DNP 816 Exam Questions with Correct Answers Latest Update 2025-2026
Research - Answers A systematic inquiry to solve problems using a disciplined and strict
protocol
Clinical nursing research - Answers Research that guides practice and leads to improving
patient outcomes
Evidence-based practice - Answers A problem solving method consisting of a 3-legged stool
consisting of the best evidence (research findings), clinical judgement, and patient/family
preferences
Intent of descriptive studies - Answers To describe, explore, or explain phenomena
Intent of cause-probing studies - Answers To test a hypothesis or an intervention and evaluate
the effect
Basic research - Answers Research that is done in a laboratory, usually at the cellular level up to
animal studies; bench research
Applied research - Answers Using the research process to solve problems
Causal relationship (variables) - Answers One variable causes change in another
Associative relationship (variables) - Answers There is an association between variables that is
not causal.
(Abbreviated) steps of EBP - Answers 1. Ask the question
2. Find evidence
3. Appraise evidence
4. Make a decision about use in your practice
5. Apply change
6. Evaluate outcomes of change
5 types of PICO(T) questions - Answers Therapy/intervention
Diagnosis/assessment
Prognosis
Etiology/prevention
Meaning/process
,Probabilistic causality - Answers The causes increase the likelihood that the effect will occur
3 elements essential to experimental RCT - Answers Manipulation, control, randomization
Tailored interventions - Answers Interventions personalized by including participants
characteristics such as microbiome, genetics, or genomics
Types of control groups - Answers Alternate intervention
Standard of care
Placebo
Attention - receives an intervention of the same length and interaction to account for the extra
attention the intervention group receives
Dose response - receives intervention at a different dose
Waitlist - receives intervention, but after participating as the control group & outcomes are
obtained
Allocation concealment - Answers Prevents the person who enrolls participants from knowing
which group assignment is next; prevents biasing the groups based on assigning those who
"might benefit more" to the intervention group
Masking/blinding - Answers An element of RCT randomization prevents bias related to
performance or detection by masking group assignment information when researchers are
collecting data.
Performance bias - Answers Bias that occurs due to different treatment of participants who are
in the intervention group
Detection bias - Answers A difference in how the outcomes are measured or recorded based on
group assignment.
Standard research diagram nomenclature - Answers R - randomization
X - intervention/treatment
O - observation/data collection points
Post-test only research design - Answers Participants are randomized, intervention given,
observation/data collection is performed. Most basic design.
Protest-posttest design - Answers Participants are randomized, pretest or pre-intervention
observation is made, intervention given, post-test observation is performed. Most common
design; allows investigators to examine change within the same groups.
, Factorial design - Answers A type of study design used to manipulate/examine more than 1
variable at a time.
Benefits of factorial designs - Answers Can answer more than 1 research question at a time,
examine effects of not only 1 intervention but also the effects of any interaction from combined
treatments
Crossover design - Answers Examines the effects of more than 1 intervention; each group
serves as its own control group
Drawback of crossover design - Answers Carry-over effects
Benefit of crossover design - Answers Need less overall number of participants, can observe
more than 1 variable
Washout period - Answers The time needed for the outcomes of a previous treatment to
dissipate prior to beginning another treatment; used to execute crossover design studies
Limitations of RCTs - Answers Control group —> artificial environment,
Attrition leads to dilution of treatment, and therefore results
Hawthorne effect
Hawthorne effect - Answers When participants alter their behavior to do what they believe the
investigator wants them to
Quasi-Experimental design - Answers Involves an intervention, but not randomization and
maybe not even a control group
4 types of quasi-experimental designs - Answers 1. Non-equivalent control group design
2. Time series design
3. Partially randomized patient preference design
4. Dose response design
3 variations of nonequivalent control group quasi-experimental designs - Answers
Nonequivalent control group pretest/posttest
Nonequivalent control group posttest
Research - Answers A systematic inquiry to solve problems using a disciplined and strict
protocol
Clinical nursing research - Answers Research that guides practice and leads to improving
patient outcomes
Evidence-based practice - Answers A problem solving method consisting of a 3-legged stool
consisting of the best evidence (research findings), clinical judgement, and patient/family
preferences
Intent of descriptive studies - Answers To describe, explore, or explain phenomena
Intent of cause-probing studies - Answers To test a hypothesis or an intervention and evaluate
the effect
Basic research - Answers Research that is done in a laboratory, usually at the cellular level up to
animal studies; bench research
Applied research - Answers Using the research process to solve problems
Causal relationship (variables) - Answers One variable causes change in another
Associative relationship (variables) - Answers There is an association between variables that is
not causal.
(Abbreviated) steps of EBP - Answers 1. Ask the question
2. Find evidence
3. Appraise evidence
4. Make a decision about use in your practice
5. Apply change
6. Evaluate outcomes of change
5 types of PICO(T) questions - Answers Therapy/intervention
Diagnosis/assessment
Prognosis
Etiology/prevention
Meaning/process
,Probabilistic causality - Answers The causes increase the likelihood that the effect will occur
3 elements essential to experimental RCT - Answers Manipulation, control, randomization
Tailored interventions - Answers Interventions personalized by including participants
characteristics such as microbiome, genetics, or genomics
Types of control groups - Answers Alternate intervention
Standard of care
Placebo
Attention - receives an intervention of the same length and interaction to account for the extra
attention the intervention group receives
Dose response - receives intervention at a different dose
Waitlist - receives intervention, but after participating as the control group & outcomes are
obtained
Allocation concealment - Answers Prevents the person who enrolls participants from knowing
which group assignment is next; prevents biasing the groups based on assigning those who
"might benefit more" to the intervention group
Masking/blinding - Answers An element of RCT randomization prevents bias related to
performance or detection by masking group assignment information when researchers are
collecting data.
Performance bias - Answers Bias that occurs due to different treatment of participants who are
in the intervention group
Detection bias - Answers A difference in how the outcomes are measured or recorded based on
group assignment.
Standard research diagram nomenclature - Answers R - randomization
X - intervention/treatment
O - observation/data collection points
Post-test only research design - Answers Participants are randomized, intervention given,
observation/data collection is performed. Most basic design.
Protest-posttest design - Answers Participants are randomized, pretest or pre-intervention
observation is made, intervention given, post-test observation is performed. Most common
design; allows investigators to examine change within the same groups.
, Factorial design - Answers A type of study design used to manipulate/examine more than 1
variable at a time.
Benefits of factorial designs - Answers Can answer more than 1 research question at a time,
examine effects of not only 1 intervention but also the effects of any interaction from combined
treatments
Crossover design - Answers Examines the effects of more than 1 intervention; each group
serves as its own control group
Drawback of crossover design - Answers Carry-over effects
Benefit of crossover design - Answers Need less overall number of participants, can observe
more than 1 variable
Washout period - Answers The time needed for the outcomes of a previous treatment to
dissipate prior to beginning another treatment; used to execute crossover design studies
Limitations of RCTs - Answers Control group —> artificial environment,
Attrition leads to dilution of treatment, and therefore results
Hawthorne effect
Hawthorne effect - Answers When participants alter their behavior to do what they believe the
investigator wants them to
Quasi-Experimental design - Answers Involves an intervention, but not randomization and
maybe not even a control group
4 types of quasi-experimental designs - Answers 1. Non-equivalent control group design
2. Time series design
3. Partially randomized patient preference design
4. Dose response design
3 variations of nonequivalent control group quasi-experimental designs - Answers
Nonequivalent control group pretest/posttest
Nonequivalent control group posttest
