Welcome to the Exceptional Nurse Blog! I am Donna Maheady, EdD, ARNP, founder of www.ExceptionalNurse.com, the nonprofit resource committed to inclusion of people with disabilities in nursing. We facilitate inclusion of students with disabilities in nursing education programs and foster resilience and continued practice for nurses who are, or become, disabled. We celebrate abilities, share resources and examples of nurses with disabilities who work with and without accommodations.
Complex question warrants complex answer. No one has posted so I will. Initially one may be as Humpty Dumpty, "All the King's horses and all the King's men, could not put Humpty together again..." that is coal. Then an admixture of variables related to absence or presence of adequate support system, psychosocial stressors, fiscal status, coping skills, pre-disability baseline global level of functioning, Spiritual belief system/Faith/Grace, etc., and world view...plus more, all factor into if the coal will become a diamond. Adversity does not build character it reveals character, sometimes. There is no always answer for this for me, ask me tomorrow I may give another opinion. There are those so blessed, so extraordinary that from Day 1 of disability they are Diamond through and through, very unique beings. To me we are all Diamonds, as we are but in terms of how we feel for some "Diamonds in waiting." Candy Asman, RN
I have you on my blogroll and am proud to do so. Thank you for your work and effort in giving nurses with disabilities a place to gather and receive hope and encouragement!
As a nurse with a disability, I am finding that the diamonds are many and equally shining....for those who have never faced disability in any form can not imagine how those of us with a disability can go on, can live a full life, or can be truly content inside.
Being disabled but looking like the next nurse, is a challenge for me. I don't have to use any special equipment to live my life, however, I need some time now and then to use my heating pad, (my favorite modality to help pain), which helps to relieve the severe spasms in the paraspinal muscles. These spasms cause more pain, which in turn causes more spasms. Catch 22 at its best.
Those that have a disability are simply a person that has learned to deal with another life challenge. Does that fact make us a 'diamond'? I believe what Candy wrote above basically tells it like it is. For I know both those who have sunk into self-pity, and those that have risen to the challenge with more strength and hope than before the disability hit.
Everyone is different, and we all respond to our challenges in unique ways. My mission is to encourage and teach those with chronic pain how to live a life with hope; if we lose hope we have lost everything. That is certainly not limited to those with a disability!!
Posts
Complex question warrants complex answer. No one has posted so I will. Initially one may be as Humpty Dumpty, "All the King's horses and all the King's men, could not put Humpty together again..." that is coal. Then an admixture of variables related to absence or presence of adequate support system, psychosocial stressors, fiscal status, coping skills, pre-disability baseline global level of functioning, Spiritual belief system/Faith/Grace, etc., and world view...plus more, all factor into if the coal will become a diamond. Adversity does not build character it reveals character, sometimes. There is no always answer for this for me, ask me tomorrow I may give another opinion. There are those so blessed, so extraordinary that from Day 1 of disability they are Diamond through and through, very unique beings. To me we are all Diamonds, as we are but in terms of how we feel for some "Diamonds in waiting."
ReplyDeleteCandy Asman, RN
Dear Donna,
ReplyDeleteI have you on my blogroll and am proud to do so. Thank you for your work and effort in giving nurses with disabilities a place to gather and receive hope and encouragement!
As a nurse with a disability, I am finding that the diamonds are many and equally shining....for those who have never faced disability in any form can not imagine how those of us with a disability can go on, can live a full life, or can be truly content inside.
Being disabled but looking like the next nurse, is a challenge for me. I don't have to use any special equipment to live my life, however, I need some time now and then to use my heating pad, (my favorite modality to help pain), which helps to relieve the severe spasms in the paraspinal muscles. These spasms cause more pain, which in turn causes more spasms. Catch 22 at its best.
Those that have a disability are simply a person that has learned to deal with another life challenge. Does that fact make us a 'diamond'? I believe what Candy wrote above basically tells it like it is. For I know both those who have sunk into self-pity, and those that have risen to the challenge with more strength and hope than before the disability hit.
Everyone is different, and we all respond to our challenges in unique ways. My mission is to encourage and teach those with chronic pain how to live a life with hope; if we lose hope we have lost everything. That is certainly not limited to those with a disability!!
Gentle Hugs----<3