ADVANCED NURSING RESEARCH AND
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE (NU 650)
FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
1. When conducting a literature review for a clinical question, which database is considered
the premier source for high-quality, systematic reviews of healthcare interventions?
A. CINAHL
B. The Cochrane Library
C. PubMed/MEDLINE
D. PsycINFO
Answer: B
Conceptual Explanation: The Cochrane Library is the gold standard for systematic
reviews and meta-analyses regarding the effectiveness of healthcare interventions.
2. In a PICO(T) question, what does the ‘T’ represent?
A. Treatment
B. Test result
,C. Timeframe
D. Target population
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: In the PICO(T) framework, T stands for Time or Timeframe,
referring to the duration needed to observe an outcome or the time spent on an
intervention.
3. A researcher is studying the lived experience of mothers whose infants are in the Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Which qualitative research design is most appropriate?
A. Phenomenology
B. Ethnography
C. Case Study
D. Grounded Theory
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: Phenomenology focuses on describing the ‘lived experience’ of
individuals regarding a specific phenomenon.
4. What is the primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To ensure the research study is statistically significant.
B. To determine if the research contributes to nursing theory.
C. To verify that the researcher has adequate funding.
, D. To protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects.
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: The primary mandate of the IRB is ethical oversight to ensure
human subjects are protected from harm and their rights are upheld.
5. Which level of evidence is considered the highest in the hierarchy of evidence for evidence-
based practice?
A. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
B. Systematic reviews or meta-analyses of RCTs
C. Expert opinion and consensus reports
D. Cohort studies
Answer: B
Conceptual Explanation: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of multiple RCTs provide
the most rigorous evidence, minimizing bias across multiple studies.
6. A Type II error occurs when the researcher:
A. Fails to reject the null hypothesis when it is actually false.
B. Rejects the null hypothesis when it is actually true.
C. Uses a sample size that is too large.
D. Sets the alpha level at 0.05 instead of 0.01.
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE (NU 650)
FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
1. When conducting a literature review for a clinical question, which database is considered
the premier source for high-quality, systematic reviews of healthcare interventions?
A. CINAHL
B. The Cochrane Library
C. PubMed/MEDLINE
D. PsycINFO
Answer: B
Conceptual Explanation: The Cochrane Library is the gold standard for systematic
reviews and meta-analyses regarding the effectiveness of healthcare interventions.
2. In a PICO(T) question, what does the ‘T’ represent?
A. Treatment
B. Test result
,C. Timeframe
D. Target population
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: In the PICO(T) framework, T stands for Time or Timeframe,
referring to the duration needed to observe an outcome or the time spent on an
intervention.
3. A researcher is studying the lived experience of mothers whose infants are in the Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Which qualitative research design is most appropriate?
A. Phenomenology
B. Ethnography
C. Case Study
D. Grounded Theory
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: Phenomenology focuses on describing the ‘lived experience’ of
individuals regarding a specific phenomenon.
4. What is the primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To ensure the research study is statistically significant.
B. To determine if the research contributes to nursing theory.
C. To verify that the researcher has adequate funding.
, D. To protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects.
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: The primary mandate of the IRB is ethical oversight to ensure
human subjects are protected from harm and their rights are upheld.
5. Which level of evidence is considered the highest in the hierarchy of evidence for evidence-
based practice?
A. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
B. Systematic reviews or meta-analyses of RCTs
C. Expert opinion and consensus reports
D. Cohort studies
Answer: B
Conceptual Explanation: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of multiple RCTs provide
the most rigorous evidence, minimizing bias across multiple studies.
6. A Type II error occurs when the researcher:
A. Fails to reject the null hypothesis when it is actually false.
B. Rejects the null hypothesis when it is actually true.
C. Uses a sample size that is too large.
D. Sets the alpha level at 0.05 instead of 0.01.
