Health or nursing informatics

1. Statistical Packages and
Their Importance in
Nursing
Statistical software is a specialized
computer program for statistical analysis.
These software manipulate the
information to discover underlying
patterns to help make the user more
observed decisions, uncover
opportunities, increase revenue and
eventually profits.
by Achsah Crystal Graceline

2. IMPORTANCE OF STATISTICS FOR NURSES
Career Growth
Advanced career positions, such
as nursing professor or nurse
manager requires knowledge of
statistics.
Study Design
Statistical knowledge is
important for nursing and
healthcare research. It is used to
design studies to measure
specific variables.

3. IMPORTANCE OF STATISTICS FOR NURSES
Result Interpretation
Statistical knowledge is used to
interpret medical research findings,
use appropriate statistical method to
report the findings as well as
understand their statistical
significance.
Patient Care Improvement
Statistical knowledge can help nurses
recognize and understand trends in
healthcare data, that helps them with
improvement in healthcare and result
in cost savings Statistics can be used to
identify specific patterns in signs and
symptoms that can help them in
responding better to any medical
change in the patient.

4. Microsoft Excel for
Statistical Analysis
Microsoft Excel is the industry
leading spreadsheet program, used
by millions of people all over the
world.
Excel and other spreadsheet tools
are great for data manipulation,
analysis, and visualization – you can
sort, filter, format, and chart your
data all within one program.

5. SPSS and Minitab: Powerful Statistical Tools
SPSS
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was first released in
1968.
It was acquired by IBM in 2009 and all versions released after 2015
have the name as ‘IBM SPSS Statistics! SPSS is a powerful tool.
For data analysis and helps creating reports of data in form of
graphical presentations that can be used for publishing and reporting.
It is commonly used in healthcare industry to support medical
research, improve disease management, and monitor patient care.

6. SPSS and Minitab: Powerful Statistical Tools
Minitab
Minitab was developed in 1972 and offers a range of both basic and
fairly advanced statistical tools for data analysis.
Minitab helps organizations in healthcare to maximize the quality of
care, maximize cost savings and ensure safety using data analysis and
smart process management.

7. SAS and STATA: Advanced Statistical Platforms
SAS
 Statistical Analysis System (SAS) was developed in 1966, for data
management, advanced analytics, business intelligence and predictive
analysis.
It is a statistical analysis platform that offers options to use GUI and
more through SAS Language. SAS is used widely in clinical trials.
STATA
STATA is a statistical package released in 1985 and is more popular in
the field of economics and political science.
It also has GUI and command line function.

8. Free and Open-Source
Statistical Software
LibreOffice Calc
LibreOffice Suite is free and open-
source office productivity software
and was first released in 2011.
It is similar to Microsoft Office suite
and contains programs for word
processing, creating spreadsheets,
diagrams, presentations, etc.
LibreOfficeCalc is the free
spreadsheet program.

9. Free and Open-Source
Statistical Software
PSPP
It is another program for statistical
analysis of sampled data and was
launched in late 1990s.
It is similar to SPSS.
It is a stable and reliable
application. PSPP can be used with its
GUI or more traditional syntax
commands

10. Free and Open-Source
Statistical Software
R
R is a popular programming
language and a widely used free
statistical software package for
statistical modelling and analysis.
It requires a certain degree of
coding.
R first came out in 1993.

11. Epi Info: Specialized
Epidemiology Software
.Epi Info is a statistical software for
epidemiology developed by CDC (Centre
for Disease Control and Prevention).
Epi Info allows survey creation, data
entry and analysis with epidemiologic
statistics, maps and graphs for public
health professionals.
It is used for outbreak investigations
and for developing small to mid-sized
disease surveillance systems.

12. Summary of Statistical
Packages
Commercial Software
Excel, SPSS, Minitab, SAS, and
STATA offer powerful features
for various industries
including healthcare.
Open-Source Options
LibreOffice Calc, PSPP, and R
provide free alternatives with
strong capabilities for
statistical analysis.
Specialized Tools
Epi Info focuses on epidemiology, supporting public health data
management and outbreak investigations.

13. Key Takeaways and Next
Steps
Understand Importance
Statistics empower nurses in research, patient care, and
career advancement.
Choose Software Wisely
Select tools based on needs, from user-friendly Excel to
advanced SAS or coding-based R.
Apply Knowledge
Use statistical insights to improve healthcare outcomes
and operational efficiency.