Question

Which statements are examples of hypotheses? (Select all that apply.)

a. Hospitals staffed with primarily bachelor-prepared nurses will have lower mortality rates than hospitals staffed with primarily associates-prepared nurses.
b. More than 80% of the patients with catheter-associated urinary tract infections did not have any signs or symptoms of infection.
c. Patients who receive ondansetron preoperatively will experience lower rates of nausea and vomiting than patients who do are not premedicated.
d. The greatest risk factor for developing ventilator-associated pneumonia was the length of time that the patient was intubated.
e. Ultraviolet light disinfection of equipment is a nontoxic, effective method for prevention of Clostridium difficile infection.

Answer 1

a

c

d

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

Examples a, c, and e are all hypotheses because they predict outcomes that can be tested scientifically. The other statements are observations or conclusions from existing data.

Step-by-step explanation:

Examples of hypotheses include statements that predict an outcome or explain a relationship between variables in an investigable manner. Applying this to your question:

• a. Hospitals staffed with primarily bachelor-prepared nurses will have lower mortality rates than hospitals staffed with primarily associates-prepared nurses.
• c. Patients who receive ondansetron preoperatively will experience lower rates of nausea and vomiting than patients who do are not premedicated.
• e. Ultraviolet light disinfection of equipment is a nontoxic, effective method for prevention of Clostridium difficile infection.

These statements are predictive and can be tested through scientific methods, making them good examples of hypotheses. The other statements provided are more observational or conclusions based on data that have been already observed, rather than predictions that can be tested.