Power Analysis in Nursing: Significance, Application, and Impact

This report delves into the critical role of power analysis in nursing research, emphasizing its impact on statistical significance and patient outcomes. The analysis explores the use of power analysis to determine the validity of research, highlighting the importance of proper sample size determination and the implications of both a priori and post hoc analyses. The report discusses how power analysis helps in ensuring that nursing research produces reliable and statistically significant results, which in turn, contributes to improved patient care services and overall patient well-being. Furthermore, the report explains how power analysis can save time and resources by preventing the exposure of research subjects to harmful interventions. It also covers the impact of the power analysis on nursing practice and patient satisfaction. The report concludes by emphasizing the integral role of power analysis in all nursing research practices.

Running head: NURSING
Power analysis in nursing practice
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1NURSING
Statistical power analysis refers to a set of formulas and procedures, which help in the
determination of likelihood of achieving statistical significance while using a particular sample
size in nursing research (Spurlock, 2017).
Power analysis is conducted either before data collection (a priori) or after data
collection (post hoc). Statistical significance obtained through power analysis helps in
determining whether a particular intervention should be continued. Insufficient power fails to
achieve such determination (Robert, Tilley & Petersen, 2014). The importance of power analysis
lies in the fact that they can help nursing researchers to evaluate whether the proposed study has
a better chance of producing statistically significant results if the difference being investigated in
the study exists in a population truly (Gaskin & Happell, 2014). If the analysis reveals low
significance of the study, the results fail to support the hypothesis that is proposed by the
researchers, thereby making the study invalid.
Statistically insignificant results make the study unreliable and their publication gets
halted. This affects advanced nursing practice. A retrospective power analysis is also useful to
satisfy curiosity of nursing researchers who fail to achieve significant results after completion of
a study (Gilbert & Prion, 2016). Analyses, which reveal significant outcomes, help in improving
the delivery of patient care services and leads to overall improvement in health and wellbeing of
the patients.
Thus, it improves patient satisfaction. The analysis also helps to conserve time and
money and also prevent exposing research subjects to harmful agents used in interventions.
Computation of power and sample size is therefore integral to nursing research practices.

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References
Gaskin, C. J., & Happell, B. (2014). Power, effects, confidence, and significance: An
investigation of statistical practices in nursing research. International journal of nursing
studies, 51(5), 795-806.
Gilbert, G. E., & Prion, S. (2016). Making sense of methods and measurement: The danger of the
retrospective power analysis. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 12(8), 303-304.
Robert, R. R., Tilley, D. S., & Petersen, S. (2014). A power in clinical nursing practice: concept
analysis on nursing intuition. Medsurg Nursing, 23(5), 343-350.
Spurlock, D. (2017). The Purpose and Power of Reporting Effect Sizes in Nursing Education
Research. Journal of Nursing Education, 56(11), 645-647.