This book is dedicated to my RN to BSN students, who remind me every day how much effort, persistence,
and determination it takes to return to school while balancing work, family, and professional responsibilities.
Your feedback and willingness to challenge yourselves, despite the many obligations and responsibilities you
have in your lives, inspires me. I have watched so many of you arrive in class tired, very unsure, anxious, and
stressed about taking statistics, and yet you persevere. You put your best foot forward, tentatively realizing
that, though it isn’t easy, you have the capacity to master this content and reach your goals. Sometimes you
stumble, but you get back up and try again and because of that, I have watched you accomplish so much in all
avenues of your lives. It makes me so proud to watch you figure out difficult content, develop understanding
of how this really will have an impact on your patient care, and grow as nurses and individuals. Nothing makes
me happier than to be part of your success, to watch you walk across the stage at graduation, ready for the next
challenge in your educational and professional path. I watch your families, so proud of all that you are and all
that you do. I watch your children realize they too can dream big and succeed because they have watched you
do just that. It is a joy and privilege to work with each of you, and just like you, I keep trying to grow and
improve. So here is my third try at this book, and I hope you find that listening to my students has helped
make this edition even better—because you are the reason it exists in the first place.