You are the DNP-prepared nurse responsible for overseeing staffing for the telehealth services provided at your practice. To determine the number of nurses that you might need for these services, you must determine how many patients might be interested in using the telehealth services versus the traditional clinical practice setting. For a week, you ask each patient visiting the practice his or her interest in setting up a visit via telehealth services. At the conclusion of the week, you use this data and reasoning to develop a statistic of the population interested in telehealth services. You have successfully used inferential statistics to help guide your decision-making for your practice.
The scenario outlined provides a random sampling and assumptions to develop a conclusion. With assumptions, and in this case, a small random sampling, this scenario is ripe with the possibility of error. However, how might inferential statistics be used in a valid and credible way?
The design of a study determines the validity of the results, and if done following appropriate techniques, inferential statistics can determine clear differences and help researchers to form conclusions. In your Discussion, you will focus on two forms of identifying differences in groups: t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA).
For this Discussion, review the Learning Resources and reflect on a healthcare issue of interest to find a research article in which to analyze the use of inferential statistical analysis. Reflect on how the study was comprised, the validity of the findings, and whether or not it increased the study’s application to EBP
To Prepare:
Consider some of the important issues in healthcare delivery or nursing practice today. Bring to mind the topics to which you have been exposed through previous courses in your program of study, as well as any news items that have caught your attention recently. Select one topic to focus on for this Discussion.
Review journal, newspaper, and/or internet articles that may provide credible information on your selected topic. Then, select one research article to focus on for this Discussion that used inferential statistical analysis (either a -test or ANOVA) to study the topic.
With information from the Learning Resources in mind, evaluate the purpose and value of the research study discussed in your selected article and consider the following questions:
Who comprised the sample in this study?
What were the sources of data?
What inferential statistic was used to analyze the data collected (-test or ANOVA)?
What were the findings?
Ask yourself: How did using an inferential statistic bring value to the research study? Did it increase the study’s application to evidence-based practice?
Post a brief description of the topic that you selected for this Discussion. Summarize the study discussed in your selected research article and provide a complete APA citation. Be sure to include a summary of the sample studied, data sources, inferential statistic(s) used, and associated findings. Then, evaluate the purpose and value of this particular research study to the topic. Did using inferential statistics strengthen or weaken the study’s application to evidence-based practice? Why or why not? Be specific and provide examples.