Preparing for a nursing student with a service dog

 

Silbert-Flagg, J., Shilling, S. D., Lucas, L., Nolan, M. T., Lin, L., Bellefeuille, P., Foley, M., Mallareddy, D., Baker, D., & D'Aoust, R. (2020) published an article in The Journal of Professional Nursing. 

Highlights of the article include:

Guidance to nursing programs to assist in planning clinical for a student with a service animal

Common misperceptions about service animals in the workplace

Examples of experiences with students with service animals in two schools of nursing

Abstract

This article offers guidance to nursing programs to assist in planning for a quality educational experience for a student with a service animal while ensuring patient safety and the continuation of efficient clinical operations. Nursing faculty should be aware of misperceptions about service animals in the workplace, address fears, concerns, and communicate plans for educating the student with the service animal to all faculty, staff and clinical personnel involved with the student. Examples are provided from experiences with multiple students using service dogs at two schools of nursing.

Silbert-Flagg, J., Shilling, S. D., Lucas, L., Nolan, M. T., Lin, L., Bellefeuille, P., Foley, M., Mallareddy, D., Baker, D., & D'Aoust, R. (2020). Preparing for a student with a service animal. Journal of professional nursing : official journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 36(6), 458–461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2020.03.001

Preparing for a student with a service animal - ScienceDirect

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Donna

Shriners Children's Boston inspired burn victim to become a nurse

 "Olivia, a former patient at Shriners Children’s Boston, came to the hospital when she was 8 after suffering from extreme third-degree burns when hot water in a pot for mac-n-cheese scalded her left shoulder and upper back. She underwent several burn graft surgeries and stayed in the hospital for almost a month after the accident. She said the personalized care she received while she was a patient is what inspired her to become a nurse.

“The care at Shriners Children’s Boston was so drastically different from any other care I received as a child,” said Olivia. “As soon as we walked in the hospital doors it was clear that this is what they do, what they are experts in. It was incredible to see the way everyone worked together, the nurses, the occupational and physical therapists, the surgeons and the physicians. I think about my nurses I had at Shriners Children’s all the time and how they were able to advocate for my needs for me and my family. The care the staff at the hospital provided me to make me feel OK during a really scary time is really what influenced me to be where I am today.”

Olivia graduated in 2023 with a degree in nursing from Fairfield University in Connecticut. Today, she’s a nurse at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center on a General Medicine floor. She credits Shriners Children’s with turning a devastating burn injury into an opportunity to see a career field she never thought of before."

Read more about Olivia at:

https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/news-and-media/news/2024/05/next-generation-of-nurses

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Donna

Erin Norwood is first wheelchair user to graduate from VCU's nursing program

Erin Norwood, BSN

 “VCU was one of the few schools to say they were willing to work with me,” she said. “Preparing for a career in nursing while bound to a wheelchair has its challenges and obstacles, but I don’t feel horrible about it because it gives me the opportunity to prove that it can be done.”

During her nursing studies, Norwood became especially interested in pediatric intensive care unit nursing. She spent many hours volunteering at VCU Health’s Family Care Center, as well as providing support to pediatric patients and their parents on the ICU floor. 

“I really love working with children, especially infants, but I also love the fact that pediatric ICUs are very team-oriented,” she said. “There are doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and physical therapists all working together. It’s a really great atmosphere for building positive relationships and learning new skills.”

Inspired by a semester working with the Virginia Department of Health, Norwood is also considering a career in community health. With the VDH, she joined various outreach projects, such as administering COVID-19 vaccines and providing food, clothing, diapers and other essentials to local underserved communities."

Read more about Erin at: Class of 2024: Erin Norwood hopes to make more space for disability in health care - VCU News - Virginia Commonwealth University

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Donna

Utah nursing student fights to get accommodations related to her disability

Maria Thomson and her service dog, Daisy

The Salt Lake Tribune reported on Maria Thomson's story. 

"In June 2022, Thomson, Ramp-Adams and the school’s ADA coordinator met to discuss a publication from The Journal of Professional Nursing, about how to accommodate students with service dogs in clinical settings. After that, Thomson said, she met with lab instructors at the start of every semester to introduce them to Daisy and work out logistics."

"When the school changed its name to Joyce, Thomson said, it replaced its ADA coordinator with an employee who didn’t have training in that field. “That’s kind of where my problems began,” she said, “just because there wasn’t that person there that understood and was able to help me navigate certain situations.”

"The cascade of issues that led to Thomson’s expulsion from Joyce happened in a stretch of just over a month."

Read more at:

A Utah nursing student's lawsuit highlights a debate over how the Americans With Disabilities Act is enforced. (sltrib.com)

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Donna