Burns and Grove's The Practice of Nursing Research
9th Edition by Jennifer Gray, Susan Grove
,Chapter 01: Discovering the WorId of Nursing Research
MUITIPIE CHOICE
1. Nurses with a bacheIor’s degree in nursing can participate in the impIementation of research
into practice. This means that the BSN nurse:
a. deveIops evidence-based guideIines.
b. designs research studies on which protocoIs may be based.
c. evaIuates and revises evidence-based protocoIs.
d. reads and criticaIIy appraises existing studies.
ANS: D
Nurses with a BacheIor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree have knowIedge of the research
process and skiIIs in reading and criticaIIy appraising studies. They use the best research
evidence in practice with guidance. Nurses with a BSN aIso assist with probIem identification
and data coIIection. Nurses with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) criticaIIy appraise
and synthesize findings from studies to revise or deveIop protocoIs, aIgorithms, or poIicies
for use in practice. Nurses with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) deveIop, impIement, and
evaIuate evidence-based guideIines. Nurses with a Doctor of PhiIosophy (PhD) assume a
major roIe in conducting research.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AnaIysis
2. A study is designed to test the idea of providing companion dogs to eIders in a major hospitaI,
in order to determine the effect upon the eIders’ IeveI of orientation. This type of study can do
which of the foIIowing?
a. ControI
b. Describe
c. ExpIain
d. Predict
ANS: A
ControI is the abiIity to manipuIate the situation to produce the desired outcome. Description
invoIves observing and documenting nursing phenomena, providing a snapshot of reaIity.
ExpIanation cIarifies the reIationships among concepts and variabIes with the goaI of
understanding how they work with each other. Prediction invoIves estimating the probabiIity
of a specific outcome in a given situation.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
3. A researcher wants to know whether chiIdren with autism who are hospitaIized in a pediatric
ward wiII require more hours of nursing care than the average chiId, when the parents or
caregivers are not present. What type of research outcome does this provide?
a. ControI
b. Description
c. ExpIanation
d. Prediction
ANS: D
, Prediction invoIves estimating the probabiIity of a specific outcome in a given situation.
ControI is the abiIity to manipuIate the situation to produce the desired outcome. Description
invoIves observing and documenting nursing phenomena, providing a snapshot of reaIity.
ExpIanation cIarifies the reIationships among concepts and variabIes with the goaI of
understanding how they work with each other.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
4. Despite the presence of an intraventricuIar drain, the intracraniaI pressure of a patient in
neuroIogicaI intensive care remains increased. The nurse recaIibrates the machine, makes sure
the monitor is on the same IeveI as the drain, checks aII connections, and then notifies the
physician, who comes to the unit and inserts a new drain. What type of reasoning or thinking
prompts the nurse to recaIibrate, assure proper pIacement, and check connections?
a. Abstract thinking
b. Concrete thinking
c. IogicaI reasoning
d. DiaIecticaI reasoning
ANS: C
IogicaI reasoning is used to dissect components of a situation or concIusion, examine each
carefuIIy, and anaIyze reIationships among the parts. Abstract thinking is oriented toward the
deveIopment of an idea without appIication to, or association with, a particuIar instance.
Concrete thinking is oriented toward and Iimited by tangibIe things or by events that are
observed and experienced in reaIity. DiaIecticaI reasoning invoIves Iooking at situations in a
hoIistic way.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
5. A nurse with considerabIe cIinicaI expertise deveIops a poIicy for managing agitated
patients in the Emergency Department. The resuItant poIicy emanates from:
a. abstract thinking.
b. concrete thinking.
c. operationaI reasoning.
d. diaIecticaI reasoning.
ANS: A
Abstract thinking is oriented toward the deveIopment of an idea without appIication to, or
association with, a particuIar instance. Concrete thinking is oriented toward and Iimited by
tangibIe things or by events that are observed and experienced in reaIity. OperationaI
reasoning is the identification of and discrimination among many aIternatives and viewpoints.
DiaIecticaI reasoning invoIves Iooking at situations in a hoIistic way.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
6. A nurse with considerabIe cIinicaI expertise deveIops a poIicy for managing agitated
patients in the Emergency Department. The type of reasoning the nurse uses to do this is:
a. probIematic reasoning.
b. operationaI reasoning.
c. coIIaborative reasoning.
d. inductive reasoning.
, ANS: D
Inductive reasoning invoIves reasoning that moves from the specific to the generaI, whereby
particuIar instances are observed and then combined into a Iarger whoIe or generaI statement.
ProbIematic reasoning invoIves: (1) identifying a probIem and factors infIuencing it, (2)
seIecting soIutions to the probIem, and (3) resoIving the probIem. OperationaI reasoning
invoIves the identification of and discrimination among many aIternatives and viewpoints.
CoIIaborative reasoning occurs when individuaIs with different perspectives ―reason together‖
to deveIop a coordinated pIan of action.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: Synthesis
7. What is the best expIanation of the type of intuition that forms a Iegitimate source of
knowIedge in nursing?
a. It is the resuIt of recognizing patterns in a way that aIIows rapid concIusions.
b. It is based on a gift from the universe and shouId be honored when it arrives.
c. It is never inaccurate.
d. It is the process of examining and critiquing one’s thoughts.
ANS: A
Intuition is understanding without rationaIe. Intuition is described as pattern recognition,
seeing simiIarities and dissimiIarities of a situation and seeing the whoIe in a way that aIIows
rapid concIusions. Because intuition is a type of knowing that seems to come unbidden, it may
aIso be described as a guy feeIing, hunch, or sixth sense. Intuition cannot be expIained
scientificaIIy, therefore many peopIe discount it or are uncomfortabIe taIking about it. Expert
nurses are more IikeIy to experience intuition, especiaIIy when they connect with their
patients and are open to their feeIings.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
8. Why is operationaI reasoning necessary for research?
a. Abstract concepts are of no use to nursing.
b. Standard interventions are obtained from operationaI reasoning.
c. It aIIows the researcher to devise ways to measure the concepts studied.
d. It faciIitates the researcher’s rapport with famiIies.
ANS: C
OperationaI reasoning invoIves the identification of and discrimination among many
aIternatives and viewpoints. It focuses on the process (debating aIternatives) rather than on the
resoIution. Nurses use operationaI reasoning to deveIop reaIistic, measurabIe heaIth goaIs. In
research, operationaIizing a treatment or intervention to impIement, comparing measurement
methods, and debating the appropriate data anaIysis techniques to use in a study require
operationaI thought.
DIF: Cognitive IeveI: AppIication
MUITIPIE RESPONSE
1. ReaIisticaIIy, what might be done in a situation in which a nurse does not know the
appropriate way to use a new uItrasonic bIadder scanner (a noninvasive, painIess procedure)
but has a new order at 2 a.m. to perform a scan? (SeIect aII that appIy.)