Free maths course for nurses

Thanks to the course, nurses and other healthcare professionals can brush up on their skills.

Numeracy for Nursing is a short course, run on Fridays from now until the end of August, from 9-30am to 12-30pm.

The aim is to help nurses and others within healthcare professions to brush up on their maths skills in a friendly, relaxed environment and gain a nationally-recognised qualification.

It is free for those without a recognised maths qualification and those on certain benefits.

Humera Khan, head of maths and English at Burnley College, said: “Many great nurses entered the profession before a qualification in maths was essential and now find themselves unable to progress their careers because of that. Plus, there are those planning to become nurses who need support to pass the Nursing and Midwifery Council numeracy tests, which

are compulsory before they are offered a place on a university-level course to study nursing.

“At Burnley College we’ve specifically developed the numeracy for nursing course to help these very people gain a vital qualification and see their careers take off.”

Maths is a vital skill for nurses, used in their everyday life to ensure the correct dosage of medication is given to individual patient in tablet or medicine form and via IV drips and injections, as well as the volume of fluids a patient may be drinking, the number of calories they are eating and, in pregnant women, the due date of a baby.

Humera Khan added: “Nurses need many skills to be successful, not least compassion, stamina, great communication, attention to detail and adaptability, so we’re proud at Burnley College to be able to give them a helping hand in another vital aspect of their work. Our tutors are highly experienced approachable and friendly and will tailor the Numeracy for Nursing course around practical problems nurses may experience every day, building their confidence week by week. At the end of the course, those already working in a healthcare setting will be entered for a Level 2 Functional Skills qualification in maths and those seeking university places will have received bespoke training towards the numeracy test set by the NMC.”

Anyone interested is asked to contact Jeanette Walsh on [email protected] or 01282 733478 for more information.