Research & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real Cardiac Vascular Nursing Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Research & Evidence-Based Practice flashcards as text
A cardiovascular nurse researcher is designing a study on nurse-led hypertension clinics. Which study design BEST establishes causality between the intervention and blood pressure outcomes?
Answer: Prospective randomized controlled trial
A prospective RCT with randomization and a control group is the gold-standard design for establishing causality between an intervention and outcomes.
In evidence-based practice, the PICO framework is used to formulate clinical questions. In a cardiac nursing PICO question, what does the 'C' represent?
Answer: Comparison intervention or control
In PICO, 'C' stands for Comparison — the alternative intervention, standard care, or placebo to which the intervention is being compared.
A meta-analysis on beta-blocker use post-MI reports a 95% confidence interval for mortality risk reduction of 0.75–0.95. Which conclusion is MOST accurate?
Answer: The results are statistically significant since the interval excludes 1.0
A 95% CI that does not cross 1.0 for a relative risk or odds ratio indicates a statistically significant result, here showing reduced mortality.
Which type of research bias occurs when cardiac surgery patients with complications are less likely to complete follow-up questionnaires, skewing outcomes data?
Answer: Attrition bias
Attrition bias occurs when participants who drop out differ systematically from those who complete the study, skewing results toward more favorable outcomes.
A cardiac unit implements a quality improvement (QI) project on door-to-balloon time. How does QI differ from research in terms of IRB requirements?
Answer: QI projects aimed at improving local practice typically do not require IRB approval
QI projects designed to improve local institutional practice are generally exempt from IRB review, while research intended to generate generalizable knowledge requires IRB approval.
When searching for evidence on cardiac rehabilitation, a nurse finds a funnel plot that is asymmetrical in a meta-analysis. This MOST likely indicates:
Answer: Publication bias with missing small negative studies
An asymmetrical funnel plot in a meta-analysis suggests publication bias, commonly because small studies with negative results are less likely to be published.
A nurse critically appraises a cohort study on long-term anticoagulation and major bleeding. The study reports a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.8 (95% CI 1.2–2.7). What is the CORRECT interpretation?
Answer: Patients on anticoagulation have an 80% higher rate of major bleeding events
An HR of 1.8 means the rate of major bleeding is 80% higher in the anticoagulation group; since the CI excludes 1.0, this is statistically significant.
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Sources & references
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- nursingworld.org — Exam format, test dates, time limit, score validity, retake policy, test delivery, passing score, score release · verified Oct 2026