Evidence-Based Practice - 2026 Nursing Primer: Exam 1 -
Questions with Correct Answers
100 questions
1. A key organizational facilitator of EBP is:
A. Discouraging questions
B. Punishing errors
C. Restricting library access
D. Leadership support, EBP mentors and a culture that values inquiry
Correct Answer: D. Leadership support, EBP mentors and a culture that values inquiry
Rationale: Culture strongly predicts EBP use. Leaders model and resource it.
2. Practice based on tradition, such as routine vital signs every 4 hours for all patients, is an
example of:
A. A sacred cow that should be examined for supporting evidence
B. Best evidence
C. Required by research
D. Patient preference
Correct Answer: A. A sacred cow that should be examined for supporting evidence
Rationale: Sacred cows persist without evidence. EBP questions them.
3. Journals such as Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing support EBP by:
A. Selling equipment
B. Publishing research and reports on implementing evidence in nursing practice
C. Licensing nurses
D. Setting staffing ratios
Correct Answer: B. Publishing research and reports on implementing evidence in nursing
practice
Rationale: Specialized journals share EBP methods and outcomes. They are a source of ideas
and evidence.
,4. An academic-practice partnership supports EBP by:
A. Separating education and practice
B. Ending student placements
C. Reducing access
D. Linking faculty and clinicians to share expertise and resources
Correct Answer: D. Linking faculty and clinicians to share expertise and resources
Rationale: Partnerships expand capacity. Students may assist with projects.
5. EBP differs from research in that EBP:
A. Applies existing evidence to practice, whereas research generates new knowledge
B. Always requires IRB approval
C. Uses only qualitative data
D. Is done only by PhD nurses
Correct Answer: A. Applies existing evidence to practice, whereas research generates new
knowledge
Rationale: Research tests hypotheses to create generalizable knowledge. EBP projects translate
what is already known.
6. A spirit of inquiry in nursing means:
A. Accepting routines without question
B. Avoiding change
C. Continually questioning current practices and asking whether there is a better way
D. Relying on tradition
Correct Answer: C. Continually questioning current practices and asking whether there is a
better way
Rationale: Questioning drives improvement. Organizations should reward curiosity.
,7. Translational research describes:
A. Translating articles into other languages
B. Copying guidelines
C. Writing textbooks
D. Moving discoveries from basic science into clinical practice and population health
Correct Answer: D. Moving discoveries from basic science into clinical practice and population
health
Rationale: T1 to T4 phases describe stages of translation. Nursing EBP often focuses on later
phases.
8. A nurse asks, "Why do we restrict visiting hours in the ICU?" This question is an example of:
A. Insubordination
B. A research hypothesis
C. Quality assurance only
D. A clinical inquiry that could start an EBP project
Correct Answer: D. A clinical inquiry that could start an EBP project
Rationale: Questions about routines can reveal outdated practice. Evidence now supports
flexible visiting.
9. In a diagnostic PICOT question, the intervention and comparison usually represent:
A. Two treatments
B. The index test being evaluated and the reference (gold) standard
C. Two populations
D. Two time frames
Correct Answer: B. The index test being evaluated and the reference (gold) standard
Rationale: Diagnostic questions compare a test's results with a reference standard. Outcomes
are accuracy measures.
, 10. A clinical question arising from repeated patient complaints of noise at night could be
framed as:
A. In hospitalized adults, how do earplugs and eye masks compared with usual care affect sleep
quality during hospitalization?
B. What is noise?
C. Why are patients noisy?
D. How do hospitals work?
Correct Answer: A. In hospitalized adults, how do earplugs and eye masks compared with
usual care affect sleep quality during hospitalization?
Rationale: This question is specific and searchable. The others are vague or background.
11. The PEO format is used for questions about:
A. Placebo, Efficacy and Outcome
B. Procedure, Equipment and Order
C. Population, Exposure and Outcome, often for etiology or experience questions
D. Pain, Exercise and Oxygen
Correct Answer: C. Population, Exposure and Outcome, often for etiology or experience
questions
Rationale: PEO suits observational questions. It is an alternative to PICO.
12. A PICOT question about prevention, such as "Does early mobility reduce VAP in ventilated
adults?" is a type of:
A. Intervention (therapy) question
B. Meaning question
C. Diagnostic question
D. Background question
Correct Answer: A. Intervention (therapy) question
Rationale: Prevention questions test interventions. RCTs are ideal.
Questions with Correct Answers
100 questions
1. A key organizational facilitator of EBP is:
A. Discouraging questions
B. Punishing errors
C. Restricting library access
D. Leadership support, EBP mentors and a culture that values inquiry
Correct Answer: D. Leadership support, EBP mentors and a culture that values inquiry
Rationale: Culture strongly predicts EBP use. Leaders model and resource it.
2. Practice based on tradition, such as routine vital signs every 4 hours for all patients, is an
example of:
A. A sacred cow that should be examined for supporting evidence
B. Best evidence
C. Required by research
D. Patient preference
Correct Answer: A. A sacred cow that should be examined for supporting evidence
Rationale: Sacred cows persist without evidence. EBP questions them.
3. Journals such as Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing support EBP by:
A. Selling equipment
B. Publishing research and reports on implementing evidence in nursing practice
C. Licensing nurses
D. Setting staffing ratios
Correct Answer: B. Publishing research and reports on implementing evidence in nursing
practice
Rationale: Specialized journals share EBP methods and outcomes. They are a source of ideas
and evidence.
,4. An academic-practice partnership supports EBP by:
A. Separating education and practice
B. Ending student placements
C. Reducing access
D. Linking faculty and clinicians to share expertise and resources
Correct Answer: D. Linking faculty and clinicians to share expertise and resources
Rationale: Partnerships expand capacity. Students may assist with projects.
5. EBP differs from research in that EBP:
A. Applies existing evidence to practice, whereas research generates new knowledge
B. Always requires IRB approval
C. Uses only qualitative data
D. Is done only by PhD nurses
Correct Answer: A. Applies existing evidence to practice, whereas research generates new
knowledge
Rationale: Research tests hypotheses to create generalizable knowledge. EBP projects translate
what is already known.
6. A spirit of inquiry in nursing means:
A. Accepting routines without question
B. Avoiding change
C. Continually questioning current practices and asking whether there is a better way
D. Relying on tradition
Correct Answer: C. Continually questioning current practices and asking whether there is a
better way
Rationale: Questioning drives improvement. Organizations should reward curiosity.
,7. Translational research describes:
A. Translating articles into other languages
B. Copying guidelines
C. Writing textbooks
D. Moving discoveries from basic science into clinical practice and population health
Correct Answer: D. Moving discoveries from basic science into clinical practice and population
health
Rationale: T1 to T4 phases describe stages of translation. Nursing EBP often focuses on later
phases.
8. A nurse asks, "Why do we restrict visiting hours in the ICU?" This question is an example of:
A. Insubordination
B. A research hypothesis
C. Quality assurance only
D. A clinical inquiry that could start an EBP project
Correct Answer: D. A clinical inquiry that could start an EBP project
Rationale: Questions about routines can reveal outdated practice. Evidence now supports
flexible visiting.
9. In a diagnostic PICOT question, the intervention and comparison usually represent:
A. Two treatments
B. The index test being evaluated and the reference (gold) standard
C. Two populations
D. Two time frames
Correct Answer: B. The index test being evaluated and the reference (gold) standard
Rationale: Diagnostic questions compare a test's results with a reference standard. Outcomes
are accuracy measures.
, 10. A clinical question arising from repeated patient complaints of noise at night could be
framed as:
A. In hospitalized adults, how do earplugs and eye masks compared with usual care affect sleep
quality during hospitalization?
B. What is noise?
C. Why are patients noisy?
D. How do hospitals work?
Correct Answer: A. In hospitalized adults, how do earplugs and eye masks compared with
usual care affect sleep quality during hospitalization?
Rationale: This question is specific and searchable. The others are vague or background.
11. The PEO format is used for questions about:
A. Placebo, Efficacy and Outcome
B. Procedure, Equipment and Order
C. Population, Exposure and Outcome, often for etiology or experience questions
D. Pain, Exercise and Oxygen
Correct Answer: C. Population, Exposure and Outcome, often for etiology or experience
questions
Rationale: PEO suits observational questions. It is an alternative to PICO.
12. A PICOT question about prevention, such as "Does early mobility reduce VAP in ventilated
adults?" is a type of:
A. Intervention (therapy) question
B. Meaning question
C. Diagnostic question
D. Background question
Correct Answer: A. Intervention (therapy) question
Rationale: Prevention questions test interventions. RCTs are ideal.
