Research & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real NP 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 cohort study follows 500 smokers and 500 non-smokers for 10 years to assess lung cancer incidence. What is the primary advantage of this design over a case-control study?
Answer: It allows direct calculation of incidence rates and relative risk
Prospective cohort studies allow direct measurement of incidence rates and calculation of relative risk because exposure precedes outcome.
An NP identifies an I² value of 75% in a meta-analysis. What does this suggest?
Answer: High heterogeneity exists among the included studies
I² quantifies the proportion of variability due to heterogeneity rather than chance; values above 50–75% indicate substantial to considerable heterogeneity.
According to the Belmont Report, the principle of beneficence in research requires that investigators:
Answer: Maximize benefits and minimize harms to research participants
The Belmont principle of beneficence obligates researchers to maximize potential benefits while minimizing potential harms to participants.
A patient asks an NP about a new medication with an absolute risk reduction of 2% and a relative risk reduction of 40%. Which statistic is most clinically meaningful to share?
Answer: Number needed to treat, calculated from the absolute risk reduction
NNT (1/ARR = 50) is the most clinically actionable statistic, translating absolute risk reduction into a concrete patient-level benefit measure.
Which research design uses an iterative cycle of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting to improve clinical practice within a specific setting?
Answer: Action research
Action research is a participatory, cyclical approach designed to solve practical problems and improve practice within a specific real-world context.
An NP evaluates a screening test with sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 85%. In a population with low disease prevalence, which outcome is most likely?
Answer: A high rate of false positives reducing positive predictive value
In low-prevalence populations, even highly specific tests generate more false positives than true positives, substantially lowering PPV.
Which IRB category applies to research involving anonymous surveys about benign topics such as dietary habits in healthy adults?
Answer: Exempt review
Anonymous surveys on benign topics with minimal risk typically qualify for exempt status under federal regulations (45 CFR 46.104).