Accommodating Nursing Students With Disabilities

Accommodations for Disabled Nursing Student

There are roughly 54 million Americans with some form of disabilities, and one-fifth of those 54 million people have run up against barriers to employment, access to healthcare and education (Pischke-Winn, et al., 2004). The nursing field has traditionally tried to welcome students with disabilities into nursing schools, and following the passage of federal laws regarding disabled people and employment there are legal requirements for employers and schools vis-a-vis accommodating those with disabilities. According to the Rush University Proceedings Manual, nursing students with disabilities should be accommodated (when practical and possible) in order that they may proceed into a career of helping others. In fact the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (as amended in 2008) requires that "reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities" should -- under certain circumstances -- be provided by the nursing school (Dupler, et al., 2012). The ADA requires students with "…sensory loss, paralysis, mental illness, learning disabilities, limb differences, chronic illnesses, or other disabilities associated with impaired bodily functions" be allowed to complete their nursing studies and upon graduation provide "excellent care" to those injured or ill (Dupler, p. 1).

What accommodations should be made available?

Before listing the accommodations that will be needed for students in nursing programs who have disabilities, the administrators in a nursing college should be asking important questions and seeking answers. According to the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), the nursing school should determine: a) "what specific tasks are problematic" as a result of the student's disability; b) what accommodations are available and what accommodations will be needed to mitigate problems in "a"; c) does the student need special training regarding the use of the accommodations; and d) do supervisory personnel and other employees need "disability awareness training" (JAN, 2010). After a review of resources, the school should provide accommodations for nursing students with the following disabilities

Cognitive Impairment: the student with cognitive impairment (memory deficits, "distractability," and other perception problems) should be allowed to tape record meetings and be provided with "written minutes of each meeting"; also this student should be allowed "additional training time" (JAN).

Motor Impairment: this refers to problems walking, lifting, sitting, standing, typing, gripping, having only use of one hand, and "maintaining stamina"; students in this milieu should receive team help in lifting, should have "height adjustable examination tables"; one-hand syringes, IV poles, and keyboards should be made available; when fatigue is a reality the school should shorten the work week, allow a "flexible schedule," implement an "ergonomic workstation"; install automatic doors and maintain "preferred seating" during classes (JAN).

Psychiatric Impairment: for depression or anxiety, counseling and stress management breaks should be provided along with clear explanations of expectations and consequences when responsibilities are not met; for stress, supervisory method should be adjusted and sensitivity training for co-workers should be provided.