Exceptional Nurse

Welcome to the Exceptional Nurse Blog! I am Donna Maheady, EdD, ARNP, founder of www.ExceptionalNurse.com, the nonprofit resource committed to inclusion of people with disabilities in nursing. We facilitate inclusion of students with disabilities in nursing education programs and foster resilience and continued practice for nurses who are, or become, disabled. We celebrate abilities, share resources and examples of nurses with disabilities who work with and without accommodations.

Monday, December 10, 2018

Friday, November 30, 2018

Princess Alice, born deaf, founded an order of nursing nuns

Princess Alice and her son, Prince Philip

Princess Alice, born deaf in 1885, was the great grandmother of the Duke of Cambridge. A deeply religious woman, she was involved in many humanitarian efforts. She worked for the Red Cross, organized shelters for orphaned children and hid a Jewish family during the Holocaust.

In 1949, Princess Alice founded an order of nursing nuns and moved to a convent on the Greek Island of Tinos.

Want to learn more about this remarkable woman? Click on the link below. Melissa from DPAN.tv, the Sign Language Channel, provides a history lesson.

Thank you Melissa and DPAN.tv!

https://www.facebook.com/DPANTV/videos/326124664631630/

Cheers!

Donna

Monday, October 29, 2018

Study finds barrier mandates for Operating Room personnel do not reduce infection

On 10.24.18, the American College of Surgeons reported on a study impemented by Dr. Benjamin Kuritzkes and his team at Columbia University.

"The researchers studied 1,122 patients (mean age 52.7 years) who underwent abdominal surgery. Gender and comorbidities were similar. Laparoscopy bowel resection and operating time of three hours or more were associated with SSI--but barrier attire was not. Implementation of the new attire did not significantly impact SSI, hospital readmission, or reoperation."

Interesting questions are raised....."Has OR attire become part of our culture? Something patients expect?"

Additionally nurses with hearing loss may be interested in following this research topic.

Read more about this study by clicking on this link.https://www.facs.org/clincon2018/resources/highlights/wed/sf302?fbclid=IwAR21v61_uDBYBC_YMu1HnTNCsOrtgVddVUongJVaH8OZ1w0EMPjU8p2-wXI

Cheers!

Donna

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Seventy one surgeries couldn't stop this nurse with spina bifida!

Courtney Mangin was born with spina bifida and spent much of her young life as a patient at St. Louis Children's Hospital. Courtney's motto has been, "Just keep swimming".

And, swim she did!

She now has a BSN degree and is working in the OR where she was once a patient!

Take a look at the following article and video clips. What an amazing journey! Courtney has a message for everyone.................

http://bjc.us.newsweaver.com/newsletter/1xx35thon531eypiuv1map?email=true&a=1&p=3122088&t=55751

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOWh_2JOq1Q

https://media.ksdk.com/embeds/mobile/video/63-8268370/amp#amp=1

You can contact Courtney at Courthwish@aol.com

Bravo Courtney! What an inspiration you will be to your patients and to so many others!

Cheers!!!

Donna

Sunday, August 12, 2018

2018 Exceptional Nurse Scholarship Winners!

Nursing students with a wide range of disabilities are increasing in number every year. Disabilities may include hearing loss, low vision, learning disabilities, limb differences, paralysis, mental illness, autism and chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis, lupus and movement disorders.

Financing an education can be a challenge for some students with disabilities. In addition to routine expenses (tuition, room and board, books, uniforms, transportation), some 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.

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, a speaker’s bureau, legal resources, social media groups, research and related articles.

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”? The awards this year were $500.00.

ExceptionalNurse.com is honored to announce the winners for 2018!!!

Asia Werner from West Chester, Ohio will be attending the University of Cincinnati's College of Nursing.

Asia wrote, "My hope and desire is to be able to provide the comfort and calm to patients that my nurses provided to me. I want to be able to use my outgoing personality to help make their stays and visits pleasant and even a little fun."

Sydney Belcher is from McDonough, Georgia and will be attending Georgia State University.

Sydney stated, "Children with chronic illnesses often face isolation from their peers and have trouble incorporating their disease into their lives. As a nurse, I will be an advocate for programs and activities for chronically ill children such as hospital school programs, camps and retreats that will improve children's attitudes and increase their self-esteem so they can accomplish goals. Programs such as these also provide a sense of normalcy, which promotes strength, and give children hope for the future."

Charlotte Hepler from Arlington, Virginia is attending the nursing program at Marymount University in Virginia..

Charlotte wrote, "my disability......allows me to approach my patients, especially those with mental illness, with an extra level of empathy and understanding elevating my skills as a nurse...I am able to read a patient's body language to interpret their emotional status and pain in a level which many of my peers are unable to fully recognize...... I view serving others through nursing as the mission of my life's work."

Brooke Rennie is from Red Oak, Texas and will be attending the University of Texas at Austin.

Brooke stated, "patients don't come in one size fit all packages and neither do nurses. I can use my experiences to relate better to my patients....I know that each of us is unique and I also know that I can bring my unique qualities and gift to the nursing profession."

Congratulations and best wishes to all!!!

The ExceptionalNurse.com scholarship awards are funded through donations, grants and proceeds from book sales of “The Exceptional Nurse: Tales from the trenches of truly resilient nurses working with disabilities”, “Leave No Nurse Behind: Nurses working with disabilities” and “Nursing students with disabilities change the course”. To make a donation, please visit http://www.exceptionalnurse.com/makeadonation.php

The scholarship application can be downloaded at http://www.exceptionalnurse.com/pdf/exnurse-scholarship08.pdf

Appreciate your support!

Donna

Friday, July 27, 2018

New York City agrees to pay nurses 20.8 million in discrimination case: Nurses' work now recognized as "physically taxing"!

"New York City has agreed to pay $20.8 million to settle federal discrimination charges made by registered nurses and midwives who said their work was not recognized as "physically taxing," the Justice Department said on Wednesday."

"The New York State Nurses Association union in 2004 began asking the city to give the "physically taxing" designation to nurses and midwives and allowing them the option of retiring at 50."

"After multiple refusals by the city, the union and some members filed complaints with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which investigated the matter and determined there was reason to believe the city had discriminated against the nurses, Justice said in its statement."

Cheers!

Donna

Monday, June 4, 2018

Marie Scott moves forward as a U.S. Embassy nurse after a spinal cord injury

Marie (Bartova) Scott, US Embassy Nurse, Prague

"Born and raised in the Prague, Czech Republic, I was injured after I qualified as a nurse. At the time of my spinal cord injury (T-12 paraplegia), I was employed by the U.S. government in Prague. The understanding and support I received from the employer and colleagues will never be forgotten."

"It meant so much to me to know I was still a member of the team despite my reduced mobility. The workplace was adjusted (ramps, bathroom, cupboards and work desk). But, it was mostly the positive attitude of my colleagues which broke the barriers."

"I worked as a staff nurse at the US embassy health center and later took on a more senior role where I could also utilize my management skills. I spent six wonderful years there before I took maternity leave."

"My husband is Scottish and we moved our family to Scotland four years ago. I am now working as a staff nurse in neuro rehabilitation units and care home settings. With our excellent care staff, I can fulfill my role and enjoy it very much. In fact, I have been told on more than one occasion that my condition is seen as a good influence to residents and their families."

Learn more about Marie by viewing this video clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtevJbLDijA

Bravo Marie and thanks to the US embassy and rehabilitation settings in Scotland for being so accommodating to nurses with disabilities!

Cheers!!

Donna

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Low vision isn't low intelligence: Deven Kelly, a nursing student with diabetic retinopathy perseveres and graduates!

Deven Kelly

In 2014, I became a full time nursing student. By the end of the first semester, I developed a hemorrhage bleed in one of my eyes. I surprisingly was able to successfully complete my skills course as well as my clinical rotation with my instructors being aware. I got treatment for the bleed and the bleeding resolved and my eyesight returned to normal. I started my 2nd semester in January 2015 and completed another clinical rotation but unfortunately was unsuccessful in one theory course. I had to wait 1 year to be able to retake the class. During that year, I developed another eye bleed in both my eyes. I received laser treatment which eventually fixed the leaking blood vessels in the back of my eyes, but unfortunately it did some damage to my peripheral vision and I have difficulty distinguishing the difference between blue and green.

After passing the class I had to retake, I was eligible to take my boards to be licensed as a LPN. I passed my boards and became a LPN on July 7, 2016. I became a full time nursing student again in the fall of 2016, the last and final year to receive my ADN. Because of the demanding time it takes to become a RN, I opted to focus my time on school and not work.

It was not until my 3rd semester clinical rotation that I realized I had trouble with some skills. I couldn't see the color of veins in order to start an IV unless the vein was very pronounced. I also had some problems with depth perception when drawing up medication from a vial and also seeing the difference between air and liquid in a syringe. My clinical instructor had also noticed. We had a meeting with the disability specialist at school and she found an eye OT to determine what kind of accommodations I would need. After meeting with this OT, he didn't really solve my issues.
I pretty much had to advocate for myself to find things that could be used in order for me to complete the skills. I ended up purchasing a very expensive vein viewer and getting a head light to help me see the difference between liquid and air. I didn't obtain these until the end of my 3rd semester, when my clinical instructor broke the news that she didn't think she could pass me.

I then had to perform certain skills, with my accommodations and 4 nursing instructors watching me. I completed all the skills successfully and was allowed to start my final semester of clinical rotations.

What I haven't mentioned is how my clinical instructor treated me through all of this. I noticed early that she treated me differently than my fellow students. Her attitude towards me was very cold. This continued to get worse as the year went on... so bad that I ended up reaching out to another instructor for support.

I hated going to clinical, not because of the facility, but because of my clinical instructor. There were many times I would get in my car after a clinical day and sob. I never felt so much pressure to quit something in my entire life. There were things that she said to me that I still can't forget: "You can't go into a patient's room blind" (by the way I'm not blind), "Would you want someone like you taking care of you?" I let her know that she made me feel like a very small person. Everything got worse after that.

After beginning my last clinicals, anything I did wrong was blamed on my eyesight. Eight weeks before graduation, I was pulled into the assistant Dean's office with my clinical instructor. They told me they didn't think it was safe for me to finish clinical. They had typed up the alleged mistakes I made. Most of them I didn't agree with and I wasn't even made aware when they happened. I was told to choose a different career.

I was allowed to finish my theory courses but could not graduate because of not being able to complete clinicals. It was extremely difficult to come to class after all of this. It took a huge mental and emotional toll on me. Knowing everyone was going to graduate in just a short time and make their dreams come true. I was devastating. I have low vision, not low intelligence.....

After writing this heart-felt letter to the president of my college, the school allowed me back in the program to accommodate me and get me to the finish line. I brought up the Exceptional Nurse group and shared stories of how people with disabilities can be successful nurses just like everyone else. The group has really inspired me and gave me the motivation to fight for myself. Because of this, I am proudly graduating with my ADN degree this Saturday!

Congratulations and best wishes Deven!

Cheers!

Donna

Sunday, May 6, 2018

Brittle bone disease (OI) didn't stop Kristal Nemeroff from becoming a nurse!

Kristal Nemeroff, RN, School Nurse

In a NICHD podcast interview for DNA Day, Kristal Nemeroff shared her journey with a genetic condition and being a clinical research participant. She also spoke about her pursuit of a career in nursing. In the interview, she recounted:

I did meet a lot of barriers when I started my journey through nursing school....and experienced barriers from professors...who were a little uncomfortable seeing somebody with a wheelchair rolling into the nursing program..... I just wanted to work with them as much as possible....

There's a lot of different roles for nursing out there....and just because I might not fit some roles in nursing doesn't mean that I'm not going to find a good fit somewhere else.

I kept saying this...

"I will find my place in nursing. I just need you guys to believe in me that....I belong here too".

Listen to the complete podcast by following this link. You can also hear Kristal sing!!

Bravo Kristal!!!

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/042518-podcast-osteogenesis-imperfecta

Donna

Monday, April 30, 2018

UK launches online resource for nurses and patients with endometriosis

“While this began as something for patients, from a nurse’s point of view it’s also going to be so useful because it helps them signpost patients to the right treatment much quicker,” according to Wendy Norton, a senior sexual health lecturer who worked on the team that created the resource.

It quickly became a resource for nurses themselves.

“There is still so little awareness of endometriosis among nurses and health professionals, so hopefully this resource goes some way towards changing that,” Norton added.

“Nursing students will find it useful during their training, but also practice nurses will have something to refer to when patients present at GP clinics.”

"On average, it takes about seven years to reach an accurate diagnosis for endometriosis. That statistic is not different among nurses, who may be suffering from symptoms but are unaware that they, too, might have endometriosis."

Cheers!

Donna

https://endometriosisnews.com/2017/08/18/endometriosis-uk-launches-new-online-resource-for-nurses-patients/

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Andrea Dalzell, Ms. Wheelchair New York and disability advocate becomes a nurse!

Andrea Dalzell, RN

The United Spinal Organization reported the following about Andrea Dalzell:

"As a wheelchair user striving to become a nurse, Andrea Dalzell has been surrounded by doubt from day one. Nursing school administrators questioned her ability to complete the program. Hospital administrators told her insurance wouldn’t cover her. Faculty doubted her ability to safely administer the duties of the job."

"Dalzell, 29, learned to tune them out. “I detach from whatever situation is actually happening and just take a moment to remember why I’m doing it,” she says. “Part of that is to say that I’m out there in the world doing something that someone told me that I couldn’t do. And that’s something that we’ve all been told at one point or another, that we can’t do something. That’s my fuel for the fire. Tell me I can’t, so that I can show you how well I can.”

"Whether it was passing finals with the highest grades, receiving exemplary feedback from patients’ families or simply figuring out a way to accomplish her daily responsibilities from her chair, Dalzell has done more than just show she can be a nurse; she has proven she can be an excellent one. Later this year she will graduate from the College of Staten Island with her bachelor’s in nursing and take her boards. Then she will finally be a nurse."

Bravo Andrea!

Donna

Update: Andrea graduated from nursing school and passed her boards!!!!!

http://www.unitedspinal.org/andrea-dalzell-ignoring-doubters/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=66&v=SoEUsUWihsM

Saturday, April 14, 2018

A passport to support nurses with disabilities

"Exclusive: Nurses with disabilities face discrimination in the workplace" was written by Jo Stephenson and published by the Nursing Times in the UK.

It is reported that "the Royal College of Nursing is trying to support nurses with disabilities and managers to have 'open and honest conversations' via a new 'disability passport' that is due to be trialled soon."

The document is designed to be completed by the nurse and their manager. It is intended to clearly identify a nurse's individual needs, adjustments (similar to accommodation in the United States) and a timeline for reviewing arrangements that are made.

"The idea is that the passport is recognized throughout an organization. If a nurse moves into a new role or management changes, the nurse doesn't have to start from scratch. There is a suggested template for documenting everything. Keys to success include: the employee feels safe and confident to "own" their disability and talk about it and the manager feels safe and comfortable to ask questions, listen and understand."

"Ultimately, employing nurses with disabilities and supporting them makes sense for the National Health Service as a whole. There is a huge value in having lived experience of disability when you are a care giver. What we want to highlight is that it is good business sense to recruit and retain disabled healthcare professionals", according to Holly Chadd, Peer Support Officer at the Royal College.

So.....what do you think? Could this work in the United States?

Love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers!

Donna

https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/workforce/exclusive-nurses-with-disabilities-face-discrimination-in-workplace/7023548.article

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

For Cerebral Palsy awareness month: We celebrate Carla Pease, a Nurse Practitioner with CP!

Carla Pease, RN, MS, Nurse Practitioner

Carla Pease was born with cerebral palsy. She finished her LPN certificate and then finished an RN program. Carla continued on to get her masters in nursing.

She is now a board-certified adult-geriatric nurse practitioner. Carla lives in North Dakota and has been practicing as a nurse practitioner for 3 years. She states, “The only disability is ignorance. Cerebral Palsy is not my stumbling block, it is my stepping stone.”

Bravo Carla!!!

Donna

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

New report: Access, Inclusion and Action in Medical Education

In order to capture the state of disability in medical education, the AAMC and the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine partnered to publish a report based on the lived experiences of learners with disabilities. The report identifies major themes from interviews with 47 students, residents and physicians with disabilities.

Coauthored by Lisa Meeks, PhD and Neera Jain, MS, CRC, the report describes best practices that can promote and foster a positive culture around disability.

Bravo and thanks to Lisa and Neera!

Donna

https://news.aamc.org/press-releases/article/doctors_disability_report_03132018/

https://members.aamc.org/eweb/upload/Accessibility,%20Inclusion,%20and%20Action%20in%20Medical%20Education--Lived%20Experiences%20of%20Learners%20and%20Physicians%20With%20Disabilities.pdf

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Sian Preddy: First profoundly deaf midwife in Wales!

Sian Preddy

In an interview reported by the BBC, Sian was four years old when she was first diagnosed as deaf.

"My mother cried and cried when told the news. She had known there was something wrong with me but was constantly brushed off by doctors as an overly anxious mother; she was so relieved to finally have a diagnosis."

"After that, I was given a hearing aid but just ripped it off. Nothing helped. I kept getting ear infections and by the age of 14 was classed as profoundly deaf."

"Because I had spent so much time in hospital as a child, I was interested in the medical world and wanted to be a nurse."

After having two children and a cochlear implant, Sian applied for midwifery training and "never looked back". So far, she has completed two years at the University of South Wales.

Read more of the story at http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-43376926.

Cheers and congratulations to Sian!!!

Donna

P.S. Sian has been nominated for Disability Wales' #IAmEmbolden awards to honour women for breaking down barriers and empowering others.

Think she will win???

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Nursing students with disabilities: Is your campus assault prevention program inclusive?

A study, conducted by the National Council on Disability, a federal agency, suggests that undergraduates with a disability are more likely to be sexually assaulted than are their peers without a disability, and that colleges don’t know how to support them.

About 31.6 percent of female undergraduates with a disability reported having been sexually assaulted, compared with 18.4 percent of undergraduate women without a disability, the study found.

“Sexual assault has become a topic of concern on campuses and with the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, but seldom has the conversation included consideration of the needs of college students with disabilities,” said Wendy Harbour, a member of the council and director of the National Center for College Students With Disabilities, in a news release.

The study, described in a report titled “Not on the Radar: Sexual Assault of College Students With Disabilities,” is the first federally funded examination of how the needs of sexual-assault victims with disabilities are treated in colleges’ policies and procedures.

“Campus assault prevention and education programs are not inclusive of students with disabilities,” the report says, “and college staff lack awareness that such programs should be accessible to students with disabilities, and staff are not trained in disability accommodations.”

https://www.chronicle.com/article/Students-With-Disabilities-Are/242400

Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love to read your thoughts, experiences or suggestions.

With thanks,

Donna

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Access to RN-BSN programs for nurses who use wheelchairs

A nurse who uses a power wheelchair shared the following story:

I was recently accepted into an RN to BSN program. I have an incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) from an accident. I use a power wheelchair, drive a modified van and do not require any accommodations for writing, computer or telephone use. I am also Minimum Data Set (MDS) certified.

I was officially accepted into the nursing program. The program never asked about my disability or shared any technical standards.

I attended the first week of classes and was told, "you can't be a nurse because you don't meet the college's technical standards." There is a small component of the program that includes a clinical experience and they said I wouldn't be able to participate as, "I must be able to ambulate without any assistive device".

So many questions to ask about this situation?????

You "can't be a nurse". She is a nurse!!!!!

Isn't this screaming discrimination?

What about Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and reasonable accommodation?

The clinical portion of an RN-BSN program is typically in a community setting...so accommodation would certainly be possible.

What about totally online RN-BSN programs?

What would you advise this nurse to do?

With thanks in advance!

Donna

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Can I become a nurse with my lower arm missing?

Angelica Baeza, SN

Recently, I received the following email from a nursing student.

Good afternoon.

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Angelica Baeza and I'm a new Nursing 1 student currently attending Orange County Community College in Newburgh, NY. I was born without the lower portion of my left arm. It's never interfered in any given task, but now as I go into the second week of Nursing 1, the questions arises, "Can I actually become a nurse?" Everything in my heart and soul is telling me "yes" but obviously I'm scared and nervous. I only wish to succeed and master all the skills necessary to achieve my goals!

Angelica also sent me the following videos of "Donning and removal of PPE". In one video she is practicing skills at home and in another one she is practicing in the car while her girls are in math tutoring!

Please take a look at this videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hurIPTO3sTY&feature=youtu.be

https://youtu.be/TOgDUgkm3wA

In my view.....she's got this one!!!!!!!!

Love to read your thoughts.

With thanks,

Donna

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Nurses who are d/Deaf: Breaking boundaries and changing perceptions

Helen Cherry

The Royal College of Nursing's magazine reported on the experiences of nurses
in the United Kingdom who are d/deaf. Helen Cherry was included in the article.

In 1977, Helen Cherry became one of the first deaf people to begin nurse training. Helen has severe to profound deafness, meaning that she has little to no hearing without the benefit of hearing aids....
Helen's career flourished and in the late 80s she followed a lifelong dream to travel, moving overseas to work firstly in Australia and then India in early HIV/AIDS projects. One of the many roles she undertook was heading up a team in Tasmania that was tracing haemophiliacs who had unknowingly contracted HIV through infected blood. She went on to present a paper on integrated patient care between Volunteer HIV/AIDS services and Royal District Nurses services at the 4th international AIDS conference in Canberra.

“Being deaf didn't stop me from my ambition to work overseas and experience more of the world. I hope my experiences will encourage other D/deaf nurses to realise what they can achieve”.

Helen is currently working in education, co-facilitating sessions in health and social care at London Southbank University’s innovative People’s Academy. “I think people with diverse disabilities bring a wealth of their own experience to nursing”.

Jackie Wan who is a Deaf community nurse who works within the Deaf Adult Community Team (DACT) at Springfield University Hospital, which provides inpatient and outpatient mental health services to D/deaf children and adults...

In 2016, Jackie won the Best Deaf Role Model award for her work supporting D/deaf people and being a leading example of what D/deaf people can achieve.

Read more about Helen, Jackie and other d/deaf nurses who are breaking down boundaries and changing perceptions!

Bravo!!!

Donna

https://www.rcn.org.uk/magazines/bulletin/2017/december/breaking-boundaries

Research, videos and more!

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