NURS6011
Evidence Based
Practice for Patient
Centered Care &
Population Health
Q & A w/ Rationales
2024
,A:
1. The nurse reviews the patient's medical history and notes
that he has been prescribed several medications for his
COPD, including a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA), an
inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), and a short-acting
bronchodilator (SABA). The nurse wants to evaluate the
effectiveness of these medications for the patient. Which of
the following sources of evidence would provide the most
reliable and valid information for this purpose?
a) A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
(RCTs) that compare different combinations of COPD
medications
b) A narrative review of observational studies that describe
the outcomes of COPD patients using different medications
c) A case report of a single patient who had a positive
response to a specific combination of COPD medications
d) A clinical practice guideline that summarizes the
recommendations for COPD management based on expert
opinion
Answer: A. A systematic review of RCTs is the highest
level of evidence for evaluating the effectiveness of
interventions, as it synthesizes the results of multiple
studies that have minimized bias and confounding factors.
A narrative review, a case report, and a clinical practice
guideline are lower levels of evidence, as they may not be
based on rigorous methods, may not be generalizable to
other patients, or may not reflect the current state of
, knowledge.
Rationale: The nurse should use the best available evidence
to inform his or her clinical decisions. The level of
evidence depends on the type, quality, and quantity of
studies that address a specific question. Systematic reviews
of RCTs are considered the gold standard for assessing the
effectiveness of interventions, as they provide a
comprehensive and unbiased summary of the evidence
from multiple studies that have used rigorous methods to
reduce bias and confounding factors. Narrative reviews,
case reports, and clinical practice guidelines are lower
levels of evidence, as they may not be based on systematic
methods, may not be representative of other patients or
populations, or may not reflect the current state of
knowledge or practice.
2. The nurse decides to search for a systematic review of
RCTs that compare different combinations of COPD
medications. He or she uses an online database that
provides access to various sources of evidence, such as
Cochrane Library, PubMed, and CINAHL. Which of the
following search strategies would help the nurse to find the
most relevant and specific results for his or her question?
a) Using broad keywords such as "COPD" and
"medications"
b) Using narrow keywords such as "LABA", "ICS", and
"SABA"
c) Using Boolean operators such as "AND", "OR", and
"NOT"
Evidence Based
Practice for Patient
Centered Care &
Population Health
Q & A w/ Rationales
2024
,A:
1. The nurse reviews the patient's medical history and notes
that he has been prescribed several medications for his
COPD, including a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA), an
inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), and a short-acting
bronchodilator (SABA). The nurse wants to evaluate the
effectiveness of these medications for the patient. Which of
the following sources of evidence would provide the most
reliable and valid information for this purpose?
a) A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
(RCTs) that compare different combinations of COPD
medications
b) A narrative review of observational studies that describe
the outcomes of COPD patients using different medications
c) A case report of a single patient who had a positive
response to a specific combination of COPD medications
d) A clinical practice guideline that summarizes the
recommendations for COPD management based on expert
opinion
Answer: A. A systematic review of RCTs is the highest
level of evidence for evaluating the effectiveness of
interventions, as it synthesizes the results of multiple
studies that have minimized bias and confounding factors.
A narrative review, a case report, and a clinical practice
guideline are lower levels of evidence, as they may not be
based on rigorous methods, may not be generalizable to
other patients, or may not reflect the current state of
, knowledge.
Rationale: The nurse should use the best available evidence
to inform his or her clinical decisions. The level of
evidence depends on the type, quality, and quantity of
studies that address a specific question. Systematic reviews
of RCTs are considered the gold standard for assessing the
effectiveness of interventions, as they provide a
comprehensive and unbiased summary of the evidence
from multiple studies that have used rigorous methods to
reduce bias and confounding factors. Narrative reviews,
case reports, and clinical practice guidelines are lower
levels of evidence, as they may not be based on systematic
methods, may not be representative of other patients or
populations, or may not reflect the current state of
knowledge or practice.
2. The nurse decides to search for a systematic review of
RCTs that compare different combinations of COPD
medications. He or she uses an online database that
provides access to various sources of evidence, such as
Cochrane Library, PubMed, and CINAHL. Which of the
following search strategies would help the nurse to find the
most relevant and specific results for his or her question?
a) Using broad keywords such as "COPD" and
"medications"
b) Using narrow keywords such as "LABA", "ICS", and
"SABA"
c) Using Boolean operators such as "AND", "OR", and
"NOT"
