NURSING RESEARCH & EVIDENCE-BASED
PRACTICE EXAM WITH ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS,
PLUS EXPLAINED RATIONALES/EXPERT
VERIFIED FOR GUARANTEED 100% PASS
2026/LATEST UPDATE/INSTANT
DOWNLOAD PDF
1. A nurse researcher is developing a quantitative study to determine
whether a structured nurse-led discharge education program
reduces 30-day hospital readmissions among adults with heart
failure. Which statement best represents the primary purpose of the
research hypothesis?
A. To provide a broad philosophical explanation for why readmissions
occur
B. To predict a relationship between the intervention and the outcome
that can be empirically tested
C. To guarantee that the intervention will produce statistically
significant results
D. To identify every possible variable that could influence hospital
readmissions
Answer: B. To predict a relationship between the intervention and
the outcome that can be empirically tested
Rationale: A research hypothesis is a testable prediction about the
expected relationship between variables. In this study, the hypothesis
could predict that patients receiving structured nurse-led discharge
education will have fewer 30-day readmissions than patients receiving
1
,usual discharge care. A hypothesis does not guarantee statistical
significance and does not need to account for every possible variable.
2. A nurse is reviewing a quantitative research article in which
investigators randomly assign hospitalized patients to either a new
mobility protocol or usual care and then compare rates of
functional decline. Which feature most strongly supports the
study's ability to establish a causal relationship?
A. The study uses a large sample
B. The study uses random assignment to intervention groups
C. The researchers collect data using questionnaires
D. The participants are recruited from a hospital setting
Answer: B. The study uses random assignment to intervention
groups
Rationale: Random assignment helps distribute known and unknown
confounding variables across study groups, strengthening internal
validity and supporting causal inference. A large sample improves
statistical precision but does not by itself establish causality.
Questionnaires and hospital-based recruitment describe data
collection and setting rather than experimental control.
3. A nurse researcher wants to investigate how newly licensed nurses
describe their experiences transitioning from nursing school to
professional practice. The researcher plans to conduct in-depth
interviews and analyze participants' descriptions for recurring
themes. Which research approach is most appropriate?
A. Qualitative research
B. Experimental research
C. Randomized controlled trial
D. Meta-analysis
Answer: A. Qualitative research
2
,Rationale: Qualitative research is appropriate when the goal is to
understand experiences, perceptions, meanings, behaviors, or social
processes from participants' perspectives. In-depth interviews and
thematic analysis are characteristic qualitative methods. Experimental
research and randomized controlled trials are primarily designed to
test interventions and causal relationships, while meta-analysis
statistically combines findings from multiple studies.
4. A nurse is evaluating a research study examining the relationship
between nurse staffing ratios and patient falls. The study finds that
units with higher nurse staffing have fewer falls. However,
hospitals with higher staffing also tend to have newer facilities,
more experienced nurses, and better access to rehabilitation
services. Which issue should the researcher be particularly
concerned about?
A. Recall bias
B. Confounding
C. Instrument reliability
D. Selection of a qualitative methodology
Answer: B. Confounding
Rationale: A confounding variable is associated with both the
exposure and the outcome and can distort the apparent relationship
between them. Facility characteristics, nurse experience, and
rehabilitation resources could contribute to lower fall rates
independently of staffing ratios. Researchers can address confounding
through randomization, restriction, matching, stratification, or
statistical adjustment.
5. A researcher develops a questionnaire to measure nurses' attitudes
toward evidence-based practice. Before using it in a large study,
the researcher asks experts in nursing research and evidence-based
practice to evaluate whether the questionnaire adequately covers
3
, all relevant aspects of the concept. Which type of validity is being
assessed?
A. Criterion-related validity
B. Construct validity
C. Content validity
D. External validity
Answer: C. Content validity
Rationale: Content validity concerns whether an instrument
adequately represents all important dimensions of the concept being
measured. Expert review is commonly used to evaluate content
validity. Construct validity concerns whether an instrument accurately
measures the theoretical construct it claims to measure, criterion
validity concerns comparison with an established criterion, and
external validity concerns generalizability of findings.
6. A nurse researcher administers the same anxiety questionnaire to
the same group of participants twice, two weeks apart, when no
meaningful change in anxiety is expected. The researcher then
compares the two sets of scores. What property of the instrument is
primarily being evaluated?
A. Test-retest reliability
B. Content validity
C. Interrater reliability
D. Predictive validity
Answer: A. Test-retest reliability
Rationale: Test-retest reliability evaluates the stability or consistency
of measurements over time when the underlying characteristic is
expected to remain relatively stable. High similarity between scores at
both administrations supports temporal stability. Content validity
evaluates coverage of a construct, interrater reliability evaluates
4
PRACTICE EXAM WITH ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS,
PLUS EXPLAINED RATIONALES/EXPERT
VERIFIED FOR GUARANTEED 100% PASS
2026/LATEST UPDATE/INSTANT
DOWNLOAD PDF
1. A nurse researcher is developing a quantitative study to determine
whether a structured nurse-led discharge education program
reduces 30-day hospital readmissions among adults with heart
failure. Which statement best represents the primary purpose of the
research hypothesis?
A. To provide a broad philosophical explanation for why readmissions
occur
B. To predict a relationship between the intervention and the outcome
that can be empirically tested
C. To guarantee that the intervention will produce statistically
significant results
D. To identify every possible variable that could influence hospital
readmissions
Answer: B. To predict a relationship between the intervention and
the outcome that can be empirically tested
Rationale: A research hypothesis is a testable prediction about the
expected relationship between variables. In this study, the hypothesis
could predict that patients receiving structured nurse-led discharge
education will have fewer 30-day readmissions than patients receiving
1
,usual discharge care. A hypothesis does not guarantee statistical
significance and does not need to account for every possible variable.
2. A nurse is reviewing a quantitative research article in which
investigators randomly assign hospitalized patients to either a new
mobility protocol or usual care and then compare rates of
functional decline. Which feature most strongly supports the
study's ability to establish a causal relationship?
A. The study uses a large sample
B. The study uses random assignment to intervention groups
C. The researchers collect data using questionnaires
D. The participants are recruited from a hospital setting
Answer: B. The study uses random assignment to intervention
groups
Rationale: Random assignment helps distribute known and unknown
confounding variables across study groups, strengthening internal
validity and supporting causal inference. A large sample improves
statistical precision but does not by itself establish causality.
Questionnaires and hospital-based recruitment describe data
collection and setting rather than experimental control.
3. A nurse researcher wants to investigate how newly licensed nurses
describe their experiences transitioning from nursing school to
professional practice. The researcher plans to conduct in-depth
interviews and analyze participants' descriptions for recurring
themes. Which research approach is most appropriate?
A. Qualitative research
B. Experimental research
C. Randomized controlled trial
D. Meta-analysis
Answer: A. Qualitative research
2
,Rationale: Qualitative research is appropriate when the goal is to
understand experiences, perceptions, meanings, behaviors, or social
processes from participants' perspectives. In-depth interviews and
thematic analysis are characteristic qualitative methods. Experimental
research and randomized controlled trials are primarily designed to
test interventions and causal relationships, while meta-analysis
statistically combines findings from multiple studies.
4. A nurse is evaluating a research study examining the relationship
between nurse staffing ratios and patient falls. The study finds that
units with higher nurse staffing have fewer falls. However,
hospitals with higher staffing also tend to have newer facilities,
more experienced nurses, and better access to rehabilitation
services. Which issue should the researcher be particularly
concerned about?
A. Recall bias
B. Confounding
C. Instrument reliability
D. Selection of a qualitative methodology
Answer: B. Confounding
Rationale: A confounding variable is associated with both the
exposure and the outcome and can distort the apparent relationship
between them. Facility characteristics, nurse experience, and
rehabilitation resources could contribute to lower fall rates
independently of staffing ratios. Researchers can address confounding
through randomization, restriction, matching, stratification, or
statistical adjustment.
5. A researcher develops a questionnaire to measure nurses' attitudes
toward evidence-based practice. Before using it in a large study,
the researcher asks experts in nursing research and evidence-based
practice to evaluate whether the questionnaire adequately covers
3
, all relevant aspects of the concept. Which type of validity is being
assessed?
A. Criterion-related validity
B. Construct validity
C. Content validity
D. External validity
Answer: C. Content validity
Rationale: Content validity concerns whether an instrument
adequately represents all important dimensions of the concept being
measured. Expert review is commonly used to evaluate content
validity. Construct validity concerns whether an instrument accurately
measures the theoretical construct it claims to measure, criterion
validity concerns comparison with an established criterion, and
external validity concerns generalizability of findings.
6. A nurse researcher administers the same anxiety questionnaire to
the same group of participants twice, two weeks apart, when no
meaningful change in anxiety is expected. The researcher then
compares the two sets of scores. What property of the instrument is
primarily being evaluated?
A. Test-retest reliability
B. Content validity
C. Interrater reliability
D. Predictive validity
Answer: A. Test-retest reliability
Rationale: Test-retest reliability evaluates the stability or consistency
of measurements over time when the underlying characteristic is
expected to remain relatively stable. High similarity between scores at
both administrations supports temporal stability. Content validity
evaluates coverage of a construct, interrater reliability evaluates
4
