Introduction to Nursing Research

What is the best reason that scholars consider Florence Nightingale to be the first nurse researcher?

• She changed nursing by basing her practice on her research findings.

• She identified a body of knowledge unique to nursing.

• She collected data in a systematic fashion.

• She communicated the data collected to other nurses.

Research is important to the nursing profession for many reasons. What is the ultimate goal of nursing research?

• Document the cost-effectiveness of nursing care.

• Ensure credibility of the nursing profession.

• Promote evidence-based practice in nursing.

• Provide accountability for the nursing profession.

The National Institute for Nursing Research (NINR) establishes research priorities. Which option reflects a study that meets the current mission of the NINR?

• The effect of nurse-led community education on the prevalence of heart disease

• The number of students entering nursing programs

• The efficacy of a specific medication therapy for congestive heart failure

• The job satisfaction level of currently employed nurses

Nurses involved in research assume different roles, based on their level of education. Which best describes the role of the BSN-prepared nurse in research?

• Collaborates with other nurses to design research studies

• Critiques research studies and applies research to clinical practice

• Develops policy based on nursing research findings

• Assumes the role of primary investigator in an independent research study

Which option reflects the "authority" approach to knowledge development?

• The nurses on the unit have used a variety of approaches to a client care problem, trying to find one that is effective.

• A nurse approaches a client care situation in a specific manner because "that is what seems to be the best thing to do."

• When asked why client care is organized in the current manner, the nurse manager states, "We've always done it that way."

• When faced with a question regarding provision of nursing care, the nurse consults a nursing textbook for instruction.

The nurse researcher is conducting a study to help a nursing unit solve the problem of increased post procedure infections in clients who have undergone transurethral prostatectomy. Which type of nursing research is this researcher conducting?

• Basic research

• Applied research

• Quantitative research

• Qualitative research

What is generally considered the most valid means of developing the knowledge base of nursing?

• Scientific research

• Evidence-based practice

• Qualitative research

• Outcomes research

For which role in a research study is special research preparation necessary?

• Identifier of researchable problems

• Evaluator of research findings

• Patient advocate during studies

• Principal investigator for study

Acting as principal investigator on a project, a nurse discovers that study results do not support some of the researcher's long-held beliefs. What is the most significant danger in this situation?

• The researcher may tire of the topic before the study is completed.

• The researcher may abandon the project.

• The researcher may be unable to remain unbiased in the interpretation of data.

• The researcher may feel obligated to ask another nurse researcher to act as the principle investigator on the project.

Which research study will most likely be conducted using a qualitative approach?

• A study comparing the results of two antihypertensive medications given to patients who have diabetes mellitus

• A study tracking change in reading level for children treated with behavioral therapy for attention-deficit activity disorder

• A study investigating changes in family dynamics following the sudden death of a child

• A study designed to measure weight-loss trends in middle adults who increase walking