Nursing research plays a critical role in addressing various clinical and patient care issues. Therefore, depending on the problem or practice gap, researchers employ various research methods to help them answer such questions. Analysis of the research obtained is concluded by commenting on whether the evidence obtained is statistically significant, clinically significant, or both. Clinical and statistical significance are both used in nursing research; however, the two are different. Statistical significance implies that the result, relationship, or difference observed between the variables was not solely caused by chance or a normal variation (Sharma, 2021). The implication is that statistical significance shows the likelihood or extent that the finding from the research is true and is not by chance. Therefore, when the p-value is less than 0.05, then the evidence is statistically significant and did not happen by chance. Clinical significance is a subjective interpretation of the evidence as meaningful to a patient or a group of patients, hence prone to the bias of the investigator. Clinically significant evidence, therefore, occur when investigators believe that the findings are medically important, hence can be applied to help guide how care is offered to patients (de Oliveira Faria et al.,2021). Statistical significance can be used to advance evidence-based projects in that the obtained p-value can be used to inform the researchers on what to do with the findings. For example, if the evidence shows that the p value is less than 0.05, then such findings can be used as a source of evidence-based practice since they did not happen by chance but are a result of the implemented intervention (Griffiths & Needleman, 2019). Clinical significant evidence can also be used as appropriate to guide the care offered to patients and support EBP.

References

de Oliveira Faria, S., Lima, G. A. S., Carvalho, A. L., Marta, G. N., Howell, D., & Eluf-Neto, J. (2022). Clinically significant changes in health-related quality of life in head and neck cancer patients following intensive nutritional care during radiotherapy. European Journal of Oncology Nursing56, 102065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2021.102065 Griffiths, P., & Needleman, J. (2019). Statistical significance testing and p-values: Defending the indefensible? A discussion paper and position statement. International Journal of Nursing Studies99, 103384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.07.001 Sharma, H. (2021). Statistical significance or clinical significance? A researcher’s dilemma for appropriate interpretation of research results. Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia15(4), 431. https://doi.org/10.4103%2Fsja.sja_158_21