Deck 2: Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Clinical Questions

Question 1

A nurse's research question is, "How does maternal employment among health care professionals affect infant health during the first 6 months of life?" In this question, what is the dependent variable?

A) Infant health
B) Maternal employment
C) First 6 months of life
D) Health care professionals

Answer 1

Infant health

Question 2

A nurse states the purpose of a research study as, "This study will compare the effect of warm and cold applications on the resolution of intravenous (IV) infiltrations in hospitalized older-adult patients in the early postoperative period." In this statement, what constitutes the independent variable(s)?

A) Postoperative older adult patients
B) Early postoperative period
C) Warm and cold applications
D) Resolution of IV infiltrations

Answer 2

Warm and cold applications

Question 3

The nurse has identified a clinical problem as a potential research question. Which of these steps should the nurse take next?

A) Identify the variables
B) Formulate the research hypothesis
C) Perform a literature review
D) Determine financial resources for the research project

Answer 3

Perform a literature review

Question 4

Which research question is testable as currently written?

A) Should parents addicted to crack cocaine be permitted to raise their children?
B) Is the classroom an appropriate place to teach sex education to 10-year-old children?
C) Are older adults living in assisted-living facilities satisfied with their level of social interaction?
D) Is a positive HIV/AIDS status a sufficient reason for limiting the employment of elementary school teachers?

Question 5

A nurse has defined the research question as, "Is there a relationship between self-esteem and body weight among postmenopausal women?" What type of research-question format (or research design) is implied by this question?

A) Correlational nonexperimental
B) Comparative nonexperimental
C) Quantitative experimental
D) Grounded theory nonexperimental

Question 6

The nurse notes these statements in a research article: This study explores changes in coping and emotion that occur between the preoperative and the postoperative period. Further, the relationships between coping and emotion preoperatively and postoperatively are evaluated. Finally, the influence of preoperative coping and emotion on postoperative emotion is documented.
This section represents which part of a research study?

A) Results
B) Methods
C) Purpose
D) Hypothesis

Question 7

A nurse has defined the research question as, "What is the lived experience of late-stage pregnancy loss among women older than 35 years?" What type of research-question format (or research design) is implied by this question?

A) Correlational nonexperimental
B) Comparative nonexperimental
C) Quantitative experimental
D) Grounded theory nonexperimental

Question 8

When designing a research study, the nurse should have which of these understandings about independent and dependent variables?

A) All research problem statements should contain a dependent and an independent variable.
B) There should only be one dependent variable associated with a single independent variable.
C) The relationship between the independent and the dependent variable in any study should be causal.
D) A given characteristic or situation may be the dependent variable in one study and the independent variable in another.

Question 9

How is a hypothesis related to a theory?

A) Hypotheses can be developed in the absence of a theoretical framework.
B) Hypotheses must be consistent with an existing theoretical framework.
C) A theory can determine the validity of a hypothesis.
D) A theory can be used to evaluate the merit of a hypothesis.

Question 10

Which hypothesis fails to meet the criteria of testability?

A) Proper handwashing prevents the spread of infection.
B) Consistent practice of low-impact aerobic exercise will increase coordination among older adults.
C) Patients who used guided imagery during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures will have reduced perceptions of emotional distress compared with patients who do not use guided imagery during MRI.
D) Postoperative patients who receive around-the-clock scheduled analgesics will have lower levels of pain compared with postoperative patients who receive analgesics on an as-needed (PRN) schedule.

Question 11

In a research study, what are the properties of interest that differ in value?

A) The study's variables
B) The study's concepts
C) The study's hypotheses
D) The study's assumptions

Question 12

What is the purpose of a hypothesis for any study?

A) To identify the dependent and independent variables
B) To provide direction for the study by indicating the expected outcomes
C) To define the appropriate measures needed to test the research problem
D) To provide a means of determining the feasibility of the proposed study

Question 13

A nurse has defined the research question as, "How does oral nutritional supplementation during dialysis treatments affect the serum albumin levels of adult patients who have chronic kidney disease Stage 5?" In this question, what is the independent variable?

A) Adult patients with chronic kidney disease Stage 5
B) Oral nutritional supplementation
C) During dialysis treatments
D) Serum albumin levels

Question 14

The nurse has defined the hypothesis as, "There will be no difference in the number of adverse events among patients discharged two days after an abdominal hysterectomy compared with patients discharged 4 days after an abdominal hysterectomy." This statement is an example of what?

A) Directional hypothesis
B) Nondirectional hypothesis
C) Research hypothesis
D) Null hypothesis

Question 15

A nurse makes these statements. Which one has the greatest potential as an area of nursing research?

A) "Most of our hospital's admissions come in at night."
B) "It is difficult to find personnel willing to work the night shift."
C) "It seems that most of the patient falls on our unit occur during the night shift."
D) "The personnel on the night shift are not attending promptly to the needs of our patients."

Question 16

A nurse researcher proposes a study of teenage mothers and their experience with postpartum depression. Which of these considerations would affect the feasibility of the study?

A) Availability of participants
B) Direction of the hypotheses
C) Gaps in the literature
D) Design of the study

Question 17

A nurse describes the hypothesis of a research study as, "There is a positive relationship between nurses' attitudes toward AIDS patients and the number of AIDS patients they have cared for in practice." This statement is an example of what?

A) Null hypothesis
B) Nondirectional hypothesis
C) Directional hypothesis
D) Causal hypothesis

Question 18

Which hypothesis is nondirectional?

A) Hospitals with an infection-control nurse will have fewer instances of sepsis among inpatients than hospitals without an infection-control nurse.
B) There will be a greater weight loss among dieting patients who receive a weekly supportive telephone call from a dietitian than among dieting patients who do not receive a weekly supportive phone call.
C) There will be a difference in stage of disease for prostate cancer among men who had an abnormal prostate-specific antigen screening compared with men who had an abnormal digital rectal examination screening.
D) Children who receive weekly counseling for 1 year after the death of a parent will perform better in school than children who do not receive weekly counseling after the death of a parent.

Question 19

What difference, if any, exists between a research question and a hypothesis?

A) A research question is practice based, and a hypothesis is theory based.
B) A hypothesis attempts to answer the question posed by the research problem.
C) A research problem defines clinical research and a hypothesis defines basic research.
D) There is no difference between a research problem and a hypothesis.

Question 20

What is the key difference between independent and dependent variables?

A) The dependent variable should change in response to manipulation by the independent variable.
B) The independent variable should change in response to manipulation by the dependent variable.
C) Although both the dependent and independent variables are manipulated, only the dependent variable is considered an intervention.
D) Although both the dependent and independent variables are manipulated, only the independent variable is considered an intervention.

Question 21

The nurse has identified a patient situation that may be an area for study. The initial review of the literature helps the investigator to identify what?

A) The number of subjects required for the study
B) The appropriate statistical tests to analyze the data
C) The need to extend knowledge in a particular area
D) The instruments needed to collect data during the study

Question 22

Which hypothesis would be classified as a statistical hypothesis?

A) Oxygen inhalation at 2 L/min by nasal catheter will decrease oral temperature measured with an electronic thermometer.
B) Oxygen inhalation at 2 L/min by nasal catheter will not affect oral temperature measured with an electronic thermometer.
C) There will be a greater decrease in anxiety scores in patients receiving informational videos before open heart surgery than in patients who receive standard written information.
D) There will be a difference in anxiety scores in patients receiving informational videos before open heart surgery and patients who receive standard written information.

Question 23

Which of these statements is correctly phrased as a clinical question for evidence-based practice?

A) What is the best method to insert an enteral feeding tube in an adult patient?
B) Are there differences in the characteristics of various brands of enteral feeding tubes?
C) In addition to aspiration, what are the most problematic complications of enteral tube feedings?
D) What method of determining stomach placement of enteral feeding tubes helps to prevent aspiration in adult patients?