent variable is the intervention or treatment that the researcher
manipulates.
Research 2026/2027 UPDATE UPDATED ACTUAL Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
1. Which of the following is the first step in the Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)
process?
A. Search for the most relevant evidence
B. Critically appraise the evidence
C. Cultivate a spirit of inquiry
D. Ask a clinical question in PICOT format
Answer: C
Rationale: The very first step of EBP is cultivating a spirit of inquiry. Asking the clinical
question follows this foundational mindset.
2. In a PICOT question, what does the ‘I’ represent?
A. Identification
B. Implementation
C. Incidence
D. Intervention
Answer: D
Rationale: In the PICOT format, ‘I’ stands for Intervention or area of Interest.
,3. Which level of evidence is considered the highest or ‘gold standard’ in the
hierarchy of evidence?
A. Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
B. Case-control studies
C. Expert opinion
D. Single descriptive studies
Answer: A
Rationale: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs are at the top of the evidence
hierarchy.
4. A nurse researcher is studying the ‘lived experience’ of patients undergoing
chemotherapy. This is an example of which type of research?
A. Quasi-experimental
B. Grounded Theory
C. Ethnography
D. Phenomenology
Answer: D
Rationale: Phenomenological research focuses on the lived experience of individuals
regarding a specific phenomenon.
5. Which part of a research report provides a brief summary of the entire study?
A. Introduction
B. Abstract
C. Methods
D. Discussion
Answer: B
Rationale: The abstract is a short summary of the study’s purpose, methods, results, and
conclusions.
, 6. What is the primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To ensure the study is profitable
B. To protect the rights and welfare of human subjects
C. To verify the statistical accuracy of the data
D. To select the research design
Answer: B
Rationale: The IRB’s main function is to ensure that research is ethical and protects human
subjects from harm.
7. Which research design is used to examine a cause-and-effect relationship but
lacks randomization?
A. Experimental
B. Quasi-experimental
C. Correlational
D. Descriptive
Answer: B
Rationale: Quasi-experimental designs test interventions but do not use random
assignment of subjects.
8. In quantitative research, the variable that is manipulated by the researcher is
the:
A. Independent variable
B. Extraneous variable
C. Dependent variable
D. Confounding variable
Answer: A
Rationale: The independent variable is the intervention or treatment that the researcher
manipulates.
