Numeracy and nurse prescribing: do the standards achieve their aim?

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Pharmacology
• Healthcare Professional Standards

Background:

• The implementation of new proficiency standards for Nurse and Midwife prescribers.
• Challenges faced by education providers and students in meeting these standards.
• The significant hurdle of a 100% pass mark for numeracy assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the challenges associated with current numeracy assessment standards for Nurse and Midwife prescribers.
• To examine the impact of varying assessment methodologies across higher education institutions.
• To contribute to the ongoing discussion regarding drug calculation competency in the nursing profession.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of existing literature on nurse prescribing numeracy standards.
• Review of assessment strategies employed by higher education institutions.
• Discussion of student and educator perspectives on numeracy assessment.

Main Results:

• The 100% numeracy pass mark is a significant source of anxiety for students.
• Inconsistent assessment methods across institutions create additional complexity.
• Drug calculation proficiency remains a critical area of concern for prescribers.

Conclusions:

• The current numeracy standards pose considerable challenges for both students and educators.
• Standardization of assessment methods is needed to ensure consistent competency evaluation.
• Further research and support are required to address drug calculation difficulties in nurse prescribing.