Can magnets pick up nickel

Normally nickel plating is applied to base metals that aren't attracted to a magnet. At the atomic level the plating itself is attracted but it's such a small amount of the total composition that the entire item won't stick to a magnet.

The nickel component of US nickels (and nickel-clad coins such as dimes, quarters, and half-dollars) is so low that the coins aren't attracted for the same reason. Nickel metal makes up only 25% of a nickel coin and 8% of the other coins.