NR 505 – Advanced Research Methods Exam |
Chamberlain 2025/2026 Verified Q&A with
Rationales
Question 1: Research Design
In designing a study to evaluate the impact of a nurse-led telehealth intervention on patient
adherence to diabetes self-management, which research design would best control for
confounding variables while allowing for causal inference?
A. Descriptive correlational design
B. Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design
C. Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
D. Phenomenological qualitative design
Question 2: Applied Statistical Reasoning
A nurse researcher conducts a study comparing pain scores (measured on a 0–10 Likert scale)
across three postoperative pain management protocols using one-way ANOVA. The results yield
F(2, 147) = 4.56, p = 0.012. What is the appropriate interpretation of these findings?
A. There is no significant difference in pain scores between groups (p > 0.05).
B. The groups differ significantly, but post-hoc tests are unnecessary.
C. There is a significant difference between groups; post-hoc analysis is needed to identify
specific pairwise differences.
D. The F-statistic indicates a medium effect size, confirming clinical relevance.
Question 3: Ethics in Research
During IRB review of a study involving vulnerable older adults with cognitive impairment, the
committee identifies a potential conflict of interest because the principal investigator's spouse is
a site administrator. What is the most ethical next step?
A. Proceed with the study, as family ties do not inherently bias results.
, B. Disclose the conflict and implement a mitigation plan, such as independent data monitoring.
C. Exclude the site from the study to eliminate the conflict entirely.
D. Obtain verbal consent from participants' next of kin without written documentation.
Question 4: EBP Integration
A DNP student is developing a PICOT question for an EBP project on reducing hospital
readmissions for heart failure patients: "In adult patients with heart failure (P), does a transitional
care nurse intervention (I) compared to standard discharge education (C) decrease 30-day
readmissions (O) over 6 months (T)?" This question best exemplifies which EBP framework
component?
A. Foreground question focused on therapy/prevention.
B. Background question seeking general knowledge.
C. Feasibility assessment for implementation.
D. Economic evaluation of outcomes.
Question 5: Research Design
For a study exploring nurses' lived experiences with moral distress in ICU settings during the
COVID-19 pandemic, which qualitative design is most appropriate, and why?
A. Grounded theory, to develop a theory of coping mechanisms.
B. Ethnography, to examine cultural practices in the unit.
C. Case study, to analyze a single ICU's response.
D. Hermeneutic phenomenology, to interpret subjective meanings of distress.
Question 6: Applied Statistical Reasoning
In a logistic regression analysis predicting falls in hospitalized elders based on variables like age,
mobility score, and medication count, the odds ratio (OR) for high medication count (>5) is 2.45
(95% CI: 1.12–5.36). How should this be interpreted in a nursing EBP context?
Chamberlain 2025/2026 Verified Q&A with
Rationales
Question 1: Research Design
In designing a study to evaluate the impact of a nurse-led telehealth intervention on patient
adherence to diabetes self-management, which research design would best control for
confounding variables while allowing for causal inference?
A. Descriptive correlational design
B. Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design
C. Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
D. Phenomenological qualitative design
Question 2: Applied Statistical Reasoning
A nurse researcher conducts a study comparing pain scores (measured on a 0–10 Likert scale)
across three postoperative pain management protocols using one-way ANOVA. The results yield
F(2, 147) = 4.56, p = 0.012. What is the appropriate interpretation of these findings?
A. There is no significant difference in pain scores between groups (p > 0.05).
B. The groups differ significantly, but post-hoc tests are unnecessary.
C. There is a significant difference between groups; post-hoc analysis is needed to identify
specific pairwise differences.
D. The F-statistic indicates a medium effect size, confirming clinical relevance.
Question 3: Ethics in Research
During IRB review of a study involving vulnerable older adults with cognitive impairment, the
committee identifies a potential conflict of interest because the principal investigator's spouse is
a site administrator. What is the most ethical next step?
A. Proceed with the study, as family ties do not inherently bias results.
, B. Disclose the conflict and implement a mitigation plan, such as independent data monitoring.
C. Exclude the site from the study to eliminate the conflict entirely.
D. Obtain verbal consent from participants' next of kin without written documentation.
Question 4: EBP Integration
A DNP student is developing a PICOT question for an EBP project on reducing hospital
readmissions for heart failure patients: "In adult patients with heart failure (P), does a transitional
care nurse intervention (I) compared to standard discharge education (C) decrease 30-day
readmissions (O) over 6 months (T)?" This question best exemplifies which EBP framework
component?
A. Foreground question focused on therapy/prevention.
B. Background question seeking general knowledge.
C. Feasibility assessment for implementation.
D. Economic evaluation of outcomes.
Question 5: Research Design
For a study exploring nurses' lived experiences with moral distress in ICU settings during the
COVID-19 pandemic, which qualitative design is most appropriate, and why?
A. Grounded theory, to develop a theory of coping mechanisms.
B. Ethnography, to examine cultural practices in the unit.
C. Case study, to analyze a single ICU's response.
D. Hermeneutic phenomenology, to interpret subjective meanings of distress.
Question 6: Applied Statistical Reasoning
In a logistic regression analysis predicting falls in hospitalized elders based on variables like age,
mobility score, and medication count, the odds ratio (OR) for high medication count (>5) is 2.45
(95% CI: 1.12–5.36). How should this be interpreted in a nursing EBP context?