Having survived more than 600 years of wars, shifting boundaries, and political upheavals, this university was now facing another challenge—how to unlock insight from its data. "For many years, we've been trying to find the best ways to incorporate the results of our research into our teaching," says the director of nursing. "We are committed to turning our data into lessons that will help our students develop the knowledge and skills they need to excel."

One of the department's key activities is clinical training, where nursing students work side by side with mentors, caring for actual patients in hospitals, clinics, and similar settings. "The opportunity to take what has been learned from books and classroom instruction and put it to use with patients suffering from real illnesses, injuries, and chronic conditions really helps students strengthen their knowledge and gain the confidence they will need on the job."

As part of the university's and the hospital's long-standing commitment to continuous improvement, the Department of Nursing wanted to evaluate data collected through surveys about the clinical training experiences of its students, including evaluations of both students' preparation and mentors' interactions with students. The data would be used as the basis for designing new training programs that were scheduled to be submitted for accreditation in 2015.

One obstacle to performing this analysis was the large volume of survey data that had been collected. The department needed fast, reliable tools that would help the team gain the most value possible from it.

Having used TIBCO Data Science software for a number of years, the department director knew it was the right tool for the job. The team deployed a solution based on TIBCO® Data Science Advanced Analytics software, which supports advanced linear and nonlinear modeling, multivariate exploration, power analysis, and interval estimation. The solution also included TIBCO Data Science Reporting Tables.

An Example of the Value of Data Analysis

Not only does the TIBCO Data Science solution support powerful data analysis that the Department of Nursing can use to improve its training methods, the solution also helps the department put its own principles into practice by showing students what can be achieved through rigorous data analysis.

"One of the main aims of our program is to teach students how to evaluate data critically and think about analytical outputs," says the Director of Nursing. "The TIBCO Data Science solution makes it much easier for us to show our students the possibilities and the ultimate value of data analysis done right."

Customized Training Programs

"The aim of our investigation was to get a sufficient amount of valid data for designing programs aimed at specific groups of trainees," says the director of nursing. "We wanted to provide the most efficient and customized training experiences possible, in order to help them maximize their ability to bring new knowledge and skills with them into their professional practices."

Fast, Reliable Data Processing

In addition to the clinical program survey project, the Department of Nursing also uses TIBCO Data Science software to analyze data from long-term research studies and to incorporate evaluations of external training programs.

Given the mandate placed on the Department, there is no time to waste on data analysis processes that are time-consuming or difficult for users. "Our priority is simple—fast, reliable, professional processing of our data—and that's what we get from TIBCO Data Science software," says the director of nursing.

Accurate Results from Big Data

With the TIBCO Data Science solution, the Department of Nursing can analyze large data volumes from surveys and generalize the results reliably. "Working with TIBCO Data Science software makes things much easier for us," says the director of nursing. "The TIBCO Data Science solution saves time, eliminates errors, and most important, provides more specific and accurate results."

"With the TIBCO Data Science solution's clear graphical representations, accurate scaling, and simple integration of the output with familiar Microsoft Office tools, there is nothing to keep us from understanding the stories our data is telling."