Numerical ability
Even though basic numerical skills are recognized as a key
competency for nursing (Nursing and Midwifery Council
2002a), we found that both nursing students’ and Registered
Nurses’ numerical ability was poor, with on average 55% of
nursing students and 45% of Registered Nurses failing a basic
numerical ability test (used as an entrance test for nursing in
Australia) at a pass mark of 60%. This is particularly