Teaching Quantitative Research Design and Statistical Literacy in Collaborative Doctoral Nursing Education

With a proliferation of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs, there is a growing need to support statistical literacy of DNP and Ph.D.-prepared nurses and the collaboration between them. Nurses with advanced degrees (DNPs and Ph.D.s) are increasingly required to deeply engage in evaluating and applying quantitative research with some, namely Ph.D.s, developing quantitative research. These activities require statistical literacy. However, recent literature has identified low statistical literacy among nurses with advanced degrees. To address these needs, we developed a collaborative advanced quantitative research design and statistics course for DNP and Ph.D. students guided by adult learning theory and the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education. In this course, intraprofessional collaboration between DNP and Ph.D. students is facilitated through partnered projects. Statistical literacy is emphasized through critical evaluation of statistical literature and manuscript-style written assignments. The collaborative quantitative methods course is delivered in a hybrid format with an in-person week of class and 16 online modules. The course consists of three overlapping threads with emphasis on (a) reading and evaluation of statistical literature, (b) conducting and communicating statistical analysis, and (c) design of a quantitative research study. Forty seven students have completed the newly designed course over three cohorts. Students and faculty have reported increased confidence with statistical writing and thoughtful engagement across programs following the introduction of the collaborative quantitative methods course.