Statistical Analysis for Nurse Anesthesiology: What's the Word with All These Numbers?

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing established educational requirements that every Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist must complete. Whether you are an aspiring nurse anesthesiologist or an experienced practitioner, there are vital concepts to understand evidence-based practice. This educational article provides an overview of key statistical concepts for analyzing healthcare research. It is not imperative that every healthcare provider know how to perform each statistical test they encounter, but it is essential to know why this analysis was chosen, how it answers the research question, what the results infer, and how strong the evidence is to support these claims. A working knowledge of statistical analysis will give nurse anesthesiologists the tools to spot irregularities, skewed data, or inadequate evidence to support generalization to a larger population.