TEAS The Scientific Method Practice Questions

5 free The Scientific Method practice questions

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1. Question 1
   A nursing student proposes: “If hospitalized patients are turned every 2 hours, then the incidence of pressure injuries will be lower after 7 days compared with patients turned every 4 hours.” Which element would best make this statement scientifically testable?

   Define how pressure injuries will be measured using a standardized staging tool and specify the comparison groupsState that the relationship is always true under all conditions, without exceptionsRewrite the statement as a broad explanation of why pressure injuries occur in all patientsSupport the claim by citing an expert nurse’s opinion instead of collecting data

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2. Question 2
   A student reads: “Within a sealed syringe at constant temperature, increasing the pressure of a gas decreases its volume in a predictable way.” Which term best describes this statement?

   Scientific lawHypothesisObservationTheory

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3. Question 3
   A nursing student says, “The idea that hand hygiene reduces healthcare-associated infections is just a guess because it can’t be proven.” Which response best corrects the student’s misunderstanding about hypothesis vs. theory vs. law?

   A scientific law explains why hand hygiene works by describing the underlying mechanism in detail.A theory is not testable; only hypotheses can be tested in healthcare research.A scientific theory is a well-supported explanation that can be tested and refined; it is not “just a guess.”A hypothesis becomes a law once it is supported by repeated observations.

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4. Question 4
   A student nurse reads: “When a patient has a fever, giving acetaminophen often lowers the temperature.” Which additional statement would be MOST appropriate to include to make this a testable hypothesis rather than a broad explanation?

   “If adult patients with an oral temperature of 38.5–39.5°C receive 650 mg acetaminophen PO, then their oral temperature will decrease by at least 0.5°C within 60 minutes compared with similar patients who do not receive acetaminophen.”“Fever reduction after acetaminophen is a scientific theory because it has been observed many times.”“Acetaminophen lowers fever because it resets the body’s thermostat, which explains why it works in most situations.”“Acetaminophen always reduces fever in all patients, so it should be considered a scientific law.”

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5. Question 5
   A nursing student wants to study whether a new chlorhexidine bathing protocol reduces central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) on one unit. Which statement is the best testable hypothesis for this study?

   If patients with central lines receive daily chlorhexidine bathing, then the unit’s CLABSI rate over the next 3 months will be lower than the rate on a comparable unit using standard soap-and-water bathing.Chlorhexidine bathing is a proven scientific law that always prevents CLABSIs in hospitalized patients.Chlorhexidine bathing reduces CLABSIs because it destroys all microbes on the skin permanently.Chlorhexidine bathing is the best practice because it is supported by many studies and should be used everywhere.

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