NSG 300 COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Which element of the PICO framework describes the results or what the researcher hopes
to achieve?
A. Intervention
B. Outcome
C. Comparison
D. Population
Answer: B
Conceptual Explanation: In the PICO acronym, ‘O’ stands for Outcome, which represents
the clinical effects or results that are being measured.
2. A researcher is studying the lived experience of patients with terminal stage cancer. Which
qualitative design is most appropriate?
A. Grounded Theory
B. Ethnography
C. Case Study
,D. Phenomenology
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Phenomenology is the study of the ‘lived experience’ of
individuals regarding a specific phenomenon.
3. What is the primary purpose of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To ensure the study has statistical power
B. To publish research results in a timely manner
C. To secure funding for the research project
D. To protect the rights and welfare of human subjects
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: The IRB’s primary function is the ethical review of research to
protect the safety and rights of human participants.
4. In a study assessing a new blood pressure medication, a p-value of 0.01 is obtained. How
should the researcher interpret this result?
A. There is a 1% chance that the results occurred by random chance
B. The results are not statistically significant
C. The medication is 99% effective in all populations
D. The study should be discarded due to low probability
, Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: A p-value of 0.01 indicates that there is a 1% probability that the
observed results occurred due to chance alone, meeting the typical alpha threshold of 0.05.
5. Which type of research design provides the highest level of evidence for clinical decision-
making?
A. Case-Control Study
B. Cohort Study
C. Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
D. Expert Opinion
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs are at the top of
the evidence hierarchy (Level 1).
6. A nurse researcher uses a scale to measure anxiety. If the scale produces the same results
repeatedly under consistent conditions, it is said to have high:
A. Validity
B. Sensitivity
C. Generalizability
D. Reliability
Answer: D
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Which element of the PICO framework describes the results or what the researcher hopes
to achieve?
A. Intervention
B. Outcome
C. Comparison
D. Population
Answer: B
Conceptual Explanation: In the PICO acronym, ‘O’ stands for Outcome, which represents
the clinical effects or results that are being measured.
2. A researcher is studying the lived experience of patients with terminal stage cancer. Which
qualitative design is most appropriate?
A. Grounded Theory
B. Ethnography
C. Case Study
,D. Phenomenology
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Phenomenology is the study of the ‘lived experience’ of
individuals regarding a specific phenomenon.
3. What is the primary purpose of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
A. To ensure the study has statistical power
B. To publish research results in a timely manner
C. To secure funding for the research project
D. To protect the rights and welfare of human subjects
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: The IRB’s primary function is the ethical review of research to
protect the safety and rights of human participants.
4. In a study assessing a new blood pressure medication, a p-value of 0.01 is obtained. How
should the researcher interpret this result?
A. There is a 1% chance that the results occurred by random chance
B. The results are not statistically significant
C. The medication is 99% effective in all populations
D. The study should be discarded due to low probability
, Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: A p-value of 0.01 indicates that there is a 1% probability that the
observed results occurred due to chance alone, meeting the typical alpha threshold of 0.05.
5. Which type of research design provides the highest level of evidence for clinical decision-
making?
A. Case-Control Study
B. Cohort Study
C. Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
D. Expert Opinion
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs are at the top of
the evidence hierarchy (Level 1).
6. A nurse researcher uses a scale to measure anxiety. If the scale produces the same results
repeatedly under consistent conditions, it is said to have high:
A. Validity
B. Sensitivity
C. Generalizability
D. Reliability
Answer: D
