Excellence Series: Data Presentation

Course overview

Data analysis is a process of capturing data, synthesizing its parts, and interpreting the meaning. It must also be presented in a way that is quick and easy for the target audience to understand and facilitates timely and effective decision-making about how best to respond. Interpreting and using data are essential components of evidence-based nursing practice, which has been linked to improved patient outcomes and quality of care. However, many nurses do not use evidence-based practice (EBP) or participate in nursing research efforts. Understanding data collection and presentation methods are an important first step to greater nurse participation in EBP and quality improvement (QI) initiatives. The goal of this course is to provide nursing professionals with knowledge of strategies for presenting data to show trends in quality over time.