Project: Create and interpret a line graph
Project Description: A line graph, sometimes called a run chart, is used to show changes in performance measurement data over several time periods. It can also be used for displaying several groups of continuous measurement data simultaneously. In this project you'll calculate performance measures, create a line graph of the measurement data and interpret the results.
Instructions
1. Presume you are the quality director in a hospital. You've been asked to conduct a study for the nursingdepartment. The purpose of the study is to determine how quickly nurses respond to patient's call lights (a device used by patients to communicate to nurses that assistance is needed). You gather from the hospital's automated Responder 5 system, which has the ability to record all call data, including call-light usage and response times in seconds. The mean responses time (in seconds) for each shift of the first 15 days of one month are shown below:
Daily mean responses times (reported in seconds):
|
Shift
|
Day
1
|
Day
2
|
Day
3
|
Day
4
|
Day
5
|
Day
6
|
Day
7
|
Day
8
|
Day
9
|
Day
10
|
Day
11
|
Day
12
|
Day
13
|
Day
14
|
Day
15
|
|
Days
|
216
|
169
|
141
|
156
|
159
|
166
|
173
|
173
|
189
|
227
|
126
|
129
|
132
|
142
|
156
|
|
Evenings
|
122
|
121
|
178
|
183
|
138
|
115
|
144
|
119
|
153
|
149
|
155
|
124
|
147
|
168
|
132
|
|
Nights
|
85
|
96
|
86
|
103
|
101
|
119
|
92
|
99
|
89
|
112
|
92
|
82
|
102
|
101
|
113
|
2. Using Excel create a line graph that shows the mean response time for each shift of the 15 days. Be sure to label the X and Y Axes in your graph and give it a title.
3. Create a formal report of the study results for the director of nursing. Include the following information in the report:
• Purpose of study.
• How data were gathered (including sample size)
• Study results:
- The line graph you created in step #2 (insert the graph into your report)
- A short narrative of the findings, including any significant performance patterns or trends that you may have identified by analyzing the data.