Statistical Analysis In Nursing Example Paper

Statistical analysis refers to the activities involved in data collection and interpretation in order to uncover trends and patterns. In fact, it is a data analytics component used in designing research studies and surveys, statistical modeling, and gathering research interpretations. In addition, it can be useful for medical organizations that have to work with large data volumes as it helps them in collecting and scrutinizing data samples. The goal of statistical analysis is to identify trends. A hospital, for example, might use statistical analysis to find patterns in semi-structured and unstructured patient data that can be used to create a more positive experience for patients, and improve safety and care outcomes (Grove & Gray, 2020). This paper discusses the use of statistical analysis in nursing as perceived from a nursing research article.

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What are the goals and purpose of the research study described by the article you selected?

Leigh et al. (2020) presents the results of a research study into the factors related to motivation of emergency nurses to protect themselves against Ebola infection. The authors note that sporadic Ebola infection occurrences is a threat to emergency nurses who provide care to the patients potentially infected with the virus. Given this awareness, the authors sought to understand the motivation of the nurses when providing care to the patients. As such, the primary goal of the study was to investigate the predictors of emergency nurses’ protection motivation.

How are nonparametric tests used in the research study? What are the results of their use?

The non-parametric tests are used in analysis data that is not normal. In fact, it is used when the distributional assumptions of other common procedures are not satisfied (Suresh, 2018). First, the data was subjected to non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis H test, a multiple sample analysis procedure testing for significant differences between the population median. with the results showing that there is a statistically significant difference between the demographic characteristics for the psychological variables in the different sample populations with all the p values being less than 0.05.

Second, post hoc Dunn-Bonferroni test was conducted to make pairwise comparisons for any dependent variable for which the Kruskal-Wallis H test was significant. The post hoc Dunn-Bonferroni test was performed for the statistically significant difference between the genders, showing that the male respondents have a significantly higher self-efficacy while the female respondents have a significantly higher response cost. In addition, participants between 50 and 65 years of age had significantly lower possessive protection motivation, and believed that response cost associated with protecting themselves from infection was relatively lower, when compared to their counterparts between 21 and 49 years of age. Besides that, participants between 50 and 65 years of age perceived themselves as less vulnerable to infection when compared to their counterparts between 21 and 35 years of age.

Third, Spearman rho correlation was performed to measure the strength and direction of the association that exists between two variables measured on an ordinal scale. This test statistic displayed the computed coefficients for each psychological variable when associated with the outcome variables. The results show that proactive protection motivation was highly and positively correlated with perceived severity, outcome expectation, and response efficacy. Furthermore, the test revealed that passive protection motivation was highly and positively correlated with outcome expectation, response cost, and perceived vulnerability. Moreover, the test revealed that knowledge was highly and negatively correlative with passive protection motivation.

Fourth, stepwise multiple linear regression was performed to iteratively examine the statistical significance of each independent variable in the linear regression model. The test was conducted for proactive protection motivation and passive protection motivation to estimate their proportion of variance and predictors. The results revealed that self-efficacy and response efficacy are significant predictors of proactive protection motivation, while knowledge, response cost and perceived vulnerability are significant predictors of passive protection motivation.

Why are parametric methods (t tests and ANOVA) inappropriate for the statistical analysis of the research study’s data?

Parametric methods have more statistical power than non-parametric tests, and are more likely to detect significant effect when one truly exists within the sample. However, parametric methods were inappropriate for the research study data because of three reasons. First, there was ordinal and ranked data that could not be removed. Parametric test cannot handle this data. Second, it had a small sample size as it recruited 388 emergency nurses as participants, and yet a sample size of 436 was estimated to achieve satisfactory statistical power. Third, the study is better represented by the median since the distribution is skewered and the mean is strongly affected by the changes such that the median more closely reflects the center of the data distribution.

Strengths and weaknesses of research study

The study applied a primary research approach that collects quantitative data. This has three strengths. First, it addresses a targeted issue well since primary data is collected in regards to the specific issue at hand. Second, it presents unbiased information as it engages participants to collect less subjective and more objective data (Suresh, 2018). Third, the data collection tool is reliable and facilitates full participation of the participants. This makes it easier to understand their perceptions, opinions, experiences, attitudes and feelings towards the particularly issue (Grove & Gray, 2022). Still, the research study has two weaknesses. First, the data collection tool lacks data as it is standardized thereby making it difficult to collect additional information even when new themes emerge. Second, the methodology is inflexible as the questions cannot be changed once it is delivered to the participants (Gray & Grove, 2020).

How could the findings and recommendations of the research study contribute to evidence-based practice for nursing?

The findings and recommendations of the research study contribute to evidence-based practice for nursing. It identifies the need to improve emergency nurses’ response knowledge, self-efficacy and efficacy while reducing their response cost and perceived vulnerability. These interventions are important for proactively motivating emergency nurses to protect themselves when providing care to patients who may be infected with Ebola virus. Through this practice appropriate, the use of passive protection motivation would be reduced.

References

Gray, J. R., & Grove, S. K. (2020). Burns and Grove’s the Practice of Nursing Research: Appraisal, Synthesis, and Generation of Evidence (9th ed.). Elsevier Inc.

Grove, S. K., & Gray, J. R. (2022). Understanding Nursing Research: Building an Evidence-Based Practice (8th ed.). Elsevier Inc.

Leigh, L., Taylor, C., Glassman, T., Thompson, A., & Sheu, J. J. (2020). A Cross-Sectional Examination of the Factors Related to Emergency Nurses’ Motivation to Protect Themselves Against an Ebola Infection. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 46(6), 814–826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2020.05.002

Suresh, S. (2018). Nursing Research and Statistics (3rd ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences.

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Review the articles presented in this week’s Learning Resources and analyze each study’s use of statistical and nonparametric tests. Select an article to focus on for this Discussion. Ask yourself: Which method is most commonly used in research studies that pertain to my area of nursing practice, and why this might be so? Post a critical analysis of the article that you selected by addressing the following: What are the goals and purpose of the research study described by the article you selected? How are nonparametric tests used in the research study? What are the results of their use? Be specific. Why are parametric methods (t tests and ANOVA) inappropriate for the statistical analysis of the research study’s data? Be specific and provide examples. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research study (e.g., study design, sampling, and measurement)? How could the findings and recommendations of the research study contribute to evidence-based practice for nursing? Selected article is: https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0099176720301495?via%3Dihub Article Leigh, L., taylor, C, Glassman, T., Thompson, A., & Sheu, J.-J (2020). A cross-sectional examination of the fcators related to emergency nurses’ motivation to protect themselves against an Ebola infection. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 46(6), 814-826, doi.10.1016/j.jen.2020.05.002 Statistical Analysis In Nursing Example Paper