Dionne DeMille RN, a profoundly deaf nurse, graduated with her DNP

Weber State University shared this story.        

"A former high school dropout, Dionne DeMille thought she’d never amount to anything. Now, set to graduate with her Doctor of Nursing Practice this Saturday at Weber State University, she wants to use her life and career experiences to open doors for current and future disabled healthcare professionals. 

“I love seeing anyone with a disability coming into healthcare. We absolutely need them,” she said. “They bring a perspective and a compassion that just surpasses the general population. We understand what it’s like to struggle.” 

"DeMille, 60, of Eagle Mountain, is profoundly deaf and works as a nursing instructor at Nightingale College, an online nursing school in Salt Lake City. At 6 years old, she was inspired to become a nurse after attending a vaccination clinic and being comforted by a nurse before getting her shots." 

“We lined up in this huge, long line and I remember being so terrified,” DeMille said. “Then I get up to the front of the line, and there’s a nurse. She got down on my level, started talking to me, and said, ‘Hey, you got this.’ I remember thinking, ‘I want to be like her someday.’”

"DeMille was diagnosed with severe hearing loss as a child and was raised oral, meaning she talked and lip read instead of using sign language. Because of her deafness, she was told a career path in nursing was out of reach". …

"For her doctorate-level project, DeMille created a program for nursing school faculty to advocate and expand access to students with disabilities. The program involves a liaison who will be a bridge between faculty and the university’s disability services coordinator, and a toolkit involving strategies, training programs, and examples of previous accommodations for disabled students."

“We found the biggest roadblock for schools of nursing and for faculty being resistant to bringing in students with disabilities is simply a lack of education,” she said. “Maybe they’ve never had somebody in a wheelchair say they want to be a nurse. It really doesn’t matter what that disability is, there are ways to overcome that, and there are ways to help you become a nurse.”

Read more at: 'Let's find what works for you': Deaf nursing graduate aims to expand opportunities

https://www.sigmanursing.org/member-stories/member-stories-detail/dionne-demille/

Cheers,

Donna

Ray’Mon Lewis, RN BSN, the only nurse who uses a wheelchair in Louisiana, inspires his patients to move forward

Maddie Kerth reported this story.

“Nursing called me, truly,” Lewis said. “That’s how I feel.”

"When it came time to apply for college, Lewis committed fully to Southern University’s nursing program. He excelled in his classes and built trust in his training."

"Surrounded by classmates and professors who supported him, he said he felt like part of a family. With each day that passed, he grew more certain that nursing was the only path for him."

“I didn’t have a Plan B,” he said.

"But with one semester left in Lewis’ senior year, everything changed."

He woke up in a hospital bed, heartbroken and confused.

“Took my eyes off the road for a quick second,” Lewis remembered."

"But that’s all it took. He says his car flipped five times."

"Doctors told Lewis the damage from his single-vehicle accident was severe. They said he was paralyzed from the chest down."

“I never looked down on a moment of being paralyzed,” Lewis said. “I was positive when they came in and told me about the situation, the diagnosis. It’s the card I’m dealt, so I accepted it.”

"Lewis turned to rehab, giving it his all, even though his dream of becoming a nurse suddenly appeared out of reach."

"He began the process of relearning the basics, reclaiming his independence inch by inch. And through it all, his Southern University family promised there’d be a spot for him whenever he was ready to come back."

“It definitely brightened up my spirits when I was in there,” Lewis said.

"Slowly, he got stronger. He made it outside. He learned to navigate life on wheels."

"And, six months later, he was back."

Read more at: We the people: Ochsner nurse inspires patients with his survival story

Cheers!

Donna