The nurse researcher is using the percentage of nurses holding various nursing degrees as a variable in a research study. Which type of statistics is most appropriate in this case?
A) Inferential statistics
B) Descriptive statistics
C) Nonparametric statistics
D) Mathematical statistics

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics is the most appropriate type of statistics in this case because the researcher is interested in summarizing and describing the distribution of the variable of interest (i.e., percentage of nurses holding various nursing degrees) within the sample. Descriptive statistics can be used to calculate measures of central tendency (such as mean, median, and mode) and measures of variability (such as range, variance, and standard deviation), which provide a summary of the distribution of the variable.
In contrast, inferential statistics is used to make inferences about a population based on sample data, which is not the focus of this study. Nonparametric statistics and mathematical statistics are types of statistical analyses that are typically used in more specialized contexts, such as when the assumptions of parametric statistics are not met or when dealing with complex mathematical models, respectively. Therefore, descriptive statistics is the most appropriate choice for this research study.

The Nurse Researcher Is Using the Percentage of Nurses Holding