Clinical Nurse Leader Exam Evidence-Based Practice & Research 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which phase of the evidence-based practice process involves evaluating whether the implemented change actually improved patient outcomes?
- Evaluation (Correct answer)
- Assessment
- Implementation
- Synthesis
Correct answer: Evaluation
The evaluation phase measures whether the practice change achieved the desired patient outcomes and identifies areas for further improvement.
Question 2: A CNL finds conflicting evidence about an intervention. What is the BEST course of action?
- Weigh the quality and quantity of evidence on each side and incorporate clinical expertise and patient values (Correct answer)
- Reject the intervention entirely due to conflicting evidence
- Wait for more research before taking any action
- Choose the evidence that supports the current practice
Correct answer: Weigh the quality and quantity of evidence on each side and incorporate clinical expertise and patient values
EBP integrates the best available evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values — when evidence conflicts, judgment must weigh all three components.
Question 3: Which statistic from a systematic review indicates the pooled effect size of an intervention across multiple studies?
- Meta-analysis odds ratio or effect size (Correct answer)
- P-value from a single RCT
- Confidence interval from one study
- Number needed to treat (NNT) from a case series
Correct answer: Meta-analysis odds ratio or effect size
Meta-analysis calculates a pooled effect size (often an odds ratio or standardized mean difference) that synthesizes findings across multiple studies.
Question 4: A CNL calculates that 20 patients must receive a new intervention for one patient to benefit. What does this represent?
- Number needed to treat (NNT) (Correct answer)
- Relative risk reduction
- Absolute risk reduction
- Odds ratio
Correct answer: Number needed to treat (NNT)
Number needed to treat (NNT) indicates how many patients must receive an intervention for one additional patient to benefit, translating statistical findings into clinical meaning.
Question 5: Which term describes the degree to which study findings can be applied to other patient populations or clinical settings?
- External validity (generalizability) (Correct answer)
- Internal validity
- Reliability
- Statistical significance
Correct answer: External validity (generalizability)
External validity refers to how well study results can be generalized beyond the specific study population and setting to real-world clinical practice.
Question 6: A CNL is reviewing an RCT with a p-value of 0.03. What does this indicate?
- There is a 3% probability that the observed results are due to chance alone (Correct answer)
- The intervention is clinically significant for all patients
- The study has a 97% response rate
- The sample size was adequate at 3% margin of error
Correct answer: There is a 3% probability that the observed results are due to chance alone
A p-value of 0.03 means there is a 3% probability the results occurred by chance, indicating statistical significance at the conventional p < 0.05 threshold.
Clinical Nurse Leader Exam Evidence-Based Practice & Research 2
Which phase of the evidence-based practice process involves evaluating whether the implemented change actually improved patient outcomes?