In November 2004, the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Directorate of NHS Education for Scotland (NES) published a national consultation document and sponsored a conference on the topic of ‘Numeracy in Healthcare’. This work identified concerns amongst educational staff, students, clinical staff and the public relating to standards of numerical competence and the health workforce. Further, it acknowledged the wider context within which this debate was taking place and explored the terms within which we might understand and assess such competence, the opportunities for supportive intervention and the evidence base for such action. Finally, the conference brought to Scotland a number of leading experts in this field and it was from this group that the NES-sponsored research team was created.
This website reports on one of the key educational initiatives undertaken by NES based upon reccomendations from the consultation. There had been considerable national interest regarding the development of a standardised numeracy assessment tool for nursing staff 'at point of registration’ to their profession. This presented an opportunity for NHS Scotland to pilot work which would have national and international implications and was viewed as an essential element in the overall strategy. A more detailed overview of the full range of educational initiatives undertaken can be found here.
The project team, co-ordinated by Mike Sabin, Programme Director at NES, established partnership arrangements with Higher Education Institutions and NHS Boards across Scotland to provide feedback on the content and structure of the online tool and to pilot its use with students.
We invite you to explore the outcomes of this research and development activity.