Hannah Gerald, born with one arm, achieves her life-long dream of becoming a nurse

The biggest challenge Gerald had to overcome was being able to safely perform meticulous nursing skills.

“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.”

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.

Read more at:

Hannah Gerald achieves her life-long dream of becoming a nurse - Lamar University

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

Cheers!

Donna

Hearing loss isn't stopping this student’s drive to become nurse

"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.

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.

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)."

 Read more about Alana at:

https://twu.edu/black-history-month/featured-stories/hearing-loss-cant-dash-students-drive-to-become-nurse/

Cheers!

Donna

Diane Grasso, Certified Nurse Practitioner with vision loss

 "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.

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.  

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.

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."

Read more about Diane Grasso at:

Vocational Rehabilitation Consumer Spotlight: Diane Grasso, Certified Nurse Practitioner | Mass.gov

Cheers!

Donna

Veteran embarking on new career through College of Nursing at The University of Toledo

 

Jeff Nelson knew it was time for a change.

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.

 “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.”

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.

His choice? Nursing at The University of Toledo.

Read more about Jeff at:

https://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/12_12_2023/veteran-to-embark-on-new-career-with-college-of-nursing

Cheers!

Donna

Cystic Fibrosis shaped this nurse's career

Brogavantty Dunwoody, RN, BSN

Brogavantty wrote the following for the CF Community Blog."For 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." "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."

Read more at:

https://www.cff.org/community-posts/2022-05/how-having-cf-shaped-my-nursing-career 

Cheers!

Donna

Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses (AMPHL) announces "Stethoscope Equity Project". Try before you buy!

 AMPHL - Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses

"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.

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. nancy.rennert@amphl.org. www.amphl.org/stethoscopes"

Cheers!

Donna