Evidence-based program requirements: evaluation of statistics as a required course.

Abstract

A retrospective student record review was conducted to determine how achievement in a prerequisite statistics course related to achievement in nursing research courses and the overall program for undergraduate and graduate nursing students. For undergraduate students (n=218 generic, n=111 RN/BS), the statistics grade was associated with 4.3 percent of the variance in research course grades and 6.8 percent of the variance in graduating grade point average (GPA), controlling for entering GPA. For students in accelerated second-degree programs (n=33), there were minimal differences in mean research course grades and graduating GPA between students with and without prior statistics courses. For master's degree students (n=160), higher statistics grades were not associated with graduate research course grades. At best, the amount of prediction associated with statistics course grades was found to be small and not educationally meaningful. The value of statistics as a program requirement for undergraduate or graduate nursing students cannot be supported by these analyses.