NSG-6006 COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS -GCU
1–50: Evidence-Based Practice & Research Foundations
1. What is evidence-based practice (EBP)?
ANSWER: Integration of best available evidence, clinical expertise, and patient
preferences and values.
Rationale: EBP combines research evidence with professional judgment and patient
needs.
2. What is the primary purpose of EBP in nursing?
ANSWER: To improve patient outcomes and quality of care.
Rationale: EBP supports safer and more effective clinical decisions.
3. What is the first step in developing an EBP project?
ANSWER: Identify a clinical problem or practice concern.
Rationale: A clearly defined problem establishes the basis for inquiry.
4. What does PICOT stand for?
ANSWER: Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Time.
Rationale: PICOT structures focused clinical questions.
5. What does the P in PICOT represent?
ANSWER: Population or patient problem.
Rationale: It identifies the group or condition being studied.
6. What does the I in PICOT represent?
ANSWER: Intervention.
Rationale: The intervention is the treatment, exposure, or practice change being
evaluated.
7. What does the C in PICOT represent?
ANSWER: Comparison.
Rationale: The comparison may be usual care, another intervention, or no
intervention.
8. What does the O in PICOT represent?
ANSWER: Outcome.
Rationale: The outcome identifies what is expected to change.
9. What does the T in PICOT represent?
ANSWER: Time.
Rationale: Time specifies the period over which outcomes are measured.
10. Why should an EBP question be specific?
,ANSWER: To make the evidence search focused and manageable.
Rationale: Focused questions produce more relevant search results.
11. What is primary research?
ANSWER: Original research conducted by investigators who collect or analyze data.
Rationale: Primary studies provide firsthand research findings.
12. What is secondary research?
ANSWER: Research that analyzes or summarizes findings from existing studies.
Rationale: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are examples.
13. What is a systematic review?
ANSWER: A structured synthesis of evidence addressing a specific research
question.
Rationale: Systematic reviews use predefined methods to identify and evaluate
studies.
14. What is a meta-analysis?
ANSWER: Statistical combination of results from multiple quantitative studies.
Rationale: Meta-analysis produces a pooled estimate of effect.
15. What is qualitative research primarily concerned with?
ANSWER: Understanding experiences, perceptions, meanings, and social processes.
Rationale: Qualitative methods explore depth and context.
16. What is quantitative research primarily concerned with?
ANSWER: Measuring variables using numerical data.
Rationale: Quantitative research evaluates relationships, differences, or effects
numerically.
17. What is a randomized controlled trial?
ANSWER: An experimental study in which participants are randomly assigned to
groups.
Rationale: Randomization helps reduce selection bias.
18. What is the purpose of a control group?
ANSWER: To provide a comparison against the intervention group.
Rationale: Comparison helps determine whether an intervention caused an
observed effect.
19. What is a cohort study?
ANSWER: An observational study that follows groups over time based on exposure
status.
Rationale: Cohort studies examine relationships between exposures and outcomes.
20. What is a case-control study?
ANSWER: An observational study comparing people with an outcome to those
without it.
, Rationale: Researchers commonly look backward for differences in exposures.
21. What is a cross-sectional study?
ANSWER: A study that measures variables at a single point or period in time.
Rationale: Cross-sectional designs provide a snapshot of a population.
22. What is a descriptive study?
ANSWER: A study designed to describe characteristics or patterns without testing
an intervention.
Rationale: Descriptive research identifies what exists.
23. What is research validity?
ANSWER: The degree to which a study accurately measures or represents what it
intends to measure.
Rationale: Validity concerns accuracy and appropriateness.
24. What is reliability?
ANSWER: The consistency of a measurement or instrument.
Rationale: Reliable instruments produce stable results under consistent conditions.
25. What is bias in research?
ANSWER: Systematic error that can distort study findings.
Rationale: Bias can lead to inaccurate conclusions.
26. What is selection bias?
ANSWER: Bias caused by systematic differences in how participants are selected.
Rationale: An unrepresentative sample can distort results.
27. What is recall bias?
ANSWER: Systematic error caused by inaccurate participant memory of past
events.
Rationale: Participants may remember exposures differently depending on
outcomes.
28. What is researcher bias?
ANSWER: Influence of investigator expectations or beliefs on research processes or
interpretation.
Rationale: Researcher assumptions can affect data collection or analysis.
29. What is confounding?
ANSWER: Distortion of a relationship between variables by another factor related to
both.
Rationale: A confounder can make an association appear stronger, weaker, or
different.
30. What is a research variable?
ANSWER: A characteristic or factor that can vary among subjects or observations.
Rationale: Variables are measured or manipulated in research.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS -GCU
1–50: Evidence-Based Practice & Research Foundations
1. What is evidence-based practice (EBP)?
ANSWER: Integration of best available evidence, clinical expertise, and patient
preferences and values.
Rationale: EBP combines research evidence with professional judgment and patient
needs.
2. What is the primary purpose of EBP in nursing?
ANSWER: To improve patient outcomes and quality of care.
Rationale: EBP supports safer and more effective clinical decisions.
3. What is the first step in developing an EBP project?
ANSWER: Identify a clinical problem or practice concern.
Rationale: A clearly defined problem establishes the basis for inquiry.
4. What does PICOT stand for?
ANSWER: Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Time.
Rationale: PICOT structures focused clinical questions.
5. What does the P in PICOT represent?
ANSWER: Population or patient problem.
Rationale: It identifies the group or condition being studied.
6. What does the I in PICOT represent?
ANSWER: Intervention.
Rationale: The intervention is the treatment, exposure, or practice change being
evaluated.
7. What does the C in PICOT represent?
ANSWER: Comparison.
Rationale: The comparison may be usual care, another intervention, or no
intervention.
8. What does the O in PICOT represent?
ANSWER: Outcome.
Rationale: The outcome identifies what is expected to change.
9. What does the T in PICOT represent?
ANSWER: Time.
Rationale: Time specifies the period over which outcomes are measured.
10. Why should an EBP question be specific?
,ANSWER: To make the evidence search focused and manageable.
Rationale: Focused questions produce more relevant search results.
11. What is primary research?
ANSWER: Original research conducted by investigators who collect or analyze data.
Rationale: Primary studies provide firsthand research findings.
12. What is secondary research?
ANSWER: Research that analyzes or summarizes findings from existing studies.
Rationale: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are examples.
13. What is a systematic review?
ANSWER: A structured synthesis of evidence addressing a specific research
question.
Rationale: Systematic reviews use predefined methods to identify and evaluate
studies.
14. What is a meta-analysis?
ANSWER: Statistical combination of results from multiple quantitative studies.
Rationale: Meta-analysis produces a pooled estimate of effect.
15. What is qualitative research primarily concerned with?
ANSWER: Understanding experiences, perceptions, meanings, and social processes.
Rationale: Qualitative methods explore depth and context.
16. What is quantitative research primarily concerned with?
ANSWER: Measuring variables using numerical data.
Rationale: Quantitative research evaluates relationships, differences, or effects
numerically.
17. What is a randomized controlled trial?
ANSWER: An experimental study in which participants are randomly assigned to
groups.
Rationale: Randomization helps reduce selection bias.
18. What is the purpose of a control group?
ANSWER: To provide a comparison against the intervention group.
Rationale: Comparison helps determine whether an intervention caused an
observed effect.
19. What is a cohort study?
ANSWER: An observational study that follows groups over time based on exposure
status.
Rationale: Cohort studies examine relationships between exposures and outcomes.
20. What is a case-control study?
ANSWER: An observational study comparing people with an outcome to those
without it.
, Rationale: Researchers commonly look backward for differences in exposures.
21. What is a cross-sectional study?
ANSWER: A study that measures variables at a single point or period in time.
Rationale: Cross-sectional designs provide a snapshot of a population.
22. What is a descriptive study?
ANSWER: A study designed to describe characteristics or patterns without testing
an intervention.
Rationale: Descriptive research identifies what exists.
23. What is research validity?
ANSWER: The degree to which a study accurately measures or represents what it
intends to measure.
Rationale: Validity concerns accuracy and appropriateness.
24. What is reliability?
ANSWER: The consistency of a measurement or instrument.
Rationale: Reliable instruments produce stable results under consistent conditions.
25. What is bias in research?
ANSWER: Systematic error that can distort study findings.
Rationale: Bias can lead to inaccurate conclusions.
26. What is selection bias?
ANSWER: Bias caused by systematic differences in how participants are selected.
Rationale: An unrepresentative sample can distort results.
27. What is recall bias?
ANSWER: Systematic error caused by inaccurate participant memory of past
events.
Rationale: Participants may remember exposures differently depending on
outcomes.
28. What is researcher bias?
ANSWER: Influence of investigator expectations or beliefs on research processes or
interpretation.
Rationale: Researcher assumptions can affect data collection or analysis.
29. What is confounding?
ANSWER: Distortion of a relationship between variables by another factor related to
both.
Rationale: A confounder can make an association appear stronger, weaker, or
different.
30. What is a research variable?
ANSWER: A characteristic or factor that can vary among subjects or observations.
Rationale: Variables are measured or manipulated in research.
