Final Exam - 4 Flashcards
A nurse investigator administers an instrument to subjects attending a chemical dependence meeting and to subjects who abstain from alcohol and drugs. Which type of validity is this investigator attempting to establish?
Contrasted groups
A scale used in a hemodialysis unit consistently weighs chronic renal failure patients 1 lb more than their actual body weight. Which measurement problem does this illustrate?
Systematic error
Which type of validity is demonstrated by examining the extent to which a passing grade in physiology is correlated with passing the registered nurse licensure examination?
Predictive validity
During a research project, the researcher observes the subject and notes that he completes each assigned task with a much higher level of performance than he normally exhibits. How should a nurse researcher most accurately describe the change in a subject’s behavior during observation as a result of being observed?
Reactivity
What should be the nurse researcher’s primary concern in the data-collection phase of research?
Consistency in data collection
Which data measurement scales typically use nonparametric tests of significance?
Nominal
Ordinal
In a study of nurses’ willingness to care for patients with a contagious disease, it was found that the greater the nurses’ spirituality, the greater the willingness to provide care. Which type of correlation does this finding represent?
Positive correlation
Why should nurse researchers critiquing research reports be concerned with the assessment of the validity and reliability of study instruments?
To determine whether the concepts and variables were measured adequately
The researcher is completing a study on an educational module on weight loss and its affect on blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. The data collection involves monitoring the particpants’ body weight using a scale every 4 weeks for 3 months. What level of measurement is body weight?
Ratio
What conclusion can be drawn from statistics that indicate the mean nursing salary in a specific city is $55,000, the range is $38,000 to $78,000, the median salary is $58,000, and the mode is $56,000?
Average nursing salary in this $55,000
The nurse researcher decides to use a physiologic measurement in a research study. Which of the following is an example of a physiologic measurement?
Ranges of values on two consecutive ABG analyses
Which section of the report allows a nurse researcher to review the descriptive and inferential
statistics for each hypothesis or research question?
Results
Two data collectors scored 54 of 56 pressure ulcers identically using the Braden Scale for pressure ulcer assessment. What can be determined from this finding?
Interrater reliability between the two data collectors was high
The nurse researcher is using the percentage of nurses holding various nursing degrees as a variable in a research study. What type of statistics would be most appropriate in this case?
Descriptive statistics
What should be the nurse researcher’s primary consideration when deciding on a method of data collection for a specific research study?
The nature of the research question and the specific population to be studied
How should researchers and reviewers accept statistical significance?
With the cautious regard for how results might apply to practice.
In a study of women’s adjustment to breast cancer, the youngest participant was 23 years old and the oldest participant was 89 years old. How should the nurse researcher interpret this data?
This is the range in age
Which section of the report will allow the nurse researcher to answer the question “What contribution to nursing does this study make?”
Recommendations
A researcher makes generalizations beyond the population being studied. What adjective best describes this generalization?
Inappropriate
In a study where the level of significance was set at 0.01 what type of error is most likely to occur?
Type II error
What is the nurse researcher’s primary concern in data collection for research?
Consistency in data collection
During a research project, the researcher notes that the subject completes each assigned task with a much higher level of performance than he normally exhibits. How should a nurse researcher most accurately describe this change in the subject’s behavior?
Reactivity
An ear temperature probe that consistently reports body temperature at a degree lower than the patient’s actual temperature has what type of reliability or validity problem?
Reduced reliability, systematic error
When the nurse researcher demonstrates that an instrument is highly reliable, which type of error is reduced?
Systematic error
What type of validity is demonstrated by examining the extent to which a passing grade in a nursing course is correlated with passing the registered nurse licensure examination?
Predictive validity
A nurse researcher describes an instrument that is administered repeatedly and obtains the same results as having what?
Reliability
The results section of a research report includes what?
Data
Which section of the report allows a nurse researcher to review reduction of data in the form of tables and figures?
Results
Which section of the report allows the nurse researcher to address limitations or weaknesses of the study?
Discussion
In regard to evidence based practice how should researchers and reviewers accept statistical significance?
With the cautious regard for how results might apply to practice
