Is Biostatistics that hard?

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

Hi all,

I have 7 more classes to complete my RN-BSN... everyone has warned me that Biostatistics is torture and that is one of them.

Does anyone have an opinion on this class, is it as hard as everyone says?

HPRN

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

It depends on whether the biostatistics course is theoretical or not. It also depends on the student's math skill set.

A real biostatistics course usually contains some elements of calculus, and this is what causes problems for many students. Think about it. If a significant number of students in today's society struggle with basic algebraic problems, they're also going to struggle with the calculations in biostatistics.

On the other hand, if the biostatistics course is taught by a professor who focuses mainly on concepts, theories and ideas (e.g. relative risk, principles of epidemiology, percentage of patients who lose 100+ pounds after gastric bypass, etc), it's not too bad. In addition, if students are allowed to use computer software or scientific calculators to perform the calculations, the biostatistics course will not be that difficult.

Good luck!