Nursing Professional Development Certification (NPD-BC) Practice Exam

When sharing data, a standard deviation should always be reported along with the?

1. mean

2. median

3. range

4. percentile

The correct answer is: mean

Reporting standard deviation alongside the mean is essential because it provides context for the distribution of data around the mean. The mean is a measure of central tendency that represents the average of a dataset; however, it does not reflect how spread out the data points are. Standard deviation quantifies the amount of variation or dispersion in the dataset. When both the mean and standard deviation are presented together, it allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the data. This combination is particularly important in fields like nursing and healthcare, where understanding variations in clinical measures is crucial for decision-making. In contrast, while median, range, and percentile are valuable statistical measures, they do not serve the same purpose when conveying the variability of data relative to the mean. The median indicates the midpoint of a dataset, which may not reflect the distribution's spread. The range provides only the difference between the maximum and minimum values and does not capture the overall variability or distribution shape. Percentiles show the relative standing of a specific value within a dataset, but like the median, they do not directly convey how much data varies from the mean. Thus, standard deviation should specifically accompany the mean for a clear and accurate interpretation of statistical data.