tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54007238545817781422024-03-17T13:11:28.754-07:00Exceptional NurseWelcome 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.Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.comBlogger366125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-62078964456163358672024-03-17T13:09:00.000-07:002024-03-17T13:10:56.904-07:00Hannah Gerald, born with one arm, achieves her life-long dream of becoming a nurse<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrnNDUiANFt14C2YSwMvJ2nehQUDGNxz0CLByieVcA7jhxuAemhT1VZFsQD-RHxJREqBbUzGisemzIIsfgVo52adaPVyNNt_GtrxveS9fwIjquJKB8T4nUrlBFDJ2TT62jmqBfqg94tyDlJo3Ax0AS2qoFb1m-jLs-hH25cKugitjHCw3_nj2zIR4rfFo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="576" data-original-width="432" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrnNDUiANFt14C2YSwMvJ2nehQUDGNxz0CLByieVcA7jhxuAemhT1VZFsQD-RHxJREqBbUzGisemzIIsfgVo52adaPVyNNt_GtrxveS9fwIjquJKB8T4nUrlBFDJ2TT62jmqBfqg94tyDlJo3Ax0AS2qoFb1m-jLs-hH25cKugitjHCw3_nj2zIR4rfFo=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">The biggest challenge Gerald had to overcome was being able
to safely perform meticulous nursing skills.</span></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">“That was the big thing for me and my instructors. All of us had to find a way
to adapt and be safe,” said Gerald. “I was born this way. I can tie my shoes
and put my hair in a ponytail, drive. In general, I’ve had challenges learning
to use the prosthetic and only wear it for nursing.”<br /><br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Gerald conquered procedures like drawing blood early in the program. “I just
really practiced a lot. Drawing blood is not the most difficult thing. Anything
sterile is more difficult but that’s in general for any nursing student,” said
Gerald.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Read more at:</span></p><p><a href="https://www.lamar.edu/news-and-events/news/2020/05/hannah-gerald-achieves-her-life-long-dream-becoming-a-nurse.html">Hannah Gerald achieves her life-long dream of becoming a nurse - Lamar University</a></p><p><a href="https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/education/nurse-born-with-one-arm-graduates-from-lamar-university-prepares-to-hit-front-lines-of-pandemic/502-d6e43431-d983-408e-99c5-00627f0a702a?fbclid=IwAR1x1vGsN0rt-OZrX7ZMszq7lre1wsOA1q5B8ah3STj9zDxBBrAZrJjIQh8">https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/education/nurse-born-with-one-arm-graduates-from-lamar-university-prepares-to-hit-front-lines-of-pandemic/502-d6e43431-d983-408e-99c5-00627f0a702a?fbclid=IwAR1x1vGsN0rt-OZrX7ZMszq7lre1wsOA1q5B8ah3STj9zDxBBrAZrJjIQh8</a></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Donna</i></span></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-75892611660622448602024-03-16T11:03:00.000-07:002024-03-16T11:03:06.519-07:00Hearing loss isn't stopping this student’s drive to become nurse<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjC_4slklPjSJngoK0vBjaVNNx2jlmdxV4GfqC2QftmtXOdB9b6-OfsW7jtEr6k5YyItrqw2-EogXxhYJ3WN8VXa0Hu4MlqaQlRi9ImmUajyFZefl2mhDfNbiujkZOqCYxWxC2nH8hqu81GtjKEFSnZGYQAcV2pNvN6CmapixIlV0QkASjD8WQXq_5zrp4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjC_4slklPjSJngoK0vBjaVNNx2jlmdxV4GfqC2QftmtXOdB9b6-OfsW7jtEr6k5YyItrqw2-EogXxhYJ3WN8VXa0Hu4MlqaQlRi9ImmUajyFZefl2mhDfNbiujkZOqCYxWxC2nH8hqu81GtjKEFSnZGYQAcV2pNvN6CmapixIlV0QkASjD8WQXq_5zrp4=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div>"<span style="font-size: x-large;">Alana Douglas has a longtime goal of becoming a nurse, and
even though life threw an unforeseen hurdle in her path, she’s managed to stay
on course.</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Texas Woman’s junior learned in high school that she had
begun losing her hearing, which she knew had the potential to impact her career
choice. Her doctor told her by the time she reaches 40, she could expect to be
completely deaf in her right ear and be left with only 25% hearing in her left.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">With her heart set on becoming a nurse, Douglas figured then
it would be best to begin preparing for a future with limited hearing.
Fortunately, she found a way to do both by enrolling at Texas Woman’s, where
she could pursue a degree in nursing while also taking courses in American Sign
Language (ASL)."</span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> Read more about Alana at:</span></o:p></p><p><a href="https://twu.edu/black-history-month/featured-stories/hearing-loss-cant-dash-students-drive-to-become-nurse/">https://twu.edu/black-history-month/featured-stories/hearing-loss-cant-dash-students-drive-to-become-nurse/</a></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Cheers!</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Donna</span></i></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-69052360983076546892024-03-13T13:45:00.000-07:002024-03-13T13:45:01.244-07:00 Diane Grasso, Certified Nurse Practitioner with vision loss<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDvjXDokv2dx1VgfC88IFMGU0I_Zcuw9XvqdJTAzFkdHiaBARwq-O9St1tucWKtARrudVj3lf3X826tzvR0LTgYTJxHzvxocq2NiUjD3OooV-1aBTbXkM1GmjHTVoE0qY1sEMHfzbjxtn8tSRaLAbRp6WoaTN__cg2sRmXfDt6RHBbbMIXbMWnRPlTROQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="470" data-original-width="835" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDvjXDokv2dx1VgfC88IFMGU0I_Zcuw9XvqdJTAzFkdHiaBARwq-O9St1tucWKtARrudVj3lf3X826tzvR0LTgYTJxHzvxocq2NiUjD3OooV-1aBTbXkM1GmjHTVoE0qY1sEMHfzbjxtn8tSRaLAbRp6WoaTN__cg2sRmXfDt6RHBbbMIXbMWnRPlTROQ=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"At the age of four, I was hit in the left eye with a stick
and from that day on I grew up with vision in one eye. I have never let my
visual limitations dictate what I can do.</span></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">I was diagnosed with glaucoma in my right eye 15 years ago.
I was so overwhelmed. I was determined it would not get my vision. I did
everything the eye doctors told me to, but the eye drops were not enough. At
one follow up appointment I was told I had retinal hemorrhaging. That was a
devastating blow. I have had multiple surgeries attempting to lower the
pressure and slow the progress of the disease, but the glaucoma continued to
slowly take my vision. I always followed the treatment plan of the doctors, but
the disease just would not relent. By 2021 I was told I should not drive. That
was a depressing day for me. I tried to be positive, but I was getting more and
more depressed. The eye doctor gave me a referral to a therapist for short term
therapy which was very helpful. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">I am a nurse practitioner and because of my limited vision,
I could not continue seeing my patients. My employer has been exceptionally
accommodating and I moved into a triage nurse position. The office manager has
always made it possible to get any of the adaptive equipment I need to continue
working.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>I have been a nurse for over 30 years. Caring for others has
been my life. My new position is good for me, but I want to get back to taking
care of patients. I just could not sit idlily by and let my vision change take
my career away from me. I decided I needed to go back to school. I want to
continue providing care to others."</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Read more about Diane Grasso at:</span></p><p><a href="https://www.mass.gov/news/vocational-rehabilitation-consumer-spotlight-diane-grasso-certified-nurse-practitioner">Vocational Rehabilitation Consumer Spotlight: Diane Grasso, Certified Nurse Practitioner | Mass.gov</a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Donna</span></i></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-20588726138450281262024-02-29T09:28:00.000-08:002024-02-29T09:28:11.510-08:00Veteran embarking on new career through College of Nursing at The University of Toledo<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWebAasIBCpAl0X8AorFnWYN7Y-nG2OnmNx1NcteSnKdnafy6da3QtJ4u11OBkmvNfedEQ9DK_OL-A_yU6-nUwU9IpHQU4Goy1WJy4Fe1jCTrCgt-KCA-JwEo3if2C6k9xBf07oOXANejvepGQes35jOJt2lyV_-cBZNDutKAM4bQxKjNNm58jGwpu2Ds/s500/JEff-Nelson-STORY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="409" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWebAasIBCpAl0X8AorFnWYN7Y-nG2OnmNx1NcteSnKdnafy6da3QtJ4u11OBkmvNfedEQ9DK_OL-A_yU6-nUwU9IpHQU4Goy1WJy4Fe1jCTrCgt-KCA-JwEo3if2C6k9xBf07oOXANejvepGQes35jOJt2lyV_-cBZNDutKAM4bQxKjNNm58jGwpu2Ds/w328-h400/JEff-Nelson-STORY.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Jeff Nelson knew it was time for a change.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">He was drifting from desk job to desk job after a serious
on-the-job injury forced him to medically resign as a deputy sheriff. These
positions kept him nominally in the criminal justice field in which he’d been
working for two decades, but they weren’t fulfilling.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> “I didn’t like the
desk work,” Nelson said. “I wasn’t doing what I had gotten into criminal
justice to do. I wanted to be hands on, and I wanted to be helping people.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Then came a conversation with a representative of the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs, who suggested the disabled military veteran
take advantage of the program Veteran Readiness and Employment, formerly called
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment. Nelson learned that, with certain
requirements met, the program would pay for him to go back to school to train
in a new field.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">His choice? Nursing at The University of Toledo.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Read more about Jeff at:</span></p><p><a href="https://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/12_12_2023/veteran-to-embark-on-new-career-with-college-of-nursing">https://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/12_12_2023/veteran-to-embark-on-new-career-with-college-of-nursing</a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Donna</i></span></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-2939334911256670182024-02-18T10:54:00.000-08:002024-02-18T10:54:07.183-08:00Cystic Fibrosis shaped this nurse's career<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EXHGytmSTc2czxma_VypmGykoCJxS0NlfRb2csfhuwCpcP33bh5VYC8flPhIFqPPEdQdv-66J_ahLYl0N-Dp2HKWtexWNWRYonvHb1rwvgLoRyzi8dDbvWtOf2S_QvP9w-5fZ-HsxjgUOj7RlEUY1dGflXCC8Na752hW7wcI8v7FZFGkoxYHFgugq1M/s246/Brogavantty-Dunwoody-Headshot.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="246" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EXHGytmSTc2czxma_VypmGykoCJxS0NlfRb2csfhuwCpcP33bh5VYC8flPhIFqPPEdQdv-66J_ahLYl0N-Dp2HKWtexWNWRYonvHb1rwvgLoRyzi8dDbvWtOf2S_QvP9w-5fZ-HsxjgUOj7RlEUY1dGflXCC8Na752hW7wcI8v7FZFGkoxYHFgugq1M/w400-h400/Brogavantty-Dunwoody-Headshot.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brogavantty Dunwoody, RN, BSN</td></tr></tbody></table><section class="layout one-col one-col--dynamic bg-transparent pt-0 pb-0 mt-0 mb-0 lg:pt-0 lg:pb-0 lg:mt-0 lg:mb-0" style="--tw-backdrop-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-filter: var(--tw-backdrop-blur) var(--tw-backdrop-brightness) var(--tw-backdrop-contrast) var(--tw-backdrop-grayscale) var(--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate) var(--tw-backdrop-invert) var(--tw-backdrop-opacity) var(--tw-backdrop-saturate) var(--tw-backdrop-sepia); 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--tw-backdrop-filter: var(--tw-backdrop-blur) var(--tw-backdrop-brightness) var(--tw-backdrop-contrast) var(--tw-backdrop-grayscale) var(--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate) var(--tw-backdrop-invert) var(--tw-backdrop-opacity) var(--tw-backdrop-saturate) var(--tw-backdrop-sepia); --tw-backdrop-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-opacity: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-drop-shadow: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-filter: var(--tw-blur) var(--tw-brightness) var(--tw-contrast) var(--tw-grayscale) var(--tw-hue-rotate) var(--tw-invert) var(--tw-saturate) var(--tw-sepia) var(--tw-drop-shadow); --tw-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-color: rgba(147,197,253,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-transform: translateX(var(--tw-translate-x)) translateY(var(--tw-translate-y)) rotate(var(--tw-rotate)) skewX(var(--tw-skew-x)) skewY(var(--tw-skew-y)) scaleX(var(--tw-scale-x)) scaleY(var(--tw-scale-y)); --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border-color: var(--gray-200); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; grid-area: span 1 / span 12 / span 1 / span 12; visibility: inherit;"><div style="--tw-backdrop-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-filter: var(--tw-backdrop-blur) var(--tw-backdrop-brightness) var(--tw-backdrop-contrast) var(--tw-backdrop-grayscale) var(--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate) var(--tw-backdrop-invert) var(--tw-backdrop-opacity) var(--tw-backdrop-saturate) var(--tw-backdrop-sepia); --tw-backdrop-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-opacity: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-drop-shadow: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-filter: var(--tw-blur) var(--tw-brightness) var(--tw-contrast) var(--tw-grayscale) var(--tw-hue-rotate) var(--tw-invert) var(--tw-saturate) var(--tw-sepia) var(--tw-drop-shadow); --tw-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-color: rgba(147,197,253,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-transform: translateX(var(--tw-translate-x)) translateY(var(--tw-translate-y)) rotate(var(--tw-rotate)) skewX(var(--tw-skew-x)) skewY(var(--tw-skew-y)) scaleX(var(--tw-scale-x)) scaleY(var(--tw-scale-y)); --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border-color: var(--gray-200); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="mb-12" style="--tw-backdrop-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-filter: var(--tw-backdrop-blur) var(--tw-backdrop-brightness) var(--tw-backdrop-contrast) var(--tw-backdrop-grayscale) var(--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate) var(--tw-backdrop-invert) var(--tw-backdrop-opacity) var(--tw-backdrop-saturate) var(--tw-backdrop-sepia); --tw-backdrop-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-opacity: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-drop-shadow: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-filter: var(--tw-blur) var(--tw-brightness) var(--tw-contrast) var(--tw-grayscale) var(--tw-hue-rotate) var(--tw-invert) var(--tw-saturate) var(--tw-sepia) var(--tw-drop-shadow); --tw-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-color: rgba(147,197,253,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-transform: translateX(var(--tw-translate-x)) translateY(var(--tw-translate-y)) rotate(var(--tw-rotate)) skewX(var(--tw-skew-x)) skewY(var(--tw-skew-y)) scaleX(var(--tw-scale-x)) scaleY(var(--tw-scale-y)); --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border-color: var(--gray-200); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 3rem;"><div class="flex justify-center justify-items-center content-center" style="--tw-backdrop-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-filter: var(--tw-backdrop-blur) var(--tw-backdrop-brightness) var(--tw-backdrop-contrast) var(--tw-backdrop-grayscale) var(--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate) var(--tw-backdrop-invert) var(--tw-backdrop-opacity) var(--tw-backdrop-saturate) var(--tw-backdrop-sepia); --tw-backdrop-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-opacity: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-drop-shadow: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-filter: var(--tw-blur) var(--tw-brightness) var(--tw-contrast) var(--tw-grayscale) var(--tw-hue-rotate) var(--tw-invert) var(--tw-saturate) var(--tw-sepia) var(--tw-drop-shadow); --tw-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-color: rgba(147,197,253,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-transform: translateX(var(--tw-translate-x)) translateY(var(--tw-translate-y)) rotate(var(--tw-rotate)) skewX(var(--tw-skew-x)) skewY(var(--tw-skew-y)) scaleX(var(--tw-scale-x)) scaleY(var(--tw-scale-y)); --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border-color: var(--gray-200); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-items: center; place-content: center;"><div style="--tw-backdrop-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-filter: var(--tw-backdrop-blur) var(--tw-backdrop-brightness) var(--tw-backdrop-contrast) var(--tw-backdrop-grayscale) var(--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate) var(--tw-backdrop-invert) var(--tw-backdrop-opacity) var(--tw-backdrop-saturate) var(--tw-backdrop-sepia); --tw-backdrop-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-opacity: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-drop-shadow: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-filter: var(--tw-blur) var(--tw-brightness) var(--tw-contrast) var(--tw-grayscale) var(--tw-hue-rotate) var(--tw-invert) var(--tw-saturate) var(--tw-sepia) var(--tw-drop-shadow); --tw-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-color: rgba(147,197,253,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-transform: translateX(var(--tw-translate-x)) translateY(var(--tw-translate-y)) rotate(var(--tw-rotate)) skewX(var(--tw-skew-x)) skewY(var(--tw-skew-y)) scaleX(var(--tw-scale-x)) scaleY(var(--tw-scale-y)); --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border-color: var(--gray-200); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="flex flex-col items-center mt-4 mr-4" role="article" style="--tw-backdrop-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-filter: var(--tw-backdrop-blur) var(--tw-backdrop-brightness) var(--tw-backdrop-contrast) var(--tw-backdrop-grayscale) var(--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate) var(--tw-backdrop-invert) var(--tw-backdrop-opacity) var(--tw-backdrop-saturate) var(--tw-backdrop-sepia); --tw-backdrop-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-opacity: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-drop-shadow: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-filter: var(--tw-blur) var(--tw-brightness) var(--tw-contrast) var(--tw-grayscale) var(--tw-hue-rotate) var(--tw-invert) var(--tw-saturate) var(--tw-sepia) var(--tw-drop-shadow); --tw-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-color: rgba(147,197,253,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-transform: translateX(var(--tw-translate-x)) translateY(var(--tw-translate-y)) rotate(var(--tw-rotate)) skewX(var(--tw-skew-x)) skewY(var(--tw-skew-y)) scaleX(var(--tw-scale-x)) scaleY(var(--tw-scale-y)); --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; align-items: center; border-color: var(--gray-200); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; margin-right: 1rem; margin-top: 1rem;"><cff-button class="mt-2 block hydrated" gap-size="large" rel="bookmark" size="medium" style="--tw-backdrop-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-filter: var(--tw-backdrop-blur) var(--tw-backdrop-brightness) var(--tw-backdrop-contrast) var(--tw-backdrop-grayscale) var(--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate) var(--tw-backdrop-invert) var(--tw-backdrop-opacity) var(--tw-backdrop-saturate) var(--tw-backdrop-sepia); --tw-backdrop-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-opacity: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-drop-shadow: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-filter: var(--tw-blur) var(--tw-brightness) var(--tw-contrast) var(--tw-grayscale) var(--tw-hue-rotate) var(--tw-invert) var(--tw-saturate) var(--tw-sepia) var(--tw-drop-shadow); --tw-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-color: rgba(147,197,253,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-transform: translateX(var(--tw-translate-x)) translateY(var(--tw-translate-y)) rotate(var(--tw-rotate)) skewX(var(--tw-skew-x)) skewY(var(--tw-skew-y)) scaleX(var(--tw-scale-x)) scaleY(var(--tw-scale-y)); --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border-color: var(--gray-200); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-top: 0.5rem; text-align: justify; visibility: inherit;" url="/author/brogavantty-dunwoody" variant="link" width="fit-content"><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Brogavantty wrote the following for the CF Community Blog.</span></i></cff-button><cff-button class="mt-2 block hydrated" gap-size="large" rel="bookmark" size="medium" style="--tw-backdrop-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-filter: var(--tw-backdrop-blur) var(--tw-backdrop-brightness) var(--tw-backdrop-contrast) var(--tw-backdrop-grayscale) var(--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate) var(--tw-backdrop-invert) var(--tw-backdrop-opacity) var(--tw-backdrop-saturate) var(--tw-backdrop-sepia); --tw-backdrop-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-opacity: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-drop-shadow: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-filter: var(--tw-blur) var(--tw-brightness) var(--tw-contrast) var(--tw-grayscale) var(--tw-hue-rotate) var(--tw-invert) var(--tw-saturate) var(--tw-sepia) var(--tw-drop-shadow); --tw-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-color: rgba(147,197,253,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-transform: translateX(var(--tw-translate-x)) translateY(var(--tw-translate-y)) rotate(var(--tw-rotate)) skewX(var(--tw-skew-x)) skewY(var(--tw-skew-y)) scaleX(var(--tw-scale-x)) scaleY(var(--tw-scale-y)); --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border-color: var(--gray-200); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-top: 0.5rem; text-align: justify; visibility: inherit;" url="/author/brogavantty-dunwoody" variant="link" width="fit-content"><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>"F</span><span>or the first few years, life as a nurse was good. I was
always transparent about my chronic condition (although not when I was
interviewing for jobs). I was determined to be punctual and reliable, so I
planned doctor visits on days off or took paid leave. During those long,
12-hour nursing shifts, I had the opportunity to display a high level of
compassion for my patients. Soon, I became a teacher for nursing students, and
then for nurses new to the profession, and finally for those who were new to
the organization but were seasoned nurses." </span></span></i></cff-button><cff-button class="mt-2 block hydrated" gap-size="large" rel="bookmark" size="medium" style="--tw-backdrop-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-filter: var(--tw-backdrop-blur) var(--tw-backdrop-brightness) var(--tw-backdrop-contrast) var(--tw-backdrop-grayscale) var(--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate) var(--tw-backdrop-invert) var(--tw-backdrop-opacity) var(--tw-backdrop-saturate) var(--tw-backdrop-sepia); --tw-backdrop-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-opacity: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-backdrop-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-blur: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-brightness: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-contrast: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-drop-shadow: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-filter: var(--tw-blur) var(--tw-brightness) var(--tw-contrast) var(--tw-grayscale) var(--tw-hue-rotate) var(--tw-invert) var(--tw-saturate) var(--tw-sepia) var(--tw-drop-shadow); --tw-grayscale: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-hue-rotate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-invert: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-color: rgba(147,197,253,0.5); --tw-ring-inset: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-saturate: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-sepia: var(--tw-empty,); --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-transform: translateX(var(--tw-translate-x)) translateY(var(--tw-translate-y)) rotate(var(--tw-rotate)) skewX(var(--tw-skew-x)) skewY(var(--tw-skew-y)) scaleX(var(--tw-scale-x)) scaleY(var(--tw-scale-y)); --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border-color: var(--gray-200); border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin-top: 0.5rem; text-align: justify; visibility: inherit;" url="/author/brogavantty-dunwoody" variant="link" width="fit-content"><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"After eight years in the acute care (hospital) setting, I
made a tough decision to leave bedside nursing on the recommendation of my CF
doctor. I was heartbroken and a bit discouraged, thinking I would no longer be
able to make an impression on the lives of my patients if I was not working in
a hospital setting. However, I remembered that seed of determination that was
planted inside me and has grown over the years. I leaned on my faith through
this transition to a new type of nursing."</span></i></cff-button></div></div></div></div></div></outline-column></outline-container></outline-grid></section><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Read more at:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.cff.org/community-posts/2022-05/how-having-cf-shaped-my-nursing-career">https://www.cff.org/community-posts/2022-05/how-having-cf-shaped-my-nursing-career</a> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Donna</span></i></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-13912273569423503262024-02-04T08:24:00.000-08:002024-02-04T08:24:06.867-08:00Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses (AMPHL) announces "Stethoscope Equity Project". Try before you buy!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0tq5NBIeaFQw5T5Inbnf5d-l1KqvkhRL1wbez3J1xW2nYeJxEk_x1_26s4-332EwplHXWSXkEyVbtagBorpJaBW6fz97cI1mhf2D4bxhdvZ-3k7_mQyIO2797WD6Spjzbb_JL2LlBU6JQLj-cSqU7Jz_hSkFhhA1J6mMGi0rUUJfvT1r5VQsSGPwGXU/s640/423862080_705681945043718_9118215528902778461_n%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0tq5NBIeaFQw5T5Inbnf5d-l1KqvkhRL1wbez3J1xW2nYeJxEk_x1_26s4-332EwplHXWSXkEyVbtagBorpJaBW6fz97cI1mhf2D4bxhdvZ-3k7_mQyIO2797WD6Spjzbb_JL2LlBU6JQLj-cSqU7Jz_hSkFhhA1J6mMGi0rUUJfvT1r5VQsSGPwGXU/w512-h640/423862080_705681945043718_9118215528902778461_n%20(1).jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/amphl?__cft__%5b0%5d=AZVEOyj3Mi981XaunUjHc5Bhphtu0NNkymqj1yKp05d72nEXoO2DGZ6LBJ3aO72hIqZ0lt1rR0SsUmWUVWSR3w0S1mVm7bgb1VGU6qaFJcSNsjeR5WCViZcEBD6SAaRvow4jPO95jqwDO_ENDdio9LhKPd0EFSHK6tPm4GSnR6HmrxybE8HDvbNe6yoI0UF6-Aw&__tn__=-UC%2CP-R">AMPHL
- Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses</a></b></div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"We are proud to announce the launch of our Stethoscope
Equity Project for students and healthcare professionals with hearing loss!
Meeting technical standards for stethoscope use is often a challenge for those
with hearing loss in part because of individual differences in hearing and
technology (hearing aids, cochlear implants). Many people with hearing loss are
not sure what will work best for them and often need assistance that is not
usually provided by schools. It may become a long trial-and-error process,
which can be frustrating and cost-prohibitive. The Stethoscope Equity Project
improves access and promotes professional success by providing consultative
information and loaner digital and amplified electronic stethoscopes so users
can try them before purchasing. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>ID: A flyer for AMPHL's Stethoscope Equity Project. There is
a photo of 3 digital/amplified stethoscopes with the project's logo overlaying
it. Underneath, the text reads: NOT SURE WHAT STETHOSCOPE WORKS FOR YOU? TRY
BEFORE BUYING. The Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses
(AMPHL)’s new loaner program can help you decide what to buy. We provide
consultative information and access to a collection of digital/amplified
stethoscopes so you can try them before purchasing. For a small fee (sliding
scale available), you can try a variety of stethoscopes for a year. Please
contact us for further information.</i> nancy.rennert@amphl.org. <a href="http://www.amphl.org/stethoscopes?fbclid=IwAR1RUVscpcirX4GyFOuwQO_A7sJIZQgfSCxUot1rje3q6d7oHRyGLg1HyRg" target="_blank">www.amphl.org/stethoscopes</a>"</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Donna</i></span></p><p></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-83248133744218724452024-01-12T11:36:00.000-08:002024-01-12T11:36:53.443-08:00The U.S. Census Bureau and nurses with disabilities: Are you being counted?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7ZKpJeo3O-rbhjGQEfvOOSniDnovLQ6nPfhJ637nirLnnjoMzs-NDA4ewLF49SEENLWZPjYm8wJXmRD05VjjkYX7pJ19YX53cQ_ZPNh4Adkt937bpUqaTiXSaDGhxJasvVhlLOk9BLzJhSR7nx4KbA5YvwhyfNOaAlRhcz3h7vEZoSYv1Y3e9BeoDRpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="461" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7ZKpJeo3O-rbhjGQEfvOOSniDnovLQ6nPfhJ637nirLnnjoMzs-NDA4ewLF49SEENLWZPjYm8wJXmRD05VjjkYX7pJ19YX53cQ_ZPNh4Adkt937bpUqaTiXSaDGhxJasvVhlLOk9BLzJhSR7nx4KbA5YvwhyfNOaAlRhcz3h7vEZoSYv1Y3e9BeoDRpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Richard Besser, MD is president and CEO of the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). On December 14, 2023, he made the following statement. "<i>The U.S. Census Bureau (Census Bureau) is proposing
revisions to questions in the American Community Survey (ACS) that measure
disability without sufficient engagement with the disability community. The
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) supports the calls from disability
advocates, organizations, and researchers asking for the Census Bureau to pause
proposed revisions to the disability questions, meaningfully engage with the
disability community through a more inclusive process, and issue a revised plan
that is responsive to feedback provided as part of that process."</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"The Census Bureau should apply the principle “nothing about
us, without us” regarding people with disabilities as it considers changes to
the disability questions in the ACS. This phrase responds to a long history of
policymaking constructed without the involvement of the disability community
that has significant negative consequences to the health and wellbeing of
people with disabilities."<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"The current questions used for disability in the ACS <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.urban.org%2Furban-wire%2Fproposed-census-changes-would-drastically-undercount-disabled-americans&data=05%7C02%7Csdemarchi%40rwjf.org%7C9cfbffb6f3e74045e32508dbfc0a7d26%7C1d48189a87724db8af5930e61f44b362%7C1%7C0%7C638380894209850256%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=x%2FrikNZfv%2BuUep%2BzaoX4QuA8anNAVKlImsvlbvnn93o%3D&reserved=0"><b>have
known limitations</b></a> that the Census Bureau’s proposed changes would
not resolve. People with disabilities in the U.S. are already substantially
undercounted in part because people with certain types of disabilities, like
psychiatric conditions and chronic disease, get missed more than others."<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"The Census Bureau’s proposed changes would make the
undercounting problem much worse, <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.census.gov%2Fcontent%2Fdam%2FCensus%2Flibrary%2Fworking-papers%2F2023%2Facs%2F2023_Steinweg_01.pdf&data=05%7C02%7Csdemarchi%40rwjf.org%7C9cfbffb6f3e74045e32508dbfc0a7d26%7C1d48189a87724db8af5930e61f44b362%7C1%7C0%7C638380894209850256%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=SW0LUCdoK3NfpMqhnzeD9JLUovsFxuRjwQviRpZIrsk%3D&reserved=0"><b>reducing
ACS disability prevalence in the U.S. by roughly 40 percent</b></a>. It is
unclear what analysis the agency has conducted of the implications of the
proposed changes for programs administered by fellow federal agencies and
offices, for example, the Social Security Administration, the Veterans
Administration, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment
Policy. Further, it is unclear whether the proposal reflects expert feedback
from relevant federal agencies, for example, the National Council on Disability
and the U.S. Access Board."<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"RWJF encourages the Census Bureau to adopt an inclusive and
fully representative definition of disability so that ACS data accurately
tracks the full diversity of people’s lived experience with disability in the
U.S. Given how the Census Bureau’s disability data is used to inform the
allocation of government resources as well as the development of local, state,
and federal policymaking, RWJF is concerned that the proposed changes could
make it more difficult for people with disabilities to get the supports they
need and deserve. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">RWJF recommends that the Census Bureau prioritize active and
intentional engagement with a diverse group of people with disabilities,
disability researchers, and disability advocacy organizations going forward.
That includes individuals and organizations that can advise how to accurately
describe not only the disability status but also the functional needs and other
characteristics of people with disabilities of all types, including
non-apparent disabilities. Finally, RWJF urges the Census Bureau to ensure that
its outreach and engagement efforts are mindful of accessibility needs to
facilitate meaningful participation by people with disabilities. This attention
to process may take longer, but it will lead to better data and better outcomes
for people with disabilities."</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/2023/12/statement-from-richard-besser-on-census-bureau-engagement-with-disability-community.html?channelid=xli&cid=1003836">https://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/newsroom/2023/12/statement-from-richard-besser-on-census-bureau-engagement-with-disability-community.html?channelid=xli&cid=1003836</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers and Happy New Year!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Donna</span></i></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-72065002719466644652023-12-08T10:27:00.000-08:002023-12-08T10:27:21.493-08:00Nurses inspired former patient Emily Busha, born with Total Colonic Hirschsprung’s Disease, to become a nurse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBANRVYm1ds-gVbr3P9BDZK66TGJnxmqrB_wSWNGymyfRM_WJHMcxY3gdkYrKjTNENocl_PIdIOv3VO0Jl91NqAn3yhswJ6VtVazox5obOpdWlrf9R02K44nTlNP12C5lTt_cZKaXW6qwPdx1mIV4VkqGgQ1oLWHJMHPxfvFED5v0wQWEYoKMNglRWi0/s1200/nicole-emilymasked-1200x595.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="1200" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBANRVYm1ds-gVbr3P9BDZK66TGJnxmqrB_wSWNGymyfRM_WJHMcxY3gdkYrKjTNENocl_PIdIOv3VO0Jl91NqAn3yhswJ6VtVazox5obOpdWlrf9R02K44nTlNP12C5lTt_cZKaXW6qwPdx1mIV4VkqGgQ1oLWHJMHPxfvFED5v0wQWEYoKMNglRWi0/w640-h318/nicole-emilymasked-1200x595.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"> Nicole Geffrey, RN (Emily's former nurse), and Emily posing for a picture together
at</div><div style="text-align: center;">Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.</div></blockquote><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Kalyn Kinomoto wrote the following:</span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p><i style="font-size: x-large;">"Emily Busha is a familiar name on the Mary Bridge Children’s
Hospital medical-surgical floor. “I’ve been in and out of Mary Bridge my whole
life,” Emily said. She’s from Port Orchard and has a long history with, and
deep connection to, the hospital."</i></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Born with Total Colonic Hirschsprung’s Disease, a rare
congenital condition that affects nerves in the colon and causes problems with
the body’s ability to eliminate waste, Emily spent much of her infancy and
toddlerhood as an inpatient at Mary Bridge Children’s. After four surgeries,
including an ileostomy and reversal all before she was in preschool, Emily’s
care continued off and on for the next 10 years — or as she says, every time
she got sick..."</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Emily graduated from Seattle Pacific University with honors
in 2021 with a BSN degree. She said that hands-down, her Mary Bridge Children’s
doctors and nurses were major influences on her decision to pursue a career in
pediatric nursing. After graduation, Emily completed a nurse residency at Mary
Bridge Children’s and is now a registered nurse on the medical-surgical floor."</i></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Read more about Emily at<i>:</i></span></p><p><a href="https://www.marybridge.org/blog/nurses-week-mary-bridge-childrens-nurses-inspire-former-patient-to-become-a-nurse/" target="_blank">https://www.marybridge.org/blog/nurses-week-mary-bridge-childrens-nurses-inspire-former-patient-to-become-a-nurse/</a> </p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Cheers!</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Donna</span></i></p></div>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-7641804197448176632023-11-10T07:51:00.004-08:002023-11-10T08:09:42.022-08:00Nursing student success by using visuals and mnemonics: Black Friday Deals on Picmonic!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PXfseU9CRVM" width="320" youtube-src-id="PXfseU9CRVM"></iframe><span style="text-align: left;">i</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;">I</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">f you are a nursing student with a learning disability</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> or learn best with pictures, illustrations, stories and mnemonics, Picmonic is for you!</span></span></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">An audiovisual learning system using unforgettable stories and characters</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Used by students all over the world</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Research driven to increase long-term memory</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Check out these deals!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.picmonic.com/viphookup/exceptionalnurseLKJ23"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.picmonic.com/viphookup/exceptionalnurseLKJ23</span></a></p><p> #nursingstudent #NCLEXprep #RNstudent #LPNstudent #studentnurse #disablednursingstudent #dyslexicnursingstudent #nursingstudentlearningdisability</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Cheers!</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Donna</span></i></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-49272077766272644732023-11-04T06:00:00.001-07:002023-11-04T06:00:00.135-07:00Calling all nurses: Are you interested in learning about communicating with people who are deaf and blind?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKKGyXP4WgnDBG-Frae9RViRp-kCuhP-NB6INLKkznZ_NpQKC4NgQkIC214ilC5hS8mUm61ffG9WmvhrLv0UPN6L-iOrffxXyjRIB_cDabOw_ygb2ezGeC75M6GxrWpvaDR38pmuL5IlFOOeq8IfsNFpCh1yy5jGxPHi_SlT7zvYtWN65QVUs7byl_Ri8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKKGyXP4WgnDBG-Frae9RViRp-kCuhP-NB6INLKkznZ_NpQKC4NgQkIC214ilC5hS8mUm61ffG9WmvhrLv0UPN6L-iOrffxXyjRIB_cDabOw_ygb2ezGeC75M6GxrWpvaDR38pmuL5IlFOOeq8IfsNFpCh1yy5jGxPHi_SlT7zvYtWN65QVUs7byl_Ri8=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Protactile Language Interpreting National Education Program
(PLI) presents a self-directed course of study in Protactile Language Theory.
This online certificate program consists of 16 hours of online
content, assignments, and assessment, focused on co-navigation, Protactile
language, co-presence, Protactile literature, and the Protactile numbering
systems and alphabet. </span></i></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Protactile (PT) is a language that cannot be learned through visual or auditory
channels. To fully acquire PT, the speaker and the listener must be in physical
contact with one another. Because of this, the PLI program of study
primarily focuses on the theory of Protactile, and the certificate awarded at
the completion of the program does not measure PT language proficiency. </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">It is PLI’s strong recommendation that this program of study be paired with
real-world experiences in the DeafBlind community, learning from and working
with Protactile Language speakers. This certificate program does not replace
the need for in-person language acquisition opportunities, but is meant to be a
supplement and support in the language learning process. </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Visit the following web site to learn more. This is a free program.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.protactilelanguageinterpreting.org/home.html">Home - PLI (protactilelanguageinterpreting.org)</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjWzdQ40hfY">Protactile Language Interpreting National Education Program - YouTube</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Donna</i></span></p><br /><p></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-72148863628601682972023-11-03T07:02:00.001-07:002023-11-03T07:07:45.063-07:00Caitlin Tanner, a UK nurse is studying the experiences of deaf nurses in the UK<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg10u28uZyF3CPCI3ZgOP1wK3ksTf5U7uqYYuPZ2oN6zwphDnWM3oEnrKDx2EhXlrTlBfYv4mjj3dA6UnMbGxz74jRmIsbfDDmQinx0cB0eaZwIX5btHMeeo4hJ5u9M4SLpf1HSdeWQb4CIgJ-dTTqY5p2j3rPeZkXcODWzmz3iDxHULHmXa952Uq64c9I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="740" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg10u28uZyF3CPCI3ZgOP1wK3ksTf5U7uqYYuPZ2oN6zwphDnWM3oEnrKDx2EhXlrTlBfYv4mjj3dA6UnMbGxz74jRmIsbfDDmQinx0cB0eaZwIX5btHMeeo4hJ5u9M4SLpf1HSdeWQb4CIgJ-dTTqY5p2j3rPeZkXcODWzmz3iDxHULHmXa952Uq64c9I=w325-h400" width="325" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Swansea Bay University Health Board shared this story about Caitlin Tanner.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Starting your first job as a newly-qualified nurse just
before the pandemic struck would be enough of a challenge for anyone.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>But it was doubly so for Caitlin Tanner, who was born
profoundly deaf and relies heavily on lip-reading to communicate – not easy when
you are working in intensive care and everyone has to wear face masks.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Now she has led a new initiative designed to improve the
care of hospital patients with hearing aids or cochlear implants.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>At the same time, award-winner Caitlin is developing her own
career, having completed her masters and now embarking on a PhD exploring the
experiences of deaf nurses in the UK.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Her doctorate focuses on the experiences of deaf nurses in
the UK. While her role as a deaf nurse is by no means unique, 25-year-old
Caitlin said it was not common either.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“From reading the literature, I found that there is
inadvertently some discrimination, some biases towards deaf people coming into
healthcare.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“A lot of people think that, if you can’t hear, how can you
look after a patient? A lot of the research I’m going to be conducting is into
how we can support these nurses so we can safely get them into healthcare.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“It’s something that is definitely needed. As much as I’m
studying deaf nurses, this is still applicable to older nurses who have
age-related hearing loss, and young people coming into nursing.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Many of them may have progressive hearing loss because of
noise from earbuds and headphones.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“I definitely want to use my experience to support deaf
people to come into nursing or into healthcare because I know they don’t
believe they can access that kind of career path.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Caitlin recently finished in ICU after three and a half
years to focus on her doctorate, though she will continue nursing by working
bank shifts.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>And she has used her experience to design a deaf care plan
for patients wearing hearing aids or cochlear implants.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>She presented it at an innovation meeting in the intensive
care unit, where it will be implemented soon.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“In university we don’t get taught about hearing aids or
cochlear implants,” Caitlin said. “The feedback I got from the meeting was that
a lot of nurses on the ward might have to ask the doctors, ‘How do we change
the batteries? How do we do this or that?’.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“A lot of education is needed. Communication with deaf
patients is such an important thing, especially in ITU.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“The care plan is a guide that staff can use to look after
them. Before I finished, I went around the unit, doing some teaching. I’m
really excited about it.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“The plan is to trial it in ITU, then roll it out across
Morriston and then, hopefully, the wider Swansea Bay.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Read more about Caitlin Tanner at:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://sbuhb.nhs.wales/news/swansea-bay-health-news/caitlin-using-her-own-experience-as-a-deaf-nurse-to-help-others/">Caitlin using her own experience as a deaf nurse to help others - Swansea Bay University Health Board (nhs.wales)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Donna</span></i></div><p></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-16477966936312308762023-10-22T14:07:00.000-07:002023-10-22T14:07:53.847-07:00The Able Trust's High School partnered with USF Health College of Nursing to offer a program for high school students with disabilities interested in the nursing profession<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNctiWUwKstYo9xXB_Q0ZezmQ0XiRfkbTDkcEB5HPR2dNC6iIulj0iudieczcff8cQfkgLo2z2QF1n0-tx2L1_3ndPRIuRv-AmXdrubsflMyORMX0JsISD7vgY-DY_I4qZPUTh49q1nfODbhFaiSqZsVFb8UFjoEN-l_npKs1DlWWne8JFPxKPjphHr9I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="1466" data-original-width="2200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNctiWUwKstYo9xXB_Q0ZezmQ0XiRfkbTDkcEB5HPR2dNC6iIulj0iudieczcff8cQfkgLo2z2QF1n0-tx2L1_3ndPRIuRv-AmXdrubsflMyORMX0JsISD7vgY-DY_I4qZPUTh49q1nfODbhFaiSqZsVFb8UFjoEN-l_npKs1DlWWne8JFPxKPjphHr9I=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Students from The Able Trust’s High School High
Tech (HSHT) program participated in a first-of-its-kind Nursing Summer
Scholarship program at the University of South Florida Health College of
Nursing.</span></i></span></div></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">During this two-day immersive experience, students took part
in a wide range of activities including interactive workshops, simulations,
lectures, and other hands-on experiences. Students explored key aspects of
nursing practice including patient care, critical thinking, evidence-based
practice, and interdisciplinary collaboration.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">HSHT provides high school students with disabilities the
opportunity to explore jobs or postsecondary education leading to in-demand
careers. This partnership with the USF Health College of Nursing gave HSHT
students a unique opportunity to learn about both the education needs and
career path options available to students interested in the nursing profession.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">HSHT provides high school students with disabilities the
opportunity to explore jobs or postsecondary education leading to in-demand
careers. This partnership with the USF Health College of Nursing gave HSHT
students a unique opportunity to learn about both the education needs and
career path options available to students interested in the nursing profession.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA4MhkVE2APy4XNNrd8Lvz-DK1X3_1E6KKq_1MLMDcUo6PwtDl-q7YCjBPUz-ZXuzF9tDVQaUj2XKkdqAvxsV6igUzkSzqIcRNifUnfHaiD_pUDiPbFzCOU7JwmTJAuyonji4LpcabVRL9KHpPLgrlgcQlFntbbIbzlnFim5Vx-DfF3euV7Iz4bPz4zjQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="430" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA4MhkVE2APy4XNNrd8Lvz-DK1X3_1E6KKq_1MLMDcUo6PwtDl-q7YCjBPUz-ZXuzF9tDVQaUj2XKkdqAvxsV6igUzkSzqIcRNifUnfHaiD_pUDiPbFzCOU7JwmTJAuyonji4LpcabVRL9KHpPLgrlgcQlFntbbIbzlnFim5Vx-DfF3euV7Iz4bPz4zjQ=w400-h264" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">“It was a great experience,” shared student Aubrey Wernet.
“I loved the hands-on activities and learned so much. I would highly recommend
this program to students who want to investigate the medical field.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">In addition to providing hands-on experiences, the Nursing
Summer Scholars program gives students an opportunity to form connections with
peers who have similar career and educational goals.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Read more about this innovative program at:</span></i></o:p></p><p><a href="https://hscweb3.hsc.usf.edu/nursingnews/the-able-trust-teams-up-with-usf-health-college-of-nursing-to-foster-inclusion-and-empower-students-with-disabilities/" target="_blank">The Able Trust teams up with USF Health College of Nursing to foster inclusion and empower students with disabilities - USF Nursing News</a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Donna</i></span></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-11433212186856947412023-09-15T13:15:00.000-07:002023-09-15T13:15:34.787-07:00Meet Chloe Hammond, a nurse in the UK, and her service dog Ocho!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34_sTTkLLsyT1ZLz0QplfBrLhXQiXEuTGmQMrALesFbfLIBI3jSpvLFsYIh9qOL7fRKI68_zTgwTh5v0aaH3emcmPD5U8nUORSovV06LYVv_On3Hq0AyETVyt6K6Lp-vowowo9leUHWmwOdhCJeK8A0B8rRbaTMy8kkdTkLDpxm0Nu-MmhdyButvHQHQ/s615/UK%20service%20dog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="615" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34_sTTkLLsyT1ZLz0QplfBrLhXQiXEuTGmQMrALesFbfLIBI3jSpvLFsYIh9qOL7fRKI68_zTgwTh5v0aaH3emcmPD5U8nUORSovV06LYVv_On3Hq0AyETVyt6K6Lp-vowowo9leUHWmwOdhCJeK8A0B8rRbaTMy8kkdTkLDpxm0Nu-MmhdyButvHQHQ/w640-h426/UK%20service%20dog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Able2UK reported that, "A community care worker from Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, is
thought to be the first nurse in the UK to bring an assistance dog to work."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"Chloe Hammond was diagnosed with <a href="https://www.able2uk.com/glossary/chronic-fatigue-syndrome" title="Chronic Fatigue Syndrome">chronic fatigue syndrome</a>, <a href="https://www.able2uk.com/glossary/behcets-disease" title="Behcets disease">Behcets
disease</a>, <a href="https://www.able2uk.com/glossary/raynauds-disease" title="Raynauds disease">Raynauds disease</a> at the age of 15, since then
her health has deteriorated. From 2018 she needed to use a wheelchair after a
life-changing illness."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"For the past two years Hammond has been training her
Labrador service dog Ocho to assist her around the home and at work."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"Ocho passed with flying colours, he completed the
independent test, sailed through three further courses and finished his final
assessment in May 2023."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p>S</o:p>he told <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nurse-becomes-first-uk-use-30494831" target="_blank">Mirror online</a>: “I took a couple of years out of work when I
was quite unwell - since getting Ocho I’ve had multiple promotions - I’m
enjoying being a nurse again. Nursing with a disability is hard - but an
assistance animal brings a different angle to nursing."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Learn more about Chloe and Ocho at:</span></p><p><a href="https://www.able2uk.com/news/able2uk-heroes/meet-the-first-uk-nurse-who-brings-her-assistance-dog-to-work"><span style="font-size: x-large;">https://www.able2uk.com/news/able2uk-heroes/meet-the-first-uk-nurse-who-brings-her-assistance-dog-to-work</span></a></p><p><a href="https://alumni.uwl.ac.uk/recent-graduate-award-2022-chloe-hammond"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Recent Graduate Award 2022: Chloe Hammond - The University Of West London (uwl.ac.uk)</span></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQkvRHtcqno">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQkvRHtcqno</a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Donna</span></i></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-37647449371219028682023-09-05T11:05:00.002-07:002023-09-05T11:05:53.620-07:00How a nursing student worked through lupus, fibromyalgia and depression to find her light<p style="text-align: left;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">By Tiffany Dwileski, RN, BA</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="line-height: 21.4667px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Guest Blogger</span></span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGZgHeSLwFlNNt-4BIJ1dOkjo5SX6frTiYD-K31etdjZH6pIeWRxwANPOLKRzTqhGR81qDk_MDq3hjqqCm86LKFt38TDe2hGGW_OeyuwahRp2wroAlwWEKGglbiMZ1QV__4_R8GcXoC3FY5X78EvU6BACef8E0On0EDA011ZHA65v0yLPNA4Ak9mgDqvY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="792" data-original-width="479" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGZgHeSLwFlNNt-4BIJ1dOkjo5SX6frTiYD-K31etdjZH6pIeWRxwANPOLKRzTqhGR81qDk_MDq3hjqqCm86LKFt38TDe2hGGW_OeyuwahRp2wroAlwWEKGglbiMZ1QV__4_R8GcXoC3FY5X78EvU6BACef8E0On0EDA011ZHA65v0yLPNA4Ak9mgDqvY=w387-h640" width="387" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">At 26 years old, I felt I could run
circles around people my age. I was driven, full of life and positivity. While
working full time in a fast-paced ophthalmology office as a Certified
Ophthalmic Assistant, I was gaining experience and studying to take the
Optometry Admissions Test. While performing assessments, assisting in surgery,
post-op care, and teaching, I learned how much I enjoyed spending time with my
patients. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Educating patients became the
highlight of my day; I could not shake how it felt when a patient had that
“aha” moment.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">At that point, I decided
to change my career goals and pursue nursing. As a nurse, I could educate patients
often, and the areas to work in were endless.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Start of nursing school<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Fast forward to the first week of second
semester clinical experiences. We were providing total care to bed bound
patients<b>. </b>I was leaning over a bed
and felt a burning pain in my latissimus dorsi that got more intense the longer
I stayed in that position. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">What was that? <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Thinking I just pulled a muscle, I rested
at home but the pain was not going away. Suddenly, I was exhausted all the time,
going to nursing school nights and weekends and working full time during the
day. Yes, I was tired, but not like this. All I wanted to do was sleep. My
lower back pain persisted while standing and I found myself too tired to
complete the workday or go in at all. I also was having trouble keeping up with
school. I felt wiped out, achy, my hips hurt, and I was having depression
symptoms. Brief sun exposure would create a red patch on my nose and cheeks and
make my body feel covered in sandbags. Seven months of visits to specialists
including endocrine, infectious disease, and rheumatology resulted in diagnoses
of lupus and fibromyalgia. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">However, there is more!<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Fired from my job for missing too much
work and dismissed from my nursing program for failing a course, I was so
depressed that I checked myself into the hospital for suicidal ideation. There I worked with therapists who helped me
realize that I was feeling lost<b>.</b> A
team of providers helped me. A medical regimen for lupus and fibromyalgia along
with a treatment plan for my depression was developed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span> </span></span><b style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">Return to nursing school</span></b></span></p><p>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">In the fall I returned to nursing school det</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">ermined that I would finish. It was
important that I communicated with my professors about my condition, potential
limitations and requested assistance when needed. Clinical days were very
trying but I did not give up! Learning to practice good sleep hygiene, avoiding
inflammatory foods, and engaging in light exercise such as walking, yoga,
swimming, and listening to my body helped. Rest, eat, rest, repeat got me to
graduation.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Additional hurdles<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">While practicing as a nurse additional
health challenges emerged. Heart surgery and treatment for melanoma seriously
threatened my return to nursing. Times when I had to go on long-term steroids,
I loathed the most; the medication made me feel angry and fat. Through these
times, I learned to<b> </b>give myself
grace.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Finding my light<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Thankfully, I found that I could continue
to work! I found my light working with children with developmental
disabilities. The care I provide ranges from in-line suctioning of patients on
ventilators to administering medications to patients experiencing explosive
behavioral outbursts. Many of my
patients are nonverbal or minimally verbal, but they have taught me so much
about bravery, spirit, humanity, and not giving up when the odds are against
you. It definitely puts things into perspective when it comes to dealing with my
conditions and evolving career as a nurse. I am building resilience to continue
without losing hope for my future. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Visit Tiffany on Linkedin:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-dwileski-29443536">https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-dwileski-29443536</a></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Or email her at <a href="mailto:tdwileski@gmail.com">tdwileski@gmail.com</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-5510022483717346352023-08-25T08:03:00.000-07:002023-08-25T08:03:56.948-07:00Congratulations to the Exceptional Nurse 2023 scholarship winners!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAaP4cT3hg7rPpb2O58csxpvFQjKrXHQMgzCTNrT1c0c5vkEvXWzXEvM45PFeicxuBB-n881kGitVzxTVcQ_cNNfuuureXWfCt2avIT2fgilcY8zTyNIaOkdVd2aNd1W_zIe8_f6BHQZmi7K57dbm32Q_WZz-1_2QB4DjUq4Xa4hlDPXAPaoLQ0DrGGiw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAaP4cT3hg7rPpb2O58csxpvFQjKrXHQMgzCTNrT1c0c5vkEvXWzXEvM45PFeicxuBB-n881kGitVzxTVcQ_cNNfuuureXWfCt2avIT2fgilcY8zTyNIaOkdVd2aNd1W_zIe8_f6BHQZmi7K57dbm32Q_WZz-1_2QB4DjUq4Xa4hlDPXAPaoLQ0DrGGiw=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Nursing students with a wide range of disabilities are admitted to nursing programs. Disabilities may include hearing loss, low vision, learning
disabilities, limb differences, paralysis, mental illness, autism, chronic
illnesses and conditions such as multiple sclerosis, lupus and movement
disorders.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Financing an education can be a challenge for some students
with disabilities. In addition to routine expenses (tuition, room and board,
books, uniforms, transportation), students may need to purchase an amplified or
electronic stethoscope, computer software programs, or audio books—as well as
medications, hearing aids, therapies, prostheses, special equipment or custom
alterations to uniforms and lab coats. Working a part-time job may not be
possible.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Scholarships are available from ExceptionalNurse.com, a
nonprofit resource network for nursing students and nurses with disabilities.
The organization provides links to disability-related organizations,
technology, equipment, financial aid, employment opportunities, mentors, blogs,
continuing education, speakers, legal resources, social media groups, research
and related publications.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p> </o:p>The organization has been awarding scholarships to nursing
students with disabilities since 2003. The awards are based on academic
performance, letters of recommendation, financial need and an essay which
answers the questions: “How do you plan to contribute to the nursing
profession? How will your disability influence your practice as a nurse”? Due
to support from donations and book sales, we were able to award two scholarships.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">ExceptionalNurse.com is honored to announce the winners for
2023!!!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Elizabeth Herrera</i></b> from Tucson, Arizona will be attending the at the University of Arizona. In her essay, she stated, "now I know I am meant to be a nurse to continue to be an advocate for....patients like myself. Furthermore, I always wanted a healthcare provider to look like me: dark black hair, Mexican brown skin and deep brown eyes."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Janelle Eradiri</i></b> from Freeport, New York is attending the Accelerated BSN program at the State University of New York Downstate. Her essay included,"I am committed to providing patient-centered care, advocating for individuals with disabilities, and fostering a culture of inclusivity with the healthcare system. My disability is not a limitation but a source of strength and motivation, driving me to make a lasting impact in the lives of those I serve." </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Congratulations and best wishes to these deserving future nurses.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Donna</span></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-22996003082033372962023-07-28T11:09:00.001-07:002023-07-28T11:09:48.139-07:00Veteran U.S. Air Force nurse who is legally blind continues to care for others<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4_CR9HrfLg6aGBBg_XaEMCj-B_FD3MvBfve_M165EbYTk-NmJNJoKP_o9LQ9z8SZr6wmpq4_3eIydbgn5HiHkAM_9tMkKvaFPX7KS3DtMZ19xdRVdzFOI3ycyh_ZRn2tzEGMr0iLNlZLG_5f2lksFLia9Z04lwgdxiaSeXevLOrgY2UEb_c5TV4mI-uc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4_CR9HrfLg6aGBBg_XaEMCj-B_FD3MvBfve_M165EbYTk-NmJNJoKP_o9LQ9z8SZr6wmpq4_3eIydbgn5HiHkAM_9tMkKvaFPX7KS3DtMZ19xdRVdzFOI3ycyh_ZRn2tzEGMr0iLNlZLG_5f2lksFLia9Z04lwgdxiaSeXevLOrgY2UEb_c5TV4mI-uc=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Julie Harper shared this story about Nadine Jacobson in <i>UCF Today</i>. <i>At age 62, <b>Nadine Jacobson ’23MSN</b>, who is
legally blind, has overcome many challenges in life but has persevered in her
commitment to lifelong learning.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: large;">With a passion for caring for others, she pursued a career
in nursing. After earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing, she initially
worked at the bedside before joining the U.S. Air Force where she had the rank
of captain, worked as a labor and delivery nurse, attended nursing flight
school, and served during the Persian Gulf War.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: large;">“My plan was to go to medical school to become an
obstetrician or midwife and deliver babies,” she says. She even had completed
all of her pre-med requirements while being a single parent and serving in
active duty.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: large;">That journey, however, was cut short after a procedure to
remove thyroid cancer triggered a reaction in her eyes — causing her vision to
slowly deteriorate.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0in;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Despite the challenges of her disability and in life, she
continued to care for others as now a mother to five children and she continued
to pursue an education, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, master’s
degree in nursing health policy and a law degree.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: large;">After practicing law for several years (she had to close the
practice to focus on her family), she returned to school and enrolled in
the <a href="https://nursing.ucf.edu/admissions/sim/">healthcare
simulation program at UCF</a> — one of only a few nationwide.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: large;">During the program, she needed to complete clinical rotation
and worked alongside renowned simulation expert and nurse practitioner <a href="https://nursing.ucf.edu/people/desiree-diaz/">Desiree Díaz</a> in a
Central Florida clinic.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: large;">“I really enjoyed it, as I really miss being able to be a
nurse,” Jacobson says. “I still have a lot of nursing knowledge, and it was
great to tap into that and belong in that group again.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: large;">She also spent three days in UCF’s <a href="https://nursing.ucf.edu/about/simulation-labs-classrooms/">internationally
accredited STIM Center</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“They were really excellent at providing accommodations for
me,” she says. Those accommodations included hooking up Jacobson’s 27-inch
iMac, her “window to the world.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Read more about Nadine Jacobson at:</span></p><p><a href="https://www.ucf.edu/news/knowledge-is-power-for-disabled-veteran-and-ucf-nursing-graduate/"><span style="font-size: large;">Knowledge is Power for Disabled Veteran and UCF Nursing Graduate | University of Central Florida News</span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Donna</span></i></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-47169968140804008462023-06-30T12:58:00.001-07:002023-06-30T12:58:00.140-07:00Nurse transforms her life and calls her wheelchair "a gift"<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-mvoXWJvKKauQ7VqR9QWjrY9boU_FtYQRRCM3H6NiE_U_yGt1DXOSY9hDx7bO_A4T910Yef76Qge4dRbXiWWtEh-bGI4euiRbyzC1dy_UKM-_1MKnYutRRGfbAg8eJ_K9a07C4fW5Zig7KZpJVP5Hhoy_hm_ZsrL7OzYpGCMj4FCX3O68nxgwfZ-n6Mg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="585" data-original-width="1920" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-mvoXWJvKKauQ7VqR9QWjrY9boU_FtYQRRCM3H6NiE_U_yGt1DXOSY9hDx7bO_A4T910Yef76Qge4dRbXiWWtEh-bGI4euiRbyzC1dy_UKM-_1MKnYutRRGfbAg8eJ_K9a07C4fW5Zig7KZpJVP5Hhoy_hm_ZsrL7OzYpGCMj4FCX3O68nxgwfZ-n6Mg=w640-h195" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Deborah Sherman wrote this piece about Dr. Terry
Chase. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>"One moment, 32-year-old Terry Chase was leaning
over the handlebars of her road bike feeling the sun and wind caress her face
while her lungs and legs pumped and burned along a 10-mile route in Grand
Junction. The next moment, she was airborne."</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>"She landed on the hot hood of a Lincoln Continental,
sprawled across the windshield. It kept going. Chase heard crunching as the car
demolished her bike. The driver swerved hard and she rolled off, slamming into
the pavement. As he sped away, strangers ran over to help. She couldn’t move.
Chase cried, “Where are my legs?” Her back was broken."</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>In one breath, Chase had gone from an athlete to half
paralyzed as her spine shattered leaving her in a wheelchair for life. But
today, after living with a disability for 35 years, Chase calls that wheelchair
“a gift”.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>“The accident knocked the crap out of me or perhaps what
was holding me back,” wrote Terry Chase, ND, MA, RN, CEIP-ED, in her book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spoke-Broken-Back-Bike-WholeHearted/dp/1737862301" target="_blank">Spoke by Spoke: How a Broken Back and a Broken Bike Led to a
Wholehearted Life</a>.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">“It turns out the injury that seemed to take away so much
actually gave me more and allowed me to live a fuller, expansive life. It’s
ironic that after getting hit by that car…and being left half-paralyzed, I
finally learned to take the first step toward creating my life.”</span></i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Please read more about Dr. Chase at <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5400723854581778142/4716996814080400846">https://news.cuanschutz.edu/nursing/former-cu-nursing-grad-transforms-life-after-near-fatal-cycling-accident-finds-new-reason-to-live-and-serve</a> and view this YouTube video </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMQVpRm_xzs&t=7s" target="_blank">CU College of Nursing: Alumna Terry Chase, ND, MA, RN, CEIP-Ed - YouTube</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Donna</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><br /></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-77904640360060274492023-06-21T12:52:00.000-07:002023-06-21T12:52:41.269-07:00For nurses with joint hypermobility: A New prototype could be a game changer!<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh99kdD9xq8VBX0H7iN6VbpyBTDTzLzo-QC03JRctJJm3XQ9yvMN3aB4tacNWdsRru6GFYIQv7aP_ycLEbSOGpq27fGCJHQV4IBjqvGbBEnwmP4qLH62bo13-W7fcBfdI7nleaNYEMAuY3p6H42jYFC_0wpNEOUfvAIUJlKBpMqam59_wiOCikOF2ox" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="454" data-original-width="680" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh99kdD9xq8VBX0H7iN6VbpyBTDTzLzo-QC03JRctJJm3XQ9yvMN3aB4tacNWdsRru6GFYIQv7aP_ycLEbSOGpq27fGCJHQV4IBjqvGbBEnwmP4qLH62bo13-W7fcBfdI7nleaNYEMAuY3p6H42jYFC_0wpNEOUfvAIUJlKBpMqam59_wiOCikOF2ox=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></span></div><div><span><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Chloe Cottone uses prototype 3D finger braces to help
with her hypermobility issues as she practices using sutures. Photo: Sandra
Kicman</span></i><o:p></o:p></p></span><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bill Bruton reported this exciting development in <i>UBNow</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">"<i>First-year UB medical student Chloe Cottone had a problem
that could have quickly derailed her dream of becoming a surgeon. But a
collaboration between the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and
the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is keeping that dream
alive."</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>"Cottone deals with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a group of
inherited disorders that affects connective tissues — in this case, her joints.
She has hypermobility in her joints, which means she has an unusually large
range of movement and is at risk of injury because her joints are too flexible."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>“When I was in gross anatomy lab, I struggled to use
some of the surgical instruments in conventional ways because of the
hypermobility — specifically in my thumbs,” she explains. She tried swan
splints, which can be worn on the fingers or thumb and are designed to block
hyperextension without limiting flexion.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>“There are some companies that make metal ones, but they’re
extremely expensive. They were like $100 a pop. And I couldn’t find anything
online that did what I needed and could be used under a surgical glove,”
Cottone says.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>"As a medical student without a lot of extra spending money,
she got creative. She went to Michaels, an arts and crafts store, and
bought a ring sizer and some copper wire to make something herself. “They
worked for a little bit. Unfortunately, they ripped through the surgical
gloves,” she says.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"Her gross anatomy instructor, Stuart D. Inglis, instructor
in the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, saw she was
struggling. “What she was finding was that when she was holding the scalpel,
her fingers would bend in an awkward sort of way and pop out of joint and pop
back in, causing her a great deal of pain,” Inglis says.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The prototypes later developed could be a game-changer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLK-NEc51avHFEbT4Hxt_P6U4ZPLF1iilfGaRGqS7uvLnq7RdGokk80PPh3ymdF6tt2Wv_Hpj0tIukma0TUCq6y52Puwlns1v9PrTRPGvqLl-GQ5dcJ7kOsxE3dd6rWsPalsTlpzJjFbMNbW1SdHn-tkGTwF_5IKtsM-HqBeO6C715sLW5TThkJIombkA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1800" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLK-NEc51avHFEbT4Hxt_P6U4ZPLF1iilfGaRGqS7uvLnq7RdGokk80PPh3ymdF6tt2Wv_Hpj0tIukma0TUCq6y52Puwlns1v9PrTRPGvqLl-GQ5dcJ7kOsxE3dd6rWsPalsTlpzJjFbMNbW1SdHn-tkGTwF_5IKtsM-HqBeO6C715sLW5TThkJIombkA=w400-h204" width="400" /></i></a></div><i><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>“Surgeons are very dedicated to their job,” McLaughlin-Kelly
notes.</span><span> </span><span>"They don’t want to give up the operating room, so they operate
right up until they can’t. But if they have braces like this that allow them to
work longer — the same with people out in the work force in other occupations —
this can help prolong their careers,” she says. “It can also be used as a
preventive measure. This can make a huge difference in terms of medicine.”</span></span></i><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>"Cottone says that what started as a small personal project
is now something that can have a much larger impact. “Now we are thinking of
how we can make these available to other people who work in health care who
have hypermobility, who can’t afford several hundred dollars on metal splints.”</i></span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Read more about this at:</span></p><p><a href="https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2023/05/collaboration-medical-braces.html?utm_source=FBPAGE&utm_medium=social&utm_term=20230610&utm_content=100004223382932&utm_campaign=General+Content&linkId=100000204985221&fbclid=IwAR1rJD4GfZ5E7GfnHptd9gLVJ1Q8feqmF_vrNProAmYFyGk5tyUy_Z39Pok">https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2023/05/collaboration-medical-braces.html?utm_source=FBPAGE&utm_medium=social&utm_term=20230610&utm_content=100004223382932&utm_campaign=General+Content&linkId=100000204985221&fbclid=IwAR1rJD4GfZ5E7GfnHptd9gLVJ1Q8feqmF_vrNProAmYFyGk5tyUy_Z39Pok</a></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Donna</span></i></p></div>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-69347324548386455552023-05-07T12:25:00.000-07:002024-02-11T12:38:59.576-08:00Seven years after sustaining a spinal cord injury, Gabrielle Baldwin Vanderkuyl graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHHxEsNBf7pZHbocdJZKH2VVRCR23AViX_6YKbsWZI58GXJrRV6bcGWKFwnwh4QRYmzICpKL1Rk-MAHuG8m9FFgraIOZbsQ1x88oMpnx7Mp0ugcqCp-n6IkKywVKFsziEMtd4IrwXPYfRjb1FPmesKobGP8bzhIscNBnPBSENXE1Y19cu5A5eZFSb/s1920/Nursing_Feature_PIC40074-ADC-UNCG_magazine_Gabrielle_Baldwin_013_1920x1080-10f981c8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHHxEsNBf7pZHbocdJZKH2VVRCR23AViX_6YKbsWZI58GXJrRV6bcGWKFwnwh4QRYmzICpKL1Rk-MAHuG8m9FFgraIOZbsQ1x88oMpnx7Mp0ugcqCp-n6IkKywVKFsziEMtd4IrwXPYfRjb1FPmesKobGP8bzhIscNBnPBSENXE1Y19cu5A5eZFSb/w640-h360/Nursing_Feature_PIC40074-ADC-UNCG_magazine_Gabrielle_Baldwin_013_1920x1080-10f981c8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Gabrielle Vanderkuyl, BSN</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">"In 2016, four months before Gabrielle Vanderkuyl was
supposed to get her Bachelor of Science in nursing, she ended up paralyzed from
the chest down. It’s a moment in her life she doesn’t want to talk about or
focus on. Instead, she talked about her hard work and perseverance, which made
her graduation dreams come true."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">“It’s just moving forward and just knowing that you’re
capable of whatever dream that you have and don’t give up,” she said. “Put
everything you can do in a bag. Put it on your back. And go forward.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: times;">"Baldwin returned to the School of Nursing in August 2021,
seven years after she started the BSN program, ready to wrap up her degree. She
needed to audit several courses she had previously taken, finish some classes
that had been added since 2016, and complete the last of her clinical
rotations."</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">"She’s come a long way. Now, she has to study for the test to
get her nursing license."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;">Learn more about her journey at:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://magazine.uncg.edu/newsfront/gabrielle-baldwins-amazing-journey/">https://magazine.uncg.edu/newsfront/gabrielle-baldwins-amazing-journey/</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.wnct.com/news/north-carolina/uncg-nursing-student-defies-odds-graduates-7-years-after-getting-paralyzed-from-chest-down/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&fbclid=IwAR3Uiq1K3AjebpMVfgdR1kOzdxMEHseEc6n-0jiJqTacnP0pYF09EVRrvA8">https://www.wnct.com/news/north-carolina/uncg-nursing-student-defies-odds-graduates-7-years-after-getting-paralyzed-from-chest-down/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&fbclid=IwAR3Uiq1K3AjebpMVfgdR1kOzdxMEHseEc6n-0jiJqTacnP0pYF09EVRrvA8</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Donna</i></span></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-90135615324141434382023-04-12T10:31:00.001-07:002023-04-12T10:31:43.263-07:00Living with epilepsy and studying nursing: Go out there and be your amazing self!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt2MaWKZQo6pPUC1beQYpRFpzy5X8qvgOeV2f29ovDQfdyAZ3JY8g5u3zwzfOZBDgooKSZ5OuZG_Pjo1oTJr-J3hqTXB8zyEXGVA5sjFj_Xv2rh7I1eg6_F1_GpKlfhda_dJGd44O54Rir9hT8jL5MZlNHKGzviEozVzIdLLwUqXYJjabHMoXJsPWZ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="590" data-original-width="940" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt2MaWKZQo6pPUC1beQYpRFpzy5X8qvgOeV2f29ovDQfdyAZ3JY8g5u3zwzfOZBDgooKSZ5OuZG_Pjo1oTJr-J3hqTXB8zyEXGVA5sjFj_Xv2rh7I1eg6_F1_GpKlfhda_dJGd44O54Rir9hT8jL5MZlNHKGzviEozVzIdLLwUqXYJjabHMoXJsPWZ=w640-h402" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;">David Coates, wrote an article for "Epilepsy Scotland" about Felicity, a nursing student with epilepsy.</span></div><p></p><p><b style="font-size: x-large;">How have you managed your epilepsy whilst studying to become
a nurse?</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Rest, medication, and hydration!<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Remembering to take my medication regularly has been
crucial. Also, sometimes I do have to give into side effects such as fatigue.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>It’s important to rest when your body tells you to. Staying
hydrated also reduces the risk of my medication giving me kidney stones.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>It has been important to have a good structure for the
working day since Covid has put all of our modules online.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I find that I work best in the mornings, so I do any new
material then followed by a decent break and then some revision or light reading
in the afternoon.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>While on placement in a healthcare setting, I make sure that
the nursing staff is aware that I have epilepsy.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>This helps us mold my practice learning environment so that
I minimise my exposure to triggers but still maximise my learning experience.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I have taken part in GP rehabilitation wards, end of life
care, cardiology, and health visiting as well as spending the day with
physiotherapists and speech and language therapy.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Nothing has been off-limits so far. It’s just about working
together and planning ahead."<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>What kind of support have you received from your university?<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The university has been so supportive. It took a while
before I could be persuaded to speak to Disability Services within the
university but they have given me so much support and encouragement.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I receive a little extra time to complete any written exams
and I am able to sit in a smaller room to minimise the stress of the situation.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>This also means that if I feel a seizure coming on, I can
make a quick exit to a place of safety.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I have an individual risk assessment for when I am on
practice placement which details things such as I shouldn’t be behind a locked
door and I may need a water break during my shift.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>My first placement was meant to be 12.5 hours shifts which
are pretty standard in a hospital environment.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>My Advisor of Studies sat down with me and the charge nurse
and we agreed that I could work shorter shifts and gradually build-up to the
full length so that I could adjust to the levels of work.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The University also applied to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for a Disabled Students Award.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>This Grant gives me access to things such as taxis to
placements that are far away or printer ink so that I can print out my lecture
notes and not have too much screen time.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I have to also mention my fabulous friends who keep an extra
eye on me during long, warm lectures.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>We make sure that I sit near the end of an aisle and one of
them will come and check on me if I take a long time going to the toilet etc.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I was even a recipient of the Bruce Johnstone Scholarship
during my first year. This is an award given to students who have had to
overcome adversity to gain a place at university.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Do you feel your epilepsy has stopped you doing what you
want to do?</b></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Epilepsy hasn’t stopped me. I won’t allow it to! Sometimes
it’s about finding an alternative route to your goal. Yes, there have been
times when it has thrown a bit of a spanner in the works.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I missed some time on placement after a particularly nasty
seizure, but I worked with the university to find a way for me to stay on
course. Having an open and honest dialogue is so important.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I have always wanted to help people. I did put off applying
to university because I had the misconception that my
epilepsy diagnosis would stop me from working. It turns out that all I needed
was a few minor adjustments.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Living with a chronic condition myself has helped me
empathise with some of the patients that I have met during my training.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>A diagnosis can really knock your confidence at first. It’s
good to be able to listen to their worries with a little understanding of what
they are feeling.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="font-size: x-large;"><b>What would you say to someone who has epilepsy and is
worried about going to university?</b></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Get in contact with disability services as soon as possible.
They will be able to advise you on every aspect of your student life from how
to stay safe on campus, to any special requirements for both learning
environments and halls of residence.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Get registered with a local GP, they come to freshers week
here. I would advise arranging an appointment to go over how your epilepsy
affects you and your individual care plan.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I would also recommend wearing a medical ID of some sort and
having your emergency contact stored in your phone under “ICE”.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>That way if you do happen to have a seizure on campus people
will know that you have epilepsy and who to contact.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Be open and honest with your faculty staff. They cannot help
you if you do not tell them that you are struggling whether that is due to your
epilepsy or other factors.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Make sure that you pace your studying so that you get plenty
of rest and recreation too! Set an alarm for your medication too. It’s so easy
to forget when you have such a hectic study/social life.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Most importantly get stuck in and enjoy yourself! Sign up to
a society to help you make friends, you are a student for such a short time.
Don’t let your condition define you! Go out there and be your amazing self!<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Read more about Felicity at:</span></p><p><a href="https://www.epilepsyscotland.org.uk/living-with-epilepsy-and-studying-at-university/">https://www.epilepsyscotland.org.uk/living-with-epilepsy-and-studying-at-university/</a><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Donna</i></span></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-86519777823376815872023-03-17T11:43:00.004-07:002023-03-20T06:55:23.610-07:00Mrs. Kayoko Kanou, Japanese nurse, professor and YouTuber, shared "I am a nurse: Color me Exceptional" on her YouTube channel <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRe3cjtG4SNO7oBpz2Fq2bhAz6tLBZwIosJMS1VJjuA5HPYJjN8eEpgnBO8ArAwm7p8klD9p8X9yQIbfCT_K4NN5T25zyh0tbNgjxSvlXht7ygUmG-Iu2JHzSxnOZw1xrYSF8tYWWcATctJ5oIPfEyayS0ba5UvFPbEp7xBqhkGhO_ZDGpYMTLkoA/s1920/Screenshot%202023-03-17%2011.20.52.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRe3cjtG4SNO7oBpz2Fq2bhAz6tLBZwIosJMS1VJjuA5HPYJjN8eEpgnBO8ArAwm7p8klD9p8X9yQIbfCT_K4NN5T25zyh0tbNgjxSvlXht7ygUmG-Iu2JHzSxnOZw1xrYSF8tYWWcATctJ5oIPfEyayS0ba5UvFPbEp7xBqhkGhO_ZDGpYMTLkoA/w640-h348/Screenshot%202023-03-17%2011.20.52.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">For many years, I have been working with a Japanese nurse, Nozomi Kawabata (pen name) who has a disability. He has been working tirelessly to share my work with other Japanese nurses with disabilities. This is one example of his efforts.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Many thanks to my dear Japanese friend and to Mrs. Kayoko Kanou for sharing my coloring book on her YouTube channel.</span></p><p><span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKwD4QDYdXk&t=627s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKwD4QDYdXk&t=627s</a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">(At 14min 21sec)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Donna</span></i></p><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><p></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-88183559422241120842023-03-07T12:06:00.001-08:002023-03-07T12:06:29.269-08:00Nurses with disabilities mourn the passing of Judy Heumann, "a rebel girl on wheels"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqPVvAEqafWtjt4QqaYONswE8mmzqHnlbYHGC9TwrMevlMQ5U-SzyH1AP-PBWFfLnQtfILZ3dSWPCwaxlSn-MsRbFeUKxH7RHRtzfQdxbF36OTzE_jpH8vEsYvVqEBtjETRLH4VKxr1aYSSoN17v4kGvdfLpOzXwsYBSrW0pE3X_uhol9OZ_9t5lY/s1350/heumann%20purple.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1350" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqPVvAEqafWtjt4QqaYONswE8mmzqHnlbYHGC9TwrMevlMQ5U-SzyH1AP-PBWFfLnQtfILZ3dSWPCwaxlSn-MsRbFeUKxH7RHRtzfQdxbF36OTzE_jpH8vEsYvVqEBtjETRLH4VKxr1aYSSoN17v4kGvdfLpOzXwsYBSrW0pE3X_uhol9OZ_9t5lY/w640-h308/heumann%20purple.png" width="640" /></a></div> Judith Heumann<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Alex Traub from The New York Times wrote an obituary about the life of Judith Ellen Heumann. It is summarized below.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Judith Heumann was born in Philadelphia on Dec. 18,
1947. She grew up in Brooklyn. Her parents, Werner and Ilse Heumann, were both
sent away from Nazi Germany as Jewish children, and neither of them saw their
parents again. Werner ran a butcher shop, and Ilse volunteered for local civic
groups.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">During the 1949 polio epidemic, when Judy was 18 months old,
she was diagnosed with the disease. She spent three months in an iron lung.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">When her mother tried enrolling her in kindergarten, the
principal said she could not attend, calling her a “fire hazard.” She was not
able to properly enroll in school until she was 9 years old, and even then she
took her classes with other disabled students in the basement. She was able to
mix with the rest of the student body only once a week during assemblies.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">She attended a special high school, graduated from Long
Island University with a bachelor’s degree in speech and theater in 1969, and
earned a master’s in public health from the University of California at
Berkeley in 1975.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">She first came to prominence as an advocate for the disabled
in 1970, when she tried to become a New York City teacher. She passed every
requirement except a physical and was denied a position, with the cited cause
being “paralysis of both lower extremities.” Regulations stipulated that
teachers must not have physical issues that prevented them from moving on
stairs quickly or from escorting students out of school in case of an
emergency.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ms. Heumann sued the city and went public, telling The Times
that if a school lacked a ramp or elevator, she could teach on the ground
floor, and adding that she moved faster with her electric wheelchair than
normal pedestrians did walking.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Within a few months, Ms. Heumann won her license — becoming
New York City’s first teacher in a wheelchair.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span>A pivotal moment came in San Francisco in 1977. </span></i><i><span>It had been four years since President Richard Nixon had
signed the Rehabilitation Act, one section of which, 504, was supposed to outlaw
discrimination against disabled people by any institution receiving federal
money.</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Yet officials repeatedly delayed implementing the measure, and Joseph A. Califano Jr., the secretary of health, education and welfare under President Jimmy Carter, said he had wanted to overhaul the regulations before authorizing them.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Activists responded that there would be national protests if
Mr. Califano did not sign off on the original form of the law by April 4.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>April 5 arrived. Protesters in cities throughout the nation
occupied federal offices. Ms. Heumann, then 29, organized the San Francisco
contingent. She appeared with more than 100 other people of varying disabilities to demand action from Joseph Maldonado, the
regional director who reported to Mr. Califano from San Francisco.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>…. the San Francisco sit-in continued for almost a month. It has often been described as the longest nonviolent occupation of a federal building in American history.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><o:p> </o:p>On April 28, Mr. Califano signed Section 504. The measure’s
provisions for federal institutions and activities prepared the way for the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which broadened those protections to
include the private sector and many other areas of public life.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Judy Heumann<i>..... went on to become an official in the Clinton
administration, a special adviser in the Obama State Department and a fellow or
board member at some of the nation’s leading nonprofits. She was also featured
in the Oscar-nominated 2020 documentary “Crip Camp.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Rest in peace Judy Heumann. </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Your memory is and will continue to be a blessing to so many.</span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Donna Maheady</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Read more about her work:</span></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/05/obituaries/judy-heumann-dead.html">Judy Heumann, Who Led the Fight for Disability Rights, Dies at 75 - The New York Times (nytimes.com)</a></p><p><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/judith-heumann-obit-disability-rights-movement_n_6403ca28e4b029d870168df0">Judith Heumann, ‘Mother of the Disability Rights Movement,’ Has Died | HuffPost Latest News</a></p><p><a href="https://judithheumann.com/">Judy Heumann | Disability Rights Advocate | Judithheumann</a></p><p><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/judy-heumann-trailblazing-disability-rights-activist-dies-at-75/ar-AA18i0Ba">Judy Heumann, trailblazing disability rights activist, dies at 75 (msn.com)</a></p><p><a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/judith_heumann_our_fight_for_disability_rights_and_why_we_re_not_done_yet">Judith Heumann: Our fight for disability rights -- and why we're not done yet | TED Talk</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rolling-Warrior-Incredible-Sometimes-Revolution/dp/080700359X">Amazon.com: Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution: 9780807003596: Heumann, Judith, Joiner, Kristen: Books</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-67761364752053132552023-03-01T06:31:00.004-08:002023-03-01T06:31:00.195-08:00Nurses with disabilities: Want to learn Sign Language? <p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOBicQutA5Ww9W6InyQ9h9HtJaQLPqWKX_HmZT93391llNn5KQyR8bYDutpFRPt5JO6QIwiTQbjwfVSV-yk1Ns3n2ddJLxwldOImFa9ns5MyKgv5RWlNL2m_u0lu7pW0yCGMJnlLvUoPxqeuk4My0vQyXFV1KCmkwopKwNgknCV3HPPcYAoihpz-Rd" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="1079" height="637" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOBicQutA5Ww9W6InyQ9h9HtJaQLPqWKX_HmZT93391llNn5KQyR8bYDutpFRPt5JO6QIwiTQbjwfVSV-yk1Ns3n2ddJLxwldOImFa9ns5MyKgv5RWlNL2m_u0lu7pW0yCGMJnlLvUoPxqeuk4My0vQyXFV1KCmkwopKwNgknCV3HPPcYAoihpz-Rd=w640-h637" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Oklahoma School for the Deaf offers free Sign Language l and Sign Language ll classes online. </span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>These are classes taught by OSD’s ASL Specialist. These are
non credit level courses and do not count towards professional development
hours or continuing education units. They are simply basic courses in
conversational American Sign Language.</i></span><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>For more information, please visit</span><span>:</span></span></div><div><p><a href="https://courses.osd.k12.ok.us/">Oklahoma School for the Deaf (osd.k12.ok.us)</a></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cheers!</span></p><p><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Donna</span></i></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p></div></div></div>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-82374272510485851582023-02-26T10:24:00.000-08:002023-02-26T10:24:01.677-08:00Justina Miles, Super Bowl performer, is deaf and a pre-nursing student<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZDCKm1MGQ9fctn1eUBLwel8TMer6DXaUWkO3JzF0iDTWF6xPpubppHqzj-RG7wZwNrmfvA9c8_8KV0oTuvD3Itk9sO5d8b0Kg1ZZZfmtK5mICn5VnZuZ_OG1VeHCI2L9m7LJ6tXCEw68z3nLxvzngo6Ulv3ZGuCVSyc7R_Gnli5M5nPq4ZGtblXJ/s256/Justina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="145" data-original-width="256" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZDCKm1MGQ9fctn1eUBLwel8TMer6DXaUWkO3JzF0iDTWF6xPpubppHqzj-RG7wZwNrmfvA9c8_8KV0oTuvD3Itk9sO5d8b0Kg1ZZZfmtK5mICn5VnZuZ_OG1VeHCI2L9m7LJ6tXCEw68z3nLxvzngo6Ulv3ZGuCVSyc7R_Gnli5M5nPq4ZGtblXJ/w640-h363/Justina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><i>Justina Miles, a Bowie State University pre-nursing major, is the first woman who is black and deaf to sign during the Super Bowl halftime show.</i></span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>According to an interview on "CBS Mornings" with Gayle King, Miles has some hearing. She is able to hear
music but considered deaf based on audiologist measurements. </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Miles is training to be a nurse so she can advocate for deaf patients and lead
the way for nurses who are deaf..... </i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">To learn more visit:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justina-miles-deaf-performer-rihanna-super-bowl-halftime-show-first-interview-snce-game/">Justina Miles, deaf performer who went viral at Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime show, opens up in first interview since the game - CBS News</a></p><p><a href="https://bowiestate.edu/about/news/2023/justina-miles-performance-at-the-super-bowl-goes-viral.php">Justina Miles' Performance at the Super Bowl Goes Viral | Bowie State</a></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Donna</i></span></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5400723854581778142.post-5318281710639414762023-02-05T08:31:00.000-08:002023-02-05T08:31:30.938-08:00"Gloves for Life" may help some nurses who use wheelchairs<p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-jfGiknYZGFXF7vCK7A8BM2RaCkTHpntqYTgO3Ta8vQSRBL6Yt-micArWxIW6gt721tduDskHrQkHL7wGCMne-t4cxii3fm2jgKGxbZQZyuk7NaO2cOcSlgyJEbwIIqbpMgcrL_WsQ_PxmPGC6BIyCe2LLOy-wkoTUu_dgOYLlPpsZdNQr6ppGEI/s1024/Gloves%20for%20Life.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-jfGiknYZGFXF7vCK7A8BM2RaCkTHpntqYTgO3Ta8vQSRBL6Yt-micArWxIW6gt721tduDskHrQkHL7wGCMne-t4cxii3fm2jgKGxbZQZyuk7NaO2cOcSlgyJEbwIIqbpMgcrL_WsQ_PxmPGC6BIyCe2LLOy-wkoTUu_dgOYLlPpsZdNQr6ppGEI/w480-h640/Gloves%20for%20Life.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Michael Franz from<i> New Mobility </i>posted a review of gloves made for wheelchair users by "Gloves for Life". The review included these comments:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>"Debbie Riggsby, a C6-7 quad, and her husband, Zane,
bought <a href="https://www.glovesforlife.com/" target="_blank">Gloves for
Life</a> from the original owner in 2013. They have dedicated the last
decade to developing gloves that help quadriplegics and others with limited
dexterity push better."</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"I use power assist wheels and usually don’t wear gloves.
Once I put the gloves on and started pushing, the difference was very
noticeable. Pushing required much less effort, and even when I didn’t make good
contact with the handrim, the wheel still propelled forward. Another benefit I
noticed from wearing the gloves is that they helped when I had nerve pain in my
hands. On bad pain days, I have more difficulty pushing, but the gloves seem to
dampen the impact on my hands — and the pain." <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"On top of the pushing benefits, the gloves can be used as an
adaptive cuff to hold items. For example, I put a fork through the thumb hole,
similar to how one would use a universal cuff. It is not something I would do
regularly, but if I forgot to bring my adaptive utensils with me, this would
work in a pinch. I used the gloves to hold a pen, and while they won’t replace
my adaptive writing splint, I can see the option coming in handy. The gloves
also made it much easier to hold on to items like cups and to slide items
across my desk. "<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">For more information, read the full article by Michael Franz and visit the Gloves for Life website.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Cheers!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Donna</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://newmobility.com/gloves-for-life-quad-friendly-gloves-shine/?mc_cid=f520220862&mc_eid=e249fd81b6">https://newmobility.com/gloves-for-life-quad-friendly-gloves-shine/?mc_cid=f520220862&mc_eid=e249fd81b6</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.glovesforlife.com/">https://www.glovesforlife.com/</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Donna Maheadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01145329054378122609noreply@blogger.com0