Nursing Science Exam 1 - Practice Questions
and answers25/2026
Which of the following is the best definition of research?
a. Critically thinking about problems that occur in health care to determine possible solutions.
b. Information that is based on personal experience or tradition.
c. Planned and systematic activity that leads to new knowledge and/or the discovery of solutions to
problems or questions.
d. Trying a variety of approaches to a clinical problem and settling on the approach that is effective
more often than not. - Answer c. Planned and systematic activity that leads to new knowledge and/or
the discovery of solutions to problems or questions.
Which of the following is the best definition of research utilization?
a. Applying research findings from individual studies to practice.
b. Analyzing multiple research studies to synthesize findings.
c. Appreciating the importance of clinical decision making.
d. Using previous personal experience to build confidence. - Answer a. Applying research findings from
individual studies to practice.
Which of the following is the best definition of evidence-based practice (EBP)?
a. Application of research findings based on scientific theories in a clinical setting.
b. Research studies that correspond to nationally established priorities for healthcare,
conducted by experts in their fields.
c. Use of theory-derived, research-based information in making decisions about health care delivery,
with consideration of individual needs and preferences and the clinical expertise of the provider.
d. Using the individual health care provider's perception of truth without conscious attention or
reasoning. - Answer c. Use of theory-derived, research-based information in making decisions about
health care delivery, with consideration of individual needs and preferences and the clinical expertise of
the provider.
Which of the following best describes the difference between research utilization and EBP?
, a. Research utilization is a process of evaluating multiple studies for the most generalizable findings; EBP
is use of the most recent study on a topic.
b. Research utilization involves changing practice based on findings of a single research study; EBP is the
syntheses of findings from multiple studies to incorporate with practitioner skills and client preference
to determine best care.
c. Research utilization is the application of research findings to health care practice; EBP is considered in
selecting medication options.
d. Research utilization is review of research publications; EBP is using the healthcare provider's
perception of what care would be best in individual situations. - Answer b. Research utilization involves
changing practice based on findings of a single research study; EBP is the syntheses of findings from
multiple studies to incorporate with practitioner skills and client preference to determine best care.
In what way can evidence from disciplines other than nursing be helpful?
a. Theory based non-nursing evidence can provide a basis on which to build new evidence.
b. Non-nursing evidence supports the use of nursing knowledge obtained by trial and error.
c. Clinical decision making can be based on findings from single non-nursing research studies.
d. All evidence is equally important to the practice of nursing. - Answer a. Theory based non-nursing
evidence can provide a basis on which to build new evidence.
You are a new nurse working at XYZ hospital. Your preceptor tells you to dangle Ms. Jones' legs on the
side of the bed before you attempt to assist her to a chair. You ask your preceptor why this is done and
she answers, "This is what we have always done, so go do it." This is an example of which type of
evidence?
a. Trial and error
b. Intuition.
c. Borrowed evidence
d. Tradition - Answer d. Tradition
You are a new nurse working at XYZ hospital. Your preceptor tells you to dangle Ms. Jones' legs on the
side of the bed before you attempt to assist her to a chair. You ask your preceptor why this is done and
she answers, "Because I said so." This is an example of which type of evidence?
a. Intuition
b. Tradition
and answers25/2026
Which of the following is the best definition of research?
a. Critically thinking about problems that occur in health care to determine possible solutions.
b. Information that is based on personal experience or tradition.
c. Planned and systematic activity that leads to new knowledge and/or the discovery of solutions to
problems or questions.
d. Trying a variety of approaches to a clinical problem and settling on the approach that is effective
more often than not. - Answer c. Planned and systematic activity that leads to new knowledge and/or
the discovery of solutions to problems or questions.
Which of the following is the best definition of research utilization?
a. Applying research findings from individual studies to practice.
b. Analyzing multiple research studies to synthesize findings.
c. Appreciating the importance of clinical decision making.
d. Using previous personal experience to build confidence. - Answer a. Applying research findings from
individual studies to practice.
Which of the following is the best definition of evidence-based practice (EBP)?
a. Application of research findings based on scientific theories in a clinical setting.
b. Research studies that correspond to nationally established priorities for healthcare,
conducted by experts in their fields.
c. Use of theory-derived, research-based information in making decisions about health care delivery,
with consideration of individual needs and preferences and the clinical expertise of the provider.
d. Using the individual health care provider's perception of truth without conscious attention or
reasoning. - Answer c. Use of theory-derived, research-based information in making decisions about
health care delivery, with consideration of individual needs and preferences and the clinical expertise of
the provider.
Which of the following best describes the difference between research utilization and EBP?
, a. Research utilization is a process of evaluating multiple studies for the most generalizable findings; EBP
is use of the most recent study on a topic.
b. Research utilization involves changing practice based on findings of a single research study; EBP is the
syntheses of findings from multiple studies to incorporate with practitioner skills and client preference
to determine best care.
c. Research utilization is the application of research findings to health care practice; EBP is considered in
selecting medication options.
d. Research utilization is review of research publications; EBP is using the healthcare provider's
perception of what care would be best in individual situations. - Answer b. Research utilization involves
changing practice based on findings of a single research study; EBP is the syntheses of findings from
multiple studies to incorporate with practitioner skills and client preference to determine best care.
In what way can evidence from disciplines other than nursing be helpful?
a. Theory based non-nursing evidence can provide a basis on which to build new evidence.
b. Non-nursing evidence supports the use of nursing knowledge obtained by trial and error.
c. Clinical decision making can be based on findings from single non-nursing research studies.
d. All evidence is equally important to the practice of nursing. - Answer a. Theory based non-nursing
evidence can provide a basis on which to build new evidence.
You are a new nurse working at XYZ hospital. Your preceptor tells you to dangle Ms. Jones' legs on the
side of the bed before you attempt to assist her to a chair. You ask your preceptor why this is done and
she answers, "This is what we have always done, so go do it." This is an example of which type of
evidence?
a. Trial and error
b. Intuition.
c. Borrowed evidence
d. Tradition - Answer d. Tradition
You are a new nurse working at XYZ hospital. Your preceptor tells you to dangle Ms. Jones' legs on the
side of the bed before you attempt to assist her to a chair. You ask your preceptor why this is done and
she answers, "Because I said so." This is an example of which type of evidence?
a. Intuition
b. Tradition
