Final answer:
The role of an intelligent consumer of nursing research is exemplified by (c) evaluating the credibility of the research findings, ensuring that any applied evidence in nursing practice is sound and reliable.
Step-by-step explanation:
The action that demonstrates the role of an intelligent consumer of nursing research is evaluating the credibility of the research findings. As an intelligent consumer of research, individuals must critically assess research to determine its validity, reliability, and applicability to their practice. This involves analyzing the strength of the evidence, understanding the research methods used (controlled experiments, observational studies, etc.), and the appropriateness of the data analysis techniques. By evaluating the credibility of findings, nursing professionals can ensure that they apply sound evidence to their practice, thus improving patient outcomes.
Key elements in this process might include understanding the development of a hypothesis, and how researchers collect and organize data as well as their methods for testing hypotheses and drawing conclusions. One method of data collection is naturalistic observation, which can provide honest data from real-world settings, although it's not always suitable for determining cause and effect relationships.