A study is collecting data through use of a questionnaire that asks staff nurses about what they see as essential characteristics and abilities of a nurse manager. The nurses were asked to complete the questionnaires at the beginning or at the end of the shift and place them in a box located in the nursing unit. What is the most likely source of error in this data collection procedure?

Question

1. Instrument inadequacies
2. Transitory personal characteristics
3. Environmental variations during the data-collection process
4. Instrument administration bias

Answer 1

2
Rationale 1: There is not enough information to establish the adequacy of the instrument.
Rationale 2: Having nurses fill out the questionnaires both before and after the shift could influence responses—nurses at the end of their shifts could be more fatigued. Events that occurred during their shifts also influence their answers.
Rationale 3: All of the nurses completed the questionnaire while on the nursing unit and in the same environment. Although some changes may have occurred between the beginning and end of the shift, this is not as likely as the transitory personal changes in the nurses.
Rationale 4: All of the subjects are given the same questionnaire and the same instructions. This is less likely to result in error than the nurses completing the questionnaires both before and after their shifts.
Global Rationale: