Question

A nurse researcher is testing a new pain management protocol. Patients are randomly assigned to either receive the new protocol or standard care. Pain scores are measured and compared between groups. Which type of research design is being used?

Answer 1

Correct Answers:

Experimental

Rationale :

💁‍♂️An experimental research design involves random assignment of participants into control and intervention groups to test the cause-and-effect relationship between variables.

👉The independent variable (pain management protocol) is manipulated to observe changes in the dependent variable (pain scores).

🧠The randomization process ensures that each participant has an equal chance of being in any group, reducing bias and increasing validity.

📚This differs from quasi-experimental studies, which lack randomization, and from descriptive or predictive studies, which do not test interventions.

📌Core Message

Experimental design uses randomization and variable manipulation to test cause-and-effect relationships in research.

Answer 2

Correct Answers:

Apply research findings to improve practice
Participate in knowledge development
Disseminate findings to the professional community

Rationale :

💁‍♂️Provision 7 of the ANA Code of Ethics emphasizes the nurse’s duty to advance the profession through research and scholarly inquiry.

🧠Nurses contribute by applying evidence-based findings in clinical practice to enhance quality of care.

📘Participation in knowledge development fosters ongoing professional growth and supports the evolution of nursing science.

📢Disseminating research findings promotes collaboration and broadens access to evidence-based knowledge across the nursing community.

📌Core Message

Nurses should apply, develop, and share research to advance professional practice and evidence-based care.

Answer 3

Correct Answers

"Few studies exist to guide wound care in clients with pressure injuries." [ Problem Statement ]
"This study will prove manuka honey is superior to saline." [ Neither ]
"The goal of this study is to explore effectiveness of non-pharmacologic pain management." [ Purpose Statement ]
"This study aims to compare manuka honey with saline dressings." [ Purpose Statement ]

Rationale :

💁‍♂️A problem statement identifies the gap in current knowledge or existing issue prompting the study.

🧠A purpose statement defines the goal or intent of the study, often using words like “explore” or “aim.”

📚Statements that claim to “prove” something violate research neutrality and are not valid research objectives.

👉Accurate classification of these statements clarifies the direction and rationale of a study’s design.

📌Core Message

Problem statements reveal knowledge gaps, while purpose statements express the intent or aim of a study.

Answer 4

Correct Answers:

Personal experiences

Rationale :

💁‍♂️Researchable nursing problems often originate from clinical practice experiences where nurses identify areas for improvement.

🧠Personal experiences guide the discovery of real-world issues that can be addressed through research.

📚Ethical practices and complex medical problems may inform topics but lack specific, testable questions.

📈Transforming these experiences into research questions drives evidence-based practice.

📌Core Message

Personal experiences in clinical practice serve as key sources for identifying researchable nursing problems.

Answer 5

Correct Answers:

Meditation vs. exercise

Rationale :

💁‍♂️In a PICOT framework, the intervention (I) and comparison (C) describe the two methods or treatments being evaluated.

🧠Here, the nurse compares meditation (I) to exercise (C) in adults with anxiety.

📚The outcome focuses on stress reduction, while P identifies the population (adults with anxiety).

👉Recognizing these elements helps structure focused clinical questions for evidence-based research.

📌Core Message

The intervention and comparison in a PICOT question are the two treatments or approaches being contrasted.

Answer 6

Correct Answers:

Electronic health record

Rationale :

💁‍♂️A secondary source refers to data collected previously for another purpose and later analyzed for research.

🧠Electronic health records (EHRs) contain existing patient data used retrospectively in many studies.

📘Surveys and physiologic measurements are primary data sources gathered directly from participants.

👉Using secondary data saves time and allows exploration of large populations efficiently.

📌Core Message

Electronic health records are secondary data sources reused from existing patient information.

Answer 7

Correct Answers:

Chamberlain Library

Rationale :

💁‍♂️Databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and ProQuest host peer-reviewed, evidence-based research.

🧠The Chamberlain Library is not a database but a portal that provides access to multiple databases.

📘True databases provide indexed collections of research articles for systematic searches.

👉Recognizing actual research databases ensures credible literature sourcing.

📌Core Message

The Chamberlain Library is an access portal, not a research database like PubMed or CINAHL.

Answer 8

Correct Answers:

Ask the library to complete an interlibrary loan.

Rationale :

💁‍♂️When an article is not available in full-text, researchers should request an interlibrary loan through their institution.

🧠This process allows libraries to share resources across networks, ensuring access to primary research sources.

📘Using only an abstract is insufficient for a complete critical appraisal of a study.

👉Interlibrary loans maintain the integrity and completeness of the literature review process.

📌Core Message

Use interlibrary loans to obtain full-text research articles for a complete literature review.

Answer 9

Correct Answers:

P – Patient/Population/Problem, I – Intervention, C – Comparison, O – Outcome, T – Time

Rationale :

💁‍♂️The PICOT format is a framework used in evidence-based practice to formulate focused clinical questions.

🧠The letter P represents the Patient, Population, or Problem being studied, identifying who or what is affected.

📚The I stands for the Intervention being applied or tested, while C indicates the Comparison intervention or control group.

👉The O signifies the desired Outcome, and T refers to the Time frame during which the outcome is evaluated, ensuring precision in research focus.

📌Core Message

The PICOT framework defines Patient/Population/Problem, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Time to create focused clinical questions.

Research Statement	Problem Statement	Purpose Statement	Neither
"Few studies exist to guide wound care in clients with pressure injuries."
"This study will prove manuka honey is superior to saline."
"The goal of this study is to explore effectiveness of non-pharmacologic pain management."
"This study aims to compare manuka honey with saline dressings."

1 :
A nurse researcher is testing a new pain management protocol. Patients are randomly assigned to either receive the new protocol or standard care. Pain scores are measured and compared between groups. Which type of research design is being used?

2 :
According to the ANA Code of Ethics Provision 7, how should nurses engage with research to advance the profession? (Select all that apply.)

3 :
A nurse is reviewing statements from a research study.

Correct Answers

4 :
Identify one source for researchable nursing problems.

5 :
In the following PICOT question, what is the intervention and comparison?
PICOT: In adults with anxiety disorder, is meditation as effective as exercise to reduce the individual's perceived level of stress?

6 :
Which of the following is an example of a secondary source of data?

7 :
Of the following choices, which one is NOT a database for current research literature?

8 :
When conducting a literature review, the researcher should use full-text versions of articles. If a relevant article is found when searching the library but is not available as full-text, what is the researcher's best course of action?

9 :
In a PICOT question, what do the letters P, I, C, O, and T stand for?

1 : A nurse researcher is testing a new pain management protocol. Patients are randomly assigned to either receive the new protocol or standard care. Pain scores are measured and compared between groups. Which type of research design is being used?

2 : According to the ANA Code of Ethics Provision 7, how should nurses engage with research to advance the profession? (Select all that apply.)

3 : A nurse is reviewing statements from a research study.

Correct Answers

4 : Identify one source for researchable nursing problems.

5 : In the following PICOT question, what is the intervention and comparison?PICOT: In adults with anxiety disorder, is meditation as effective as exercise to reduce the individual's perceived level of stress?

6 : Which of the following is an example of a secondary source of data?

7 : Of the following choices, which one is NOT a database for current research literature?

8 : When conducting a literature review, the researcher should use full-text versions of articles. If a relevant article is found when searching the library but is not available as full-text, what is the researcher's best course of action?

9 : In a PICOT question, what do the letters P, I, C, O, and T stand for?

1 :
A nurse researcher is testing a new pain management protocol. Patients are randomly assigned to either receive the new protocol or standard care. Pain scores are measured and compared between groups. Which type of research design is being used?

2 :
According to the ANA Code of Ethics Provision 7, how should nurses engage with research to advance the profession? (Select all that apply.)

3 :
A nurse is reviewing statements from a research study.

4 :
Identify one source for researchable nursing problems.

5 :
In the following PICOT question, what is the intervention and comparison?
PICOT: In adults with anxiety disorder, is meditation as effective as exercise to reduce the individual's perceived level of stress?

6 :
Which of the following is an example of a secondary source of data?

7 :
Of the following choices, which one is NOT a database for current research literature?

8 :
When conducting a literature review, the researcher should use full-text versions of articles. If a relevant article is found when searching the library but is not available as full-text, what is the researcher's best course of action?

9 :
In a PICOT question, what do the letters P, I, C, O, and T stand for?