EBP and Nursing Research
A nurse wants to implement evidence-based practice (EBP) on her unit. Which of the following steps should she take first?
A. Develop a plan for implementing the change.
B. Identify a clinical problem.
C. Critically appraise the evidence.
D. Disseminate the findings.
Answer
B. Identify a clinical problem.
Rationale:
The first step in EBP is identifying a clinical problem that needs to be addressed. Only after recognizing the problem can the nurse search for and critically appraise relevant evidence
A nurse working in a hospital accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC) understands that a primary focus of TJC is:
A. Reducing hospital costs.
B. Mandating physician credentialing.
C. Ensuring continuous quality improvement and patient safety.
D. Requiring nurses to complete advanced degrees.
Answer: C. Ensuring continuous quality improvement and patient safety.
Rationale:
TJC accreditation focuses on quality improvement and patient safety standards. Hospitals accredited by TJC must demonstrate adherence to continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes and safety goals
A nurse is providing culturally competent care. Which action best demonstrates cultural competence?
A. Treating all patients the same regardless of background.
B. Learning the common health beliefs and practices of the local population.
C. Encouraging patients to abandon cultural health practices.
D. Assuming a patient’s health beliefs based on their appearance.
Answer: B. Learning the common health beliefs and practices of the local population.
Rationale:
Culturally competent care involves acquiring knowledge about the cultural practices and beliefs of the populations served to provide appropriate and respectful care
1. Which statement best differentiates a manager from a leader?
A) A manager focuses on inspiring others toward a shared vision.
B) A manager uses interpersonal skills to create group cohesion.
C) A manager is appointed and is responsible for achieving organizational goals.
D) A manager creates connections among team members for optimal performance.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A manager is appointed to accomplish the organization's goals efficiently, often through planning, organizing, and directing tasks.
1. A nurse is communicating with a patient who is visibly upset. Which action by the nurse best demonstrates effective communication?
A) Focusing on formulating a response while the patient speaks
B) Recognizing the patient's emotions and responding with acceptance
C) Quickly offering solutions to end the conversation
D) Redirecting the conversation to a less emotional topic
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Effective communication involves recognizing and validating the other person's feelings without dismissing them.
Which of the following best describes nursing research utilization?
A. Conducting new experiments to develop practice guidelines.
B. Using findings from previous studies to change current nursing practices.
C. Testing a new medication on a clinical population.
D. Designing a new randomized control trial.
Answer: B. Using findings from previous studies to change current nursing practices.
Rationale:
Nursing research utilization focuses on applying existing research findings to current clinical practice to improve patient outcomes, rather than collecting new data
A nurse is assisting in a root-cause analysis (RCA) after a medication error. What is the primary purpose of conducting an RCA?
A. Assign blame to the person who made the error.
B. Determine the primary factor that caused the error.
C. Punish the staff involved in the incident.
D. Increase hospital profits
Answer: B. Determine the primary factor that caused the error.
Rationale:
The goal of RCA is to investigate and categorize the root causes of an event in order to prevent recurrence, not to assign blame or punish individuals
When conducting a cultural assessment, which key component should the nurse prioritize?
A. The patient's financial status.
B. The patient's ethnicity and its impact on health practices.
C. The patient's willingness to adapt to Western medicine.
D. The patient's education level.
Answer: B. The patient's ethnicity and its impact on health practices.
Rationale:
Understanding a patient’s ethnicity is essential, as it can influence disease epidemiology, symptom manifestation, and response to medications (ethnopharmacology)
A newly appointed nurse manager is reviewing her duties. Which of the following tasks demonstrates management rather than leadership?
A) Motivating team members to collaborate on patient-centered care initiatives
B) Assigning daily patient care tasks to staff nurses
C) Creating a positive, open environment for staff communication
D) Advocating for staff involvement in policy changes
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Assigning and coordinating tasks is a core function of management.
2. During a team meeting, which behavior would indicate the nurse is practicing effective communication skills?
A) Frequently checking their phone while a coworker is speaking
B) Interrupting a speaker to ask clarifying questions immediately
C) Focusing full attention on the speaker and listening without distraction
D) Mentally preparing their response instead of actively listening
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Effective communication requires focusing attention on what is being said and fighting off distractions.
Which research design uses a dynamic, holistic approach to gather understanding from human behaviors and statements?
A. Quantitative
B. Qualitative
C. Mixed-Methods
D. Positivist Tradition
Answer: B. Qualitative
Qualitative research seeks to understand human experiences in a natural setting, using an inductive, flexible, and holistic approach
Which of the following is considered a core measure tracked by The Joint Commission?
A. Patient satisfaction with hospital food.
B. Hospital readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
C. Nurse-to-patient ratios.
D. The number of hours nurses work per shift.
Answer: B. Hospital readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Rationale:
Core measures are specific patient conditions that TJC monitors for quality improvement, such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and others
Which statement best distinguishes spirituality from religion in nursing care?
A. Spirituality requires formal affiliation with a church.
B. Spirituality is primarily a community activity.
C. Spirituality relates to an individual's sense of peace and purpose, not necessarily religious practice.
D. Spirituality and religion are identical concepts.
Answer: C. Spirituality relates to an individual's sense of peace and purpose, not necessarily religious practice.
Rationale:
Spirituality involves individual feelings of meaning, peace, and purpose, while religion involves structured, community-based belief systems
3. Which of the following behaviors reflects a leadership role rather than a management role?
A) Organizing staffing schedules
B) Influencing team members to achieve a shared patient care goal
C) Evaluating staff based on performance metrics
D) Managing the unit's budget
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Leaders use interpersonal skills to influence and guide others toward achieving goals, rather than just managing tasks and processes.
3. A nurse notices that while a patient says they feel "fine," their body language shows slumped shoulders and lack of eye contact. What should the nurse recognize about this situation?
A) The patient's verbal communication is always more important
B) Nonverbal communication may reveal true feelings and should be considered
C) The patient does not wish to talk and should not be approached further
D) The nurse should document the patient’s verbal report without noting nonverbal cues
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Paying attention to nonverbal communication is crucial in accurately interpreting the message.
According to the examples given in EBP, increasing the number of RNs by one per 10 beds results in what outcome?
A. Decrease in hospital admissions.
B. Reduction in death 30 days after a stroke.
C. Increase in patient satisfaction scores.
D. Decrease in medication errors.
Answer: B. Reduction in death 30 days after a stroke.
Rationale:
Evidence shows that for every additional RN per 10 hospital beds, there is an 11–28% reduction in mortality 30 days following a stroke
Which of the following is a National Patient Safety Goal established by The Joint Commission?
A. Eliminate overtime for staff.
B. Improve accuracy of patient identification.
C. Standardize nurse education across states.
D. Reduce the cost of hospital stays.
Answer: B. Improve accuracy of patient identification.
Rationale:
Improving the accuracy of patient identification is a key National Patient Safety Goal by TJC to prevent errors such as wrong-patient procedures
A nurse is assisting a non-English speaking patient. Which strategy best demonstrates culturally and linguistically competent care?
A. Speaking loudly and slowly in English.
B. Using a professional medical interpreter.
C. Asking the patient's family member to translate complex medical information.
D. Avoiding explanations to prevent confusion.
Answer: B. Using a professional medical interpreter.
Rationale:
Providing a professional interpreter ensures accurate communication, supports informed consent, and meets standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate care
4. In a hospital setting, which action by a nurse best exemplifies leadership?
A) Selecting the most cost-effective wound care supplies
B) Directing staff assignments for the shift
C) Mediating a conflict between two coworkers to maintain team satisfaction and performance
D) Preparing the quarterly budget report
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Leadership involves creating and maintaining group cohesion and satisfaction, which includes conflict resolution.
4. A patient expresses anger about a delay in treatment. What is the nurse's best initial response to communicate effectively?
A) Defend the hospital’s policies immediately
B) Recognize and acknowledge the patient's feelings of frustration
C) Ignore the anger and proceed with care
D) Tell the patient that getting upset will not help the situation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Accepting and acknowledging the patient's feelings shows empathy and promotes effective communication.
A nurse is planning to use the PICOT format to develop a clinical research question. What does the "C" represent in PICOT?
A. Clinical setting
B. Comparison of interest
C. Current practice
D. Criteria for evaluation
Answer: B. Comparison of interest
Rationale:
In the PICOT framework, "C" stands for "Comparison of interest," which helps determine the effectiveness of the intervention against an alternative
The Six Sigma (SS) DMAIC model is used primarily to:
A. Increase nursing staff salary.
B. Improve existing processes that do not meet goals or standards.
C. Create new patient care units.
D. Reduce the amount of data collected by hospitals.
Answer: B. Improve existing processes that do not meet goals or standards.
Rationale:
The Six Sigma DMAIC model (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) is a structured method for improving existing processes that are underperforming relative to institutional or national standards
According to the five elements of cultural competence, what is a necessary action for a healthcare organization to promote cultural competence?
A. Avoid adapting services for different cultural groups.
B. Institutionalize cultural knowledge throughout all levels of the organization.
C. Assume all cultures have the same healthcare needs.
D. Focus solely on the majority population’s cultural practices.
Answer: B. Institutionalize cultural knowledge throughout all levels of the organization.
Rationale:
Institutionalizing cultural knowledge is one of the five essential elements identified for cultural competence in healthcare organizations
5. A nurse leader aims to promote optimal performance among staff. Which leadership quality would best help achieve this goal?
A) Delegating tasks based on staff availability
B) Using interpersonal skills to foster strong connections among staff
C) Scheduling mandatory meetings to review performance goals
D) Assigning team members specific duties for the shift
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Leaders focus on building relationships and influencing others to enhance group performance and quality outcomes.
5. A nurse is having a difficult conversation with a patient's family. Which action would best enhance the nurse’s ability to communicate effectively?
A) Allow personal emotions to direct the conversation
B) Focus attention on the family’s verbal and nonverbal communication
C) Mentally rehearse what to say next while the family is speaking
D) Dismiss the family's concerns to keep the conversation brief
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Focusing fully on both verbal and nonverbal communication helps ensure that the nurse understands and responds appropriately.