Researchers from the University of Dundee to begin work on designing a wheelchair-friendly lab coat

 

The Press Office of the University of Dundee announced that "By the end of the project, the team plan to make coats available in the campus shop, so that people who use a wheelchair can arrive on campus and go to their lab ready to start working with the same convenience as their course mates and colleagues. The team hope this study will be the first step towards a mass market off-the-peg wheelchair-friendly lab coat."

"But first, they are looking for people who would like to be involved in the project at the start. Cook explains: "the first and most important thing for us is finding people who use wheelchairs and work or study in labs to mentor us. That might involve talking about your experiences and frustrations, contributing your ideas to the design process and eventually adopting prototypes to try out in the lab."

If you’re interested in getting involved or would like to find out more, contact Dr. Melissa D’Ascenzio and Dr. Andrew Cook.

https://www.dundee.ac.uk/stories/researchers-start-work-designing-wheelchair-friendly-lab-coat

Cheers!

Donna

Nurses living with Lymphedema

 

                                         Catherine Holley, BSN, RN, CLT Nurse 

                                      Certified Lymphedema Therapist

"For 33 years, I have camouflaged my leg, remaining fairly private about it. Two years ago, as an operating room nurse in a busy Boston hospital, I cared for a patient who also had lymphedema; however, she’d never been seen by a specialist and did not know how to manage it. At that moment, I knew I needed to share my story with her and give her the resources for finding help. That experience really changed my life in accepting this crazy disease and the importance of spreading awareness" (Holley (2017, para 1). 

Holley, C. (2017). Welcome message from Massachusetts Chapter co-Chair. Retrieved on October 30, 2022 at Welcome message from Massachusetts Chapter co-Chair Catherine Holley, RN | Lymphatic Education & Research Network (lymphaticnetwork.org)

Living with Lymphedema: One Nurse's Journey as Patient and Advocate - YouTube

                                Rebecca Koszalinski, RN, PhD               

Dr. Koszalinski wrote about working with with a state Vocational Rehabilitation program as a nurse with lower limb lymphedema. 

"Your state vocational rehabilitation representative most likely won’t be a nurse or an expert on alternative nursing career paths. To them, a nurse is a nurse—period. That is why you need to help them help you. They can’t support your case unless they understand your goals and have documentation to support the plan. Be prepared for a lack of understanding and rejections. Again, it is not personal. Justification is not based on the number of years you have worked but on your physical condition and the probability that you will return to work if they support you(p.29)." 

Koszalinski, R. (2014) Navigating the Vocational Rehabilitation System: Nursing following injury and disability. In D.C. Maheady (Ed.) The Exceptional Nurse: Tales from the trenches of truly resilient nurses working with disabilities. (pp. 26-32). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Ellen Szelina RN (retired)

 "After her 2011 treatment for breast cancer, she developed lymphedema in her left arm — severe, chronic swelling that sometimes occurs after lymph node removal or radiation treatment." 

"No matter how careful she was, Szelina’s lymphedema regularly triggered infections that were accompanied by a high fever and painful swelling in her arm and hand. Each time, she’d have to spend a few days in the hospital getting IV antibiotics."

"Then, in 2014, she read about David W. Chang, MD, chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Chicago Medicine and a world-renowned lymphedema microsurgeon."

"Chang pioneered a unique, complex surgery for lymphedema patients that reroutes the lymphatic system around damaged lymph nodes." 

 "Her surgery in 2016 was successful, and Szelina is back to doing the things she loves. In June, she and her family rode mules down into the Grand Canyon — something she’d never dared to do before the surgery" (Bartosch, 2019).

Bartosch, J. (2019). Lymphedema microsurgery gives retired nurse her life back. U Chicago Medicine.

 Retrieved on 11/16/2022 at https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/cancer-articles/lymphedema-surgery-gives-retired-nurse-her-life-back

Cheers!

Donna

Nursing Times reports need for culture change regarding UK nurses and nursing students with disabilities

 

Megan Ford reports on an investigation by Nursing Times that found, "More must be done to stamp out unconscious bias and incorrect assumptions about nurses with a disability to ensure workplaces offer a “psychologically safe environment” where staff feel supported, enabled to thrive and can be open about their disabilities."

"More than 52,000 (3.7%) members of the health service workforce in England declared a disability via the NHS Electronic Staff Record in 2021. But a much higher percentage indicated they had a disability through the NHS Staff Survey in 2020, with 20.2% making a declaration."

"Another dataset, used in the annual Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) report, showed the percentage of staff with a disability experiencing harassment, bullying or abuse at work was higher than for staff without a disability; in addition, 31% of staff with a disability felt pressure from their manager to go to work, despite feeling unwell."

"In most cases, their challenges would not come from their condition, but...from how society or employers treat people who share a condition or [have a disability],” she said. “It’s not about whether someone is a wheelchair user, it is about the attitude of those around them to ensure that they are included or have access.”

Read more about these important issues at:

https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/workforce/investigation-culture-change-needed-to-stamp-out-disability-stigma-04-11-2022/?fbclid=IwAR3yx8DXNBArcr4miczqaUCZTLoNMmBcNbBh6zbyOVT9GNBiVUjnZUH8lmg

Cheers!

Donna

Nurses with fibromyalgia

 I’m a Nurse With Fibromyalgia. Here’s What I Wish Frustrated Patients Knew. - Women With Fibromyalgia (fibrowomen.com)

What’s it like to be a nurse with rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and endometriosis? - Arthritis Life (theenthusiasticlife.com)

Nurses are at increased of developing pain sensitization syndromes due to stress and interrupted sleep. The prevalence of fibromyalgia (FM) in nurses is unknown. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of FM in nurses using different screening tools.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study conducted in King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC). Nurses were invited to fill a questionnaire. The fibromyalgia Rapid Screening tool (FIRST), Fibromyalgia Survey Questionnaire (FSQ) and London Fibromyalgia Epidemiology Study Screening Questionnaire (LFESSQ) were used to identify patients with FM. Descriptive analysis was used for demographics. Non-parametric tests were to compare PIT with and without FM.

Results:

A total of 335 nurses completed the questionnaire. They were mostly females (93.7%), married (64.5%) with a median (interquartile range) age and body mass index of 32 (10) years and 24.8 (4.7) respectively. Of those, 121 (36.1%) nurse admitted having body pain. The prevalence of FM using the FIRST, FSQ and LFESSQ were (1.8%), (0.6%) and (19.4%) respectively. None of them fulfilled the 3 criteria concurrently. Using the LFESSQ criteria, nurses with FM were more likely to complain from irritable bowel syndrome (p=0.018), dry mouth (p=0.026), chest pain (p=0.002) and headache (p<0.001). the underlying specialty had an impact on the prevalence of FM based on specialty was; emergency department (23.1%), clinics (17.2%), intensive care (10.6%), ward (5.3) and operation room (4.3%).

Conclusion: The prevalence of FM is variable among nurses based on the used screening tool. Educational programs and screening clinics are justified.

---

Alajmi S, Shahwan F, Bajuaifer Y, Al Ohaly R, Edrees M, Asiri A, Omair M. Prevalence of Fibromyalgia in Nurses; A Cross Sectional Study [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2017; 69 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/prevalence-of-fibromyalgia-in-nurses-a-cross-sectional-study/. Accessed November 2, 2022.

Barski L, Shafat T, Buskila Y, Amital H, Makulin Y, Shvarts B, Jotkowitz A, Buskila D. High prevalence of fibromyalgia syndrome among Israeli nurses. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2020 Jan-Feb;38 Suppl 123(1):25-30. Epub 2019 Oct 29. PMID: 31694749.

Objectives: Stress has extensively been shown to trigger fibromyalgia syndrome (FM). Nursing is associated with high levels of stress. Our hypothesis was that nurses suffer from an increased prevalence of FM symptoms, and that these symptoms correlate with the levels of stress to which they are exposed in the course of their occupation.

Methods: The study was conducted as a targeted survey distributed to nursing staff in Soroka University Medical Centre, Beer-Sheva, Israel. Participants were asked to answer a questionnaire evaluating symptoms of FM, based on the current diagnostic criteria, which include the widespread pain index (WPI) and the symptom severity scale (SSS). Participants were further questioned regarding stressful experiences during their work and about post-traumatic symptoms as well as regarding work performance and motivation.

Results: 206 participants completed the study questionnaire (84.5% females and 15.5% males). Twenty (9.7%) participants of the sample fulfilled criteria for diagnosis of FM reaching rates among females and males of 10.9% and 3.1% respectively. The prevalence of FM in our study was related to age with the highest prevalence in the older age groups (p=0.012). FM symptoms were strongly correlated with work related stress and were strongly correlated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)-related symptoms. Work-performance parameters did not show a significant correlation with FM parameters.

Conclusions: FM is highly prevalent among nursing staff. Our findings point towards the possibility that work-related stress and traumatic events may play a major role in the development of FM symptoms among nurses. With aging this association is more significant.

Dr. Corinna Tanner, RN has a career in nursing because of her blindness

 "....Tanner was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a genetic disease that causes progressive damage to the macula, the area of the eye that is responsible for straight-ahead vision. This means that those with Stargardt disease can only see out of their peripheral vision.

Tanner is the first to admit that growing up wasn’t easy. “I had to put a lot of energy into the things I did,” she says, “I wasn’t able to do reading and math and other school subjects the way that other kids did, so I just had to work harder.”

Even with her eyesight worsening as time went on, Tanner was able to find her niche. She learned how to play the violin purely by ear and also pursued dance. In fact, when Tanner came to BYU as an undergraduate student, her original major was dance!

It wasn’t until later that Tanner found nursing. Years later she became a single mother who needed to provide for 3 kids. In that circumstance, she looked into what a possible nursing career could bring. “I thought there would be so many opportunities in nursing, because I could see nurses doing things that I could imagine myself doing, in spite of my vision impairment,” she says, “What I didn’t expect was that I would be able to develop a specialty helping the blind, and I could use my own life experience to help others.”

Your can read more about Dr. Tanner here:

https://byunursing.wordpress.com/2019/10/01/there-aint-no-mountian-high-enough/?fbclid=IwAR3ObjGHTV4jD5lLunXFqwN_f0SUQhdsuRqVqCBXPsLHFAm4bALHOjjDfs0

Cheers!

Donna

Abigail Bauer, RN completed nursing school while undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer

 

Brooke Killmon reported from University Park, PA:

"About seven weeks into her program, in March 2021, Abigail Bauer woke up with an unexpectedly swollen neck. After two weeks filled with multiple doctor appointments and examinations, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Bauer’s doctor moved her quickly toward surgery in April, but with risks of vocal cord paralysis due to the nerves that control the vocal cords being attached to the thyroid, Bauer had obvious concerns about the surgery.

Knowing the risks, Bauer decided to undergo a total thyroidectomy in April 2021. Although all she could do was whisper at first, the surgery was successful. She slowly regained her voice after six months.

“It was hard going to school, taking care of a new puppy, working full-time hours, and getting treatment. But my school work was a positive outlet for me to put my energy,” Bauer said. “I was very fortunate that I had Patton. I told her about my situation, that I was having all these complications, and I couldn't finish some of the work by the course deadlines. But she was so accommodating and kind, and I don't think I could have done it if it wasn't for her.”

"Bauer said the experience has allowed her to become more empathetic, helping her to become a better nurse. By experiencing many of the emotions she felt as a patient, Bauer has been able to reflect on her own perspective and create a more valuable human interaction with her patients."

“I work with people on the absolute worst days of their life, and I think my diagnosis really gave me a better patient perspective and more empathy with them. They [patients] need more compassion and empathy while they’re with us, and for me, I didn’t realize that to its full extent until I personally dealt with my diagnosis,” Bauer said. “If it wasn't for the support of my family and friends, I (am) not sure I would have been able to get through it.”

Bauer’s condition is now stable, and her cancer is in remission. She will undergo testing every three months for the next two years to monitor for the possible spread of the cancer, but despite the challenges she has faced, Bauer maintains her positive outlook on life and has goals of her own to meet the ever-evolving needs of the health care landscape. She recently passed her critical care RN certification and completed an advanced trauma course."

To read more about Abigail Bauer visit:

https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/about-us/news-and-features/nursing-student-overcame-thyroid-cancer-while-completing-degree

Cheers!

Donna

Could Smart glasses help nurses with disabilities?

 

"Nurses at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust are trialling the glasses"

"Nurses are to wear virtual reality-style goggles during home visits in a bid to cut paperwork and free up more time to spend with patients."

"The glasses can transcribe appointments directly to electronic records and allow staff to share live footage to hospital staff to get a second opinion.

The aim is to reduce administration linked to appointments so NHS nurses can focus on more clinical duties.

They are being trialled in Northern Lincolnshire and Goole from next week.

Community nurses are estimated to spend more than half of their day filling out forms and manually inputting patient data."

Read more about these glasses at:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-62616690?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

Cheers!

Donna

Monkeypox: A public health emergency

 

On July 23, 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland, The International Council of Nurses (ICN) "called for protection of nurses and other healthcare workers who are caring for patients infected with the monkeypox virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared monkeypox a global health emergency with more than 16 thousand reported cases from 75 countries and territories, and five deaths.¹

At the frontlines of healthcare, nurses play a central role in the response to this health emergency, particularly by providing health education on prevention and infection control, as well as safeguarding against stigma and discrimination. Nurses and other healthcare workers require access to protection personal equipment (PPE) and materials in order to protect them from exposure and limit the spread of the virus. They must also have access to up-to-date information on modes of transmission, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, infection control procedures, counselling and care, through in-service or continuing education.

Dr Pamela Cipriano, ICN President, acknowledged Dr Tedros for raising the issue of monkeypox as a global health emergency and drew attention to the risk of infection amongst nurses who care for those infected with monkeypox.

“As we regrettably witnessed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses and other healthcare workers often do not have access to proper protection against infectious diseases. In order to protect our healthcare workforce and prevent the spread of this disease, training and professional guidelines are required along with PPE.

ICN urges national nursing associations to actively participate in sensitizing and educating the public about monkeypox; take measures to combat stigma and discrimination; and help secure a safe practice environment, including protective equipment and materials, that permits adequate care to people with monkeypox and ensures protection of nursing personnel from exposure to the virus.”

Howard Catton, ICN’s Chief Executive Officer, added:

“COVID-19 is far from over, and now we have a new public health emergency in the form of monkeypox. Global health must be the number one priority for all countries and investment in nursing has never been more important for the achievement of healthcare for all. Never forget that it will be our healthcare workers who will be on the frontline responding to this latest public health emergency.

Nursing care is non-discriminatory and ICN deplores the stigmatisation or marginalisation of anyone requiring healthcare. The monkeypox global health emergency once again exposes, and risks exacerbating, health inequalities.”

¹ WHO Director-General's statement at the press conference following IHR Emergency Committee regarding the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox - 23 July 2022."

Monkeypox - “Protect nurses, combat stigma” says International Council of Nurses | ICN - International Council of Nurses

Monkeypox (who.int)

Stay safe,

Donna

 

A virtual career fair for people with disabilities: An opportunity for nurses with disabilities

 

Register Today! Are you a person with a disability,  looking for a career opportunity or internship? This Virtual Career Fair is FREE for career seekers with disabilities to attend. Experienced professionals, recent college graduates and college students with disabilities meet online with employers across the nation to discuss competitive career opportunities! Candidates are invited to interact with employers via chat. Connect with employers looking to hire people with disabilities Access opportunities within a wide range of careers. National employer participation across many industry sectors Public and private sector opportunities​ Interview with ease  Participate from the comfort of your home, dorm room or favorite cafe! Multi-tasking chats about careers and internships End-to-end accessible technology platform Career Fairs with Less Hassle  Save time and money. No business suit or travel required No printed out resumes necessary Virtual Career Fair Date: August 3, 2022 Learn More at www.careerco.com The Virtual Career Fair technology platform is accessible. Bender Consulting Services is a DisabilityIn Certified Disability-owned Business Enterprise. For information: bender@careereco.com or 770.874.7807

Dani Hillenbrand, a wheelchair user, graduates from George Fox University College of Nursing in Oregon

                                     Dani Hillenbrand received her diploma from Dr. Robin Baker, President

Blair Best authored an article about Dani Hillenbrand that included the following.

"Last year, while she was already in nursing school, Hillenbrand suffered a catastrophic medical event that left her in a wheelchair. While many would be discouraged, Hillenbrand said it pushed her to work even harder.

“When it comes to what I do and what I know I can do, it’s not challenging — the challenges that I do face are imposed by society, and assumptions made about disabled people,” she said."

Hillenbrand has this message for other wheelchair users looking to get into healthcare:

“You can’t let your advocacy for yourself waver. You have to know that you’re going to have to advocate really hard for yourself throughout all of it.”

Read more about Dani Hillenbrand at:

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/health/newberg-woman-becomes-first-wheelchair-user-oregon-graduate-nursing-school/283-3933da0d-ecef-4277-980a-9c9592bf602b

Cheers!

Donna

Naomi Judd: A Happy Nurses Week message from 2020

Naomi Judd, who sadly passed away on April 30, 2022, was so much more than a country singer. She was an ICU nurse, mental health advocate, spokesperson for the American Liver Association, prolific author, and founder of the Naomi Judd Education and Research Fund to raise awareness about hepatitis C.

In her memoir, “River of Time,” she described her diagnosis of hepatitis C, which she said she unknowingly contracted during her time as a nurse. She said that by 1995, her doctors had told her she was completely free of the virus.

In the memoir, she described feeling like she had lost her identity when she returned home after a 2010 reunion tour, isolating herself at her home and dealing with crippling panic attacks. She also said that she had been dealing with trauma from childhood sexual abuse. She was admitted to a psychiatric ward at a hospital and spent time in an outpatient treatment program (Boston.com).

Please enjoy this Nurses Week message from 2020.

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

Rest in peace Naomi,

Donna

River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope: Judd, Naomi, Wilkie, Marcia: 9781455595747: Books (amazon.com)

https://www.boston.com/culture/entertainment/2022/05/01/naomi-judd-of-grammy-winning-duo-the-judds-dies-at-76/

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

Naomi Judd obituary | Country | The Guardian

Nursing student with Brittle Bone Disease (OI) and her service dog from CCI will graduate from the University of Tampa

      

Hannah Dineen reported the following for 10Tampa Bay.com:

"Tampa native and University of Tampa nursing student Leigh Dittman is poised to graduate in May with honors. It's a credit to her studiousness and grit, and also to her loyal service dog, Nerf." 

"He is with me every day. He goes with me to every class," said Leigh of Nerf." 

"After sitting through lectures and countless hours of studying at the University of Tampa, Nerf has more than earned the title of "honorary nursing student".

Read more about Leigh and Nerf by clicking the  link below.

Congratulations to both of you!

Donna

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/education/university-of-tampa-service-dog-honorary-nursing-student/67-ae0b905e-5005-4ca9-a992-88496b96c93f?fbclid=IwAR2Obihp2dXbAyvUIJtLZs9EZrZ5pkaPRxzaGpBEuY4-nJUIpOJiBZO_r94

5 Lessons learned from the RaDonda Vaught case from Nurse attorney Lorie Brown

 

Lorie Brown, RN, MN, JD

Nurse attorney, Lorie Brown is the founder of EmpoweredNurses.org. In the following YouTube Channel video, she shares some excellent lessons learned from the RaDonda Vaught case. These lessons apply to all nurses. 

New nurses, veteran nurses, nursing students....we all need to listen! Learn more about insurance and how to protect your freedom and your nursing license by clicking on the link below.

Cheers!

Donna

https://empowerednurses.org/top-5-lessons-learned-from-radonda-vaughts-situation/?fbclid=IwAR3rPNYYeLqC6G4MXEmEYUtU-I5NXgWN0caCxrZ0h4FAgOJcS60w1bqnapQ

Listen up nurses with disabilities: You could be the next RaDonda Vaught

                                                                           RaDonda Vaught, BSN

By now, most nurses know about the tragic story surrounding RaDonda Vaught, the Tennessee nurse found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the death of patient. She was criminally prosecuted for a medical error.

Long story short, RaDonda Vaught gave a patient the wrong medication, a human error, and the patient sadly died.

RaDonda came forward and told the truth. Now, she faces three to six years in prison on the gross neglect conviction and one to two years on the criminally negligent homicide conviction. She will be sentenced on May 13, 2022.

Vanderbilt Hospital threw RaDonda under the bus, and she stood alone. This action has outraged many nurses, and some have opted to leave their positions. 

What happened to hospital back up systems that should have prevented this? The hospital had more than a heavy burden of responsibility for the deadly errors, but  charges were only brought against the nurse.

The American Nurses Association stated, 

"Today a jury convicted former Vanderbilt University Medical Center #nurse RaDonda Vaught. We are deeply distressed by this verdict and the harmful ramifications of criminalizing the honest reporting of mistakes. Full Statement: https://bit.ly/3DcNDZG."

This is a sad time and wake up call for all nurses. 

We feel for the patient and the family. They certainly deserve justice, but sending a nurse to jail is not the answer.

Please share your thoughts and respectful comments. RaDonda has handled this with grace and poise. That is the least we can give her now.

Donna

Seeking Registered Nurses with invisible disabilities for a research study

 

Hannah Cvancara, RN, BSN working to become first pre-service amputee Navy Nurse

                                                              Hannah Cvancara, RN, BSN 

Geoff Ziezulewicz wrote a piece for the Navy Times about a civilian nurse trying to become the first pre-service amputee to join the Navy.

"Hannah Cvancara was born with a birth defect called fibular hemimelia that resulted in her left leg never growing correctly and the amputation of her left foot when she was just a year old.

But 25 years later, she hasn’t let her reliance on a prosthetic leg stop her from living a full and physical life that includes surfing, rock climbing and long shifts on her feet as a civilian nurse."

Read more about Hannah at:

 https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2022/02/09/meet-the-civilian-nurse-trying-to-become-the-first-pre-service-amputee-to-join-the-navy/?fbclid=IwAR2xiaBtA5JwitiU6LDxPz_0AvfWVCGA7h_svlBvkOF-s4Z-fnN2U4JX2RE

Additional information about her can be found at:

A local nurse's dream is to join the Navy, and she can pass the physical test. But the Navy says they can't accept people with a prosthetic leg | The Spokesman-Review

Navy Regulations Discriminate Against Disabled People - One Nurse Is Fighting To Change That (forbes.com)

Cheers!

Donna

Top 5 blog posts about nurses with disabilities in 2021

Let's take a look back on 2021!  Here are the top 5 Exceptional Nurse blog posts about nurses with disabilities. 

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and a wheelchair didn't stop Ryann Kress, BS, RN......she got the job! 

“Two years of ‘no.’ Two years of nobody wanted to take a chance on me, being seen as a liability, or just being instantly Googled, they would find my name, see my wheelchair and say absolutely not,” said Kress.

https://exceptionalnurse.blogspot.com/2021/05/ehlers-danlos-syndrome-and-wheelchair.html

Nursing on the spectrum: What nurses with autism want you to know           "My name is Jackie Anne.  I am in my early 30s and I am a nurse.  I may have even been your nurse.  Unknown to you, and many I work side by side with daily, I also have autism."

https://exceptionalnurse.blogspot.com/2021/01/nursing-on-spectrum-what-nurses-with.html

Nurse practitioner who stutters helps others from the front lines of Covid-19

"Roisin McManus, a Nurse Practitioner (NP) who stutters, joins Chaya Goldstein to provide a first hand perspective from the front lines of COVID-19.

https://exceptionalnurse.blogspot.com/2021/01/nurse-practitioner-who-stutters-helps.html

ExceptionalNurse.com is honored to announce the winners for 2021!!!        

Abigail Buker from Ewing, New Jersey will be attending the College of New Jersey. And, Erica Flowers from Andover, Massachusetts will be attending the University of South Carolina.

https://exceptionalnurse.blogspot.com/2021/08/nursing-students-with-disabilities.html

Dr. Carolyn Burr, Nurse practitioner pioneer in stopping mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS 

"Dr. Carolyn Keith Burr, a pediatric nurse practitioner and educator who helped save the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world through her work on the prevention of HIV/AIDS in pregnant women and children, died on Friday, October 30, 2020 at Chilton Hospital in New Jersey. She was 71."

https://exceptionalnurse.blogspot.com/2021/04/dr-carolyn-burr-nurse-practitioner.html

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Donna

In remembrance of Carolyn Berry McKinzie, LPN, a truly exceptional nurse

Carolyn was one of the Exceptional Nurse pioneer supporters. An avid writer, she loved her patients, family and friends. She served as a mentor to countless nurses and nursing student amputees.

She wrote honestly in at times bone raw accounts of her amputation and the journey back to nursing practice and a full life. The following is one example of her work.

"In 2008, I took a job as a dialysis nurse at my local hospital.  I never thought I would get more out of that job than what I put in, but we have many amputee patients and I was able to bond with them in a very special way.  I don’t hesitate to share my story with them.  It’s important for them to see that life goes on despite misfortune.  I can’t work a 10 hour shift like everybody else does, but I can keep up with them while I am there.  I have become a certified amputee peer visitor and I speak to people about my journey whenever the opportunity arises.   I know that I am a much better nurse now than I ever was.  The most valuable lesson I have learned is that tough times don’t last, but tough people do" (McKinzie, 2014, p.161).

We lost a good one. Carolyn, listen up! Your work will continue! 

Rest in peace.

With love,

Donna

To contribute to the Carolyn Berry McKinzie Scholarship to be awarded to a nursing student with an amputation, click on this link: http://www.exceptionalnurse.com/makeadonation.php

Her obituary can be read at:

 https://www.centralmaine.com/2021/12/05/obituarycarolyn-m-berry-mckinzie/

Reference

McKinzie, C. (2014). Tough times don’t last, but tough people do: Nursing after a lower limb amputation (chapter 13). In D. Maheady, The Exceptional Nurse: Tales from the trenches of truly resilient nurses working with disabilities. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. 

                                                      Additional publications

UPS AND DOWNS ~ Carolyn McKinzie, LPN, RBKA (abledamputees.org)

https://exceptionalnurse.blogspot.com/2016/06/moving-forward-with-disability.html

Amputee Nurse Consultant/Carolyn McKinzie, LPN, RBKA

THE DATING GAME: She Said, He Said - Amplitude (livingwithamplitude.com)