Chapter 01: The Role of Research in Nursing
Singh: LoBiondo-Wood and Haber’s Nursing Research in Canada, 5th Edition

MULTIPLE CHOICE

	1.	A key step to the development of nursing research was
a.	the endowment of nursing research chairs.	
b.	universities offering baccalaureate nursing programs.	
c.	a baccalaureate degree becoming the entry to practice.	
d.	the Canadian Nurses Association developing a research mandate.	

ANS:	B

	Feedback	
A	Endowment of nursing research chairs did not occur until the number of nurses with PhD degrees increased.	
B	Universities offering baccalaureate nursing programs provided an introduction to research within the BScN programs and led to further nursing education at the MSN and PhD levels.	
C	Baccalaureate degrees becoming the entry to practice did not occur until the twenty-first century. 	
D	The Canadian Nurses Association did not develop a research mandate until the end of the twentieth century.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Applying (Application)	
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	2.	How is nursing research significant to the profession of nursing?
a.	Responsibility is more specifically defined.	
b.	Liability within the practice of nursing is decreased.	
c.	A specialized body of knowledge is generated for use in the delivery of health care.	
d.	The scope of nursing practice is expanded into areas formerly reserved for other disciplines.	

ANS:	C

	Feedback	
A	Research aids in documenting accountability of nurses, but professional guidelines regarding responsibility already exist.	
B	Liability is a legal concept. Research does not promote liability.	
C	Theory-based nursing research provides a foundation for evidence-informed nursing care.	
D	Nursing research expands the discipline of nursing as it pertains to nursing practice.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	3.	Why are nursing practice–oriented scientific investigations valuable?
a.	They validate the effectiveness of particular nursing interventions.	
b.	They encourage consumers to question the quality of health care.	
c.	They limit the theory base for clinical decision making.	
d.	They mandate health care reform.	

ANS:	A

	Feedback	
A	Practice-focused research supports the effectiveness of nursing interventions and reinforces quality of nursing care.	
B	On the contrary, they help reassure consumers about the quality of health care.	
C	They support the development of the theory base for clinical decision making.	
D	They reinforce the effectiveness of current nursing practice.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	4.	When a change in nursing practice results in decreased cost of care, what additional factor must be considered before general implementation of this change?
a.	Ensuring compliance of the change by nurses with diverse educational backgrounds.	
b.	Maintaining or improving the quality of care resulting from the change in practice.	
c.	Encouraging patients to be active partners in their health care decisions.	
d.	Disseminating the change beyond the discipline of nursing.	

ANS:	B

	Feedback	
A	Not all nurses are responsible for supervising compliance with new measures.	
B	Nurses are accountable to maintain quality patient care despite cost-cutting measures.	
C	Nurses should encourage patient participation in care despite cost-cutting measures.	
D	Nurses are not responsible for reforming other disciplines.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Analyzing (Analysis)	
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	5.	Why do nurses who do not conduct research need to understand the nursing research process?
a.	To identify potential participants for clinical research studies	
b.	To assist in collecting accurate data for clinical research studies	
c.	To teach patients and families about the usefulness of participation in research	
d.	To be able to evaluate nursing research reports for relevance to their own clinical practice	

ANS:	D

	Feedback	
A	Nurses who do not conduct research would not influence participant identification.	
B	Nurses who do not conduct research would not influence data collection.	
C	Nurses who do not conduct research would not influence participant recruitment.	
D	Nurses should be able to understand the research process by reading research reports and determining if they should modify their practice based on research evidence.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	6.	How are nursing theory and nursing research related?
a.	Nursing theory and nursing research are independent of each other and have no direct relationship.	
b.	Without nursing theory, research conducted by nurses would not have an impact on nursing practice.	
c.	Nursing research drives the direction and specific content of nursing theory.	
d.	Nursing theory and nursing research both advance the knowledge base of nursing.	

ANS:	D

	Feedback	
A	Theory and research are related to each other.	
B	Research studies may be conducted without a clear theoretical framework and still influence practice.	
C	Quantitative nursing research tests nursing theory but does not influence content.	
D	Theory and nursing research both influence how nursing practice is conducted.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	7.	Which action demonstrates the role of an intelligent consumer of nursing research?
a.	Designing a research study.	
b.	Analyzing data to determine outcomes.	
c.	Evaluating the credibility of the research findings.	
d.	Replicate the study in another setting to confirm the findings.	

ANS:	C

	Feedback	
A	A consumer applies research to practice. Consumers are not responsible for designing a study.	
B	A consumer does not conduct data analysis of a study. The study’s primary investigator analyzes data.	
C	A consumer of nursing research needs to understand the research process to determine the merit and relevance of evidence for research studies.	
D	A consumer can apply research findings to practice but does not have to replicate the study itself.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Evaluating (Evaluation)	
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	8.	In designating research functions to nursing staff, which of the following functions would you designate to a staff registered nurse?
a.	Protecting human participants by promoting the ethical principles of research.	
b.	Providing expert consultation about the way in which clinical services are delivered.	
c.	Developing methods to monitor the quality of nursing practice in the clinical setting.	
d.	Providing scientific development and leadership by assisting others in applying scientific knowledge in nursing practice.	

ANS:	A

	Feedback	
A	All nurses are responsible for protecting human participants in research.	
B	Nurses are at the bedside implementing protocols. Expert consultation is reserved for MSN- or PhD-level nurses.	
C	Developing methods is reserved for nurses with advanced education.	
D	Providing scientific development and leadership is reserved for nurses with advanced education.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	9.	Which of the following statements regarding the role of the nurse in research is true?
a.	Nurses must be prepared at the baccalaureate level to have any role in nursing research.	
b.	Master’s-prepared nurses (those with MSN, MN, or MS degrees) are primarily responsible for using the findings of nursing research in clinical practice.	
c.	One role of the nurse is to identify issues in clinical practice that are suitable for research.	
d.	Data analysis is only conducted by a PhD-level nurse.	

ANS:	C

	Feedback	
A	BScN nurses must be able to critically appraise research and use for evidence-informed practice. MSN and PhD nurses are more active members of the research team. 	
B	Master’s-prepared nurses can provide leadership to supervise how research findings are applied in the clinical area. All levels of nurses can apply research findings to practice.	
C	Nurses should have an awareness of the relevance of nursing research and ask clinical questions.	
D	Regardless of nursing education, the only nurse who should interpret research findings is the one who has the most comprehensive understanding of statistical analysis methods.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	10.	Which of Florence Nightingale’s actions formed the foundation for modern-day nursing research methods?
a.	Establishing the St. Thomas Hospital School of Nursing in England.	
b.	Writing the curricula for the nineteenth–century nurse training programs.	
c.	Lobbying the British parliament to enact changes in law for better health care.	
d.	Collecting data systematically on the health status of British soldiers during the Crimean War.	

ANS:	D

	Feedback	
A	Establishing a school of nursing is not a form of scientific investigation.	
B	Developing curricula is not a form of scientific investigation.	
C	Lobbying a parliament is more about advocacy and health care reform.	
D	Systematic, objective data collection during the Crimean War formed the basis for modern-day nursing research methods.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Remembering (Knowledge)
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	11.	What was the focus of most nursing research studies conducted during the beginning of the twentieth century?
a.	Nursing education methods and outcomes.	
b.	Effects of sanitation on health promotion and disease prevention.	
c.	Use of epidemiology as a method of identifying risk for specific illnesses.	
d.	Identification of the most effective means to disseminate positive findings from nursing research.	

ANS:	A

	Feedback	
A	Nursing education has been documented to have been the focus of nursing research in the early twentieth century.	
B	Disease prevention was a focus in the 1960s.	
C	Florence Nightingale used epidemiology in her early research.	
D	Dissemination of nursing research findings grew in the 1980s.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Remembering (Knowledge)
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	12.	What action or strategy can limit the depth of nursing research?
a.	Addressing physiological and psychological responses to actual or potential health problems.	
b.	Employing both qualitative methods and quantitative methods in the same study.	
c.	Developing programs of research that build on prior investigations.	
d.	Using singular measures to assess phenomena.	

ANS:	D

	Feedback	
A	Addressing the physical and psychological aspects of a phenomenon provides depth to research outcomes.	
B	Multiple-method studies can provide greater depth of understanding of a phenomenon.	
C	Building on prior research allows for deeper exploration of human phenomena.	
D	Using a single measure will not allow a researcher to examine the complexity of human phenomena.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Analyzing (Analysis)	
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	13.	Which of the following is the overall value of developing evidence-informed nursing practice?
a.	Demonstration of how nursing practices make a difference in patient outcomes.	
b.	Implementation of the most cost-effective nursing practice patterns.	
c.	Separation of nursing research from the research of other disciplines.	
d.	Development of new nursing theories.	

ANS:	A

	Feedback	
A	Evidence-informed practice provides a research foundation for nursing interventions.	
B	Implementation of more cost-effective nursing interventions may occur based on evidence, but it is not the overall value of developing evidence-informed nursing practice.	
C	Developing a unique body of nursing knowledge is important but is not the overall value of developing evidence-informed nursing practice.	
D	Developing nursing theory is important, but evidence-informed nursing practice is focused on the more concrete aspects of clinical practice.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	14.	How does an international research perspective contribute to the discipline and science of nursing?
a.	By unifying the definition of the term health.	
b.	By increasing the dissemination potential of research findings.	
c.	By emphasizing the cultural aspects of nursing care.	
d.	By testing innovative and cost-effective patient care delivery models.	

ANS:	D

	Feedback	
A	Nursing models can be tested in a variety of settings, which strengthens the credibility of the evidence. Health is a subjective term.	
B	Dissemination of findings is one of the benefits of an international perspective, but the primary focus is testing of models.	
C	Emphasis on cultural considerations is one of the benefits of an international perspective, but the primary focus is testing of models.	
D	An international research perspective can lead to the formation of a global research community.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	15.	Which of the following is the identified priority for future nursing research efforts?
a.	Improvement in patient quality of life.	
b.	Cost containment of health care delivery.	
c.	Promotion of excellence in nursing science.	
d.	Promotion of advanced education in nursing.	

ANS:	C

	Feedback	
A	Patient quality of life is a desired outcome but not the identified priority for future nursing research.	
B	Cost containment is not the identified priority for future nursing research.	
C	Nursing is rising to the challenge of developing the science to improve health care. Advancing nursing science is therefore a priority.	
D	Promotion of advanced education in nursing is not the identified priority for future nursing research.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Remembering (Knowledge)
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance

	16.	Review the information from four abstracts below and identify which study is an example of outcome-based research.
a.	This study used a school-based community sample (N = 920) to examine trajectories of depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and expressed anger in the critical years of emerging adulthood (ages 18 to 25).	
b.	To identify reasons for lower organ donation rates by knowledge and attitudes about brain death, donation, and transplantation and trust in the health care system were examined.	
c.	An exploratory study was undertaken with a racially diverse group of custodial grandfathers to fill a gap in the literature about the vulnerability for elder abuse, exploitation, and neglect as expressed by older Indigenous, Caucasian, and South Asian custodial grandfathers.	
d.	A multicentre, international clinical trial was conducted in 3,500 patients with documented coronary heart disease to determine whether a brief education and counselling intervention delivered by a nurse can reduce prehospital delay in the face of symptoms.	

ANS:	D

	Feedback	
A	Exploration of anger in adulthood is not an outcomes research study.	
B	Surveying families about consent for organ donation is not an outcomes research study.	
C	Exploration of elder abuse is not an outcomes research study.	
D	Outcomes research examines how nursing interventions affect patient outcomes. This study examines the effectiveness of nursing interventions.	

PTS:	1	DIF:	Cognitive Level: Evaluating (Evaluation)	
MSC:	NCLEX Client Care Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment; Health Promotion and Maintenance