Congratulations to our scholarship winner, Hallie Beach!

 

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, autoimmune disease 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.

ExceptionalNurse.com is a nonprofit resource network for nursing students and nurses with disabilities. 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 award this year was $500.00.

ExceptionalNurse.com is honored to announce the winner for 2026!!!

Congratulations Hallie Beach!!!

Hallie wrote: "I plan to contribute to the nursing profession by using the latest research to guide and reform patient care and the nursing profession. One way I might do this is by advocating for fair wages and safe patient-to-nurse ratios at hospitals. I also plan to achieve a rheumatology nursing certification, which will allow me to be a better pediatric rheumatology nurse practitioner (NP). In addition to this certification, focusing my PHD dissertation on juvenile autoimmune disorders, I will raise my level of care as an NP and participate in and lead research to find a cure for autoimmune disorders. On top of this research, I have the option to teach nursing students and mentor future nurses and nurse practitioners who may go onto furter advance the field of medicine and nursing. I am especially excited to have the opportunity to teach and support nursing students who also have disabilities, furthering diversity and support for the disabled in nursing. My disability has added to my empathy for patients and has given me a special insight and understanding of those who also have disabilities and chronic illnesses. I understand what it’s like to be a patient and live with the struggles of having a disability. Having a disability as a future nurse has also fostered resilience and an appreciation for my health, something I may be able to help patients do. Although my disability has altered my goals and future, I refuse to let it take away my dreams, and I want to do the same for patients and other nurses with disabilities".

Hallie will be attending the BSN program at the University of Arizona.

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”, “Nursing students with disabilities change the course” and "I am a nurse: Color me Exceptional!". 

To make a donation please visit: 

https://www.exceptionalnurse.com/makeadonation.php

Best wishes Hallie!

Donna

Caroline Robinson, a former cancer patient, graduates as a nurse

 

Kate Slate, University Development, at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill reported this story.

The lump on Robinson’s neck was Hodgkin lymphoma. Though highly treatable, the disease abruptly shifted her life for the next six months. She spent the next few days in her childhood bedroom, repeatedly asking, “Why me?”

Who gets diagnosed with cancer when they’re only 20 years old?

The infusion chair

Robinson’s first round of chemotherapy went without a hitch. She slept well that night and felt amazing the day after. But later, the side effects became unbearable. Her third dose brought fever-like symptoms — muscle aches, cramping and shivers — and landed her in the emergency room.

Managing her symptoms became all-consuming. She’d get to the hospital at 8 a.m. every other Friday and not leave until almost 5 p.m. At home, her parents would inject steroids every six hours until they could stop on Sunday.

Robinson decided to finish the semester, despite a demanding courseload of prerequisites for the nursing degree she is now completing. Monday through Thursday she’d attend class in person when possible, reserving every other Friday for day-long infusions. Against all odds, she ended the semester with a 4.0 GPA.

Click the link below to read more about Caroline's journey.

 Cheers!

Donna

Former cancer patient will graduate from nursing school | UNC-Chapel Hill

Suzanne Fink, MSN, RN goes from "wheels to heels" as she works as a nurse with dystonia

"Suzanne Fink, MSN, RN, often compares herself to Ariel in “The Little Mermaid.” Like Ariel, she experienced a sudden loss of her voice. And like her, she also had it restored – only not by magic, but rather through the expert care of Cleveland Clinic’s Voice Center."

"Throughout her life, Suzanne, a nurse at Cleveland Clinic, has faced challenges from a movement disorder known as early onset childhood dystonia, which causes involuntary muscle contractions and spasms."

“Everything always took me longer,” she says. “I had a lot of ambition and goals, but chronic illness is an uphill climb.” Her physical condition varies from day to day, allowing her to walk or putting her in a wheelchair. “Some people think I have a twin because I go from wheels to heels,” she jokes.

"Even with these difficulties, after graduating from Kent State University with a bachelor’s in healthcare administration and still dreaming of a nursing career, she began as a service relations coordinator at Cleveland Clinic. The timing was perfect — shortly thereafter, the organization announced an onsite program to train nurses. With the support of her supervisor, she worked days and went to school every night, graduating in 2007. Since then, she has had a successful and varied career, including as a neonatal nurse and a flight nurse. In February, she returned from over a year in London, where she was helping Cleveland Clinic to establish a new hospital. She now works as a lead systems analyst in Nursing Informatics."

“I wanted to attempt something new by going abroad with my wheelchair and crutches. I’m always in the mindset of seeking to push boundaries and do new things.”

 Read more about Suzanne at:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/patient-stories/455-voice-center-helps-nurse-with-dystonia-speak-again

Cheers!

Donna

Experiences of d/Deaf nurses in the United Kingdom

 

Deafness is a common disability in the UK. It affects one in three adults, and many nurses have hearing loss when they enter the profession or develop it during their career. A systematic approach to a narrative literature review was conducted, reviewing available articles about the experiences of d/Deaf nurses. This revealed that they may face many challenges in the workplace, such as discrimination, environmental challenges and barriers to communication.

 However, d/Deaf nurses may possess additional skills that make them an asset to the workplace, such as adaptability, lip-reading and empathy for patients with disabilities. Considering both the high prevalence of deafness and the shortage of NHS nurses, it is critical to support the recruitment and retention of d/Deaf nurses at the start of, and throughout, their career.

Read more at:

Tanner C (2026) D/deaf nurses’ workplace experiences, barriers and skills. Nursing Times; 122: 7.

The following links will take you to a pdf of the article along with  a guide for the article to be used with a journal club.

260720-d_Deaf-nurses-workplace-experiences-barriers-and-skills.pdf

Journal-club.docx

Cheers!

Donna

Significant wage gaps between nurses with and without disabilities found in the United States

 

"Health Affairs Scholar" published the results of a study of wage gaps between nurses with and without disabilities in the United States.

"This study analyzed cross-sectional data from the 2008-2023 American Community Survey (ACS) among working-age (20-65 years old) employed nurses. Nurses self-identified as Registered Nurses (RNs) or Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs): Nurse practitioners, Nurse anesthetists, and Nurse midwives. An individual was considered disabled if they answered yes to any of the 6 ACS disability questions (Appendix 1). Linear regressions estimated outcomes (logged annual and hourly wages and total hours worked annually) as a function of disability, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, year, and state-by-metropolitan area fixed effects. We conducted subgroup analyses by occupation (RNs vs APRNs), age-group, and disability type. All models included robust standard errors and incorporated ACS survey weights and complex survey design."

"The analytic sample included 473 850 employed nurses, with 17 425 (weighted, 3.5%) reporting a disability. See Table S1 in Appendix 2 for sample characteristics. The most common disability types were mobility (23.9%) and hearing (22.1%) disabilities. Employed, working-age nurses with disabilities were older, on average, than those without disabilities (mean age: 48.6 vs 42.6, respectively). The top industries where nurses with and without disabilities worked were overall similar (ie, hospitals, outpatient care centers, and nursing facilities), though a smaller proportion of disabled nurses (55.1%) worked in hospitals than non-disabled nurses (63.7%)."

"In adjusted analyses, disabled nurses earned 12.2% lower annual wages (95% CI, −13.6 to −10.8; P < 0.001) and 7.4% lower hourly wages (95% CI, −8.3 to −6.5; P < 0.001), and worked 27 fewer hours annually than non-disabled nurses. Wage differences between nurses with and without disabilities remained significant after adjusting for total hours worked (Table 1). Models that additionally adjusted for industry (job location) showed similar estimates for primary outcomes (see Table S2 in Appendix 2)."

"Overall, these findings point to wide disability-based wage gaps within the largest U.S. healthcare workforce. As more nurses enter the workforce with disabilities or acquire them with age or the physical demands of the job,³ policy and organizational changes to foster disability-inclusive workplaces are essential to improve retention, equity, and patient care.^4"

Please visit:

Laurin Bixby, K Jane Muir, Michelle Kephart, Mihir Kakara, Wage gaps between US nurses with and without disabilities, Health Affairs Scholar, Volume 4, Issue 7, July 2026, qxag161, https://doi.org/10.1093/haschl/qxag161

Wage gaps between US nurses with and without disabilities to read the complete article.

Cheers!

Donna

Care at Shriners Hospital enabled patient with cerebral palsy to become a NICU nurse

Vanessa was born at 28 weeks. She spent 154 days in the NICU after being diagnosed with a significant brain bleed. While she developed into a bright, fully functioning toddler, her body struggled to keep up.

“I didn’t take my first steps until I was two and a half,” Vanessa said.

That delay led to a referral to Shriners Children’s in 1998 when she was 2. There, she was diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy affecting her lower extremities.

Despite the difficulties, Vanessa holds some of her best childhood memories from Shriners Children’s – swimming in the therapy pool, playing basketball with a visiting Sacramento Kings player and the overwhelming sense of support.

“Shriners Children’s made me feel happy even when I felt sorry for myself,” she said. “It is one of a kind, and it totally made me the nurse I am today.”

That nursing path was intentional. Though she once dreamed of being a surgeon, she realized nurses are the backbone of the hospital, providing the crucial face-to-face support for families. She and her now-wife moved to Arizona for nursing school, navigating their education through the COVID-19 pandemic, where Vanessa gained frontline experience as a certified nursing assistant in a COVID unit.

Today, she has achieved her dream job: working as a NICU nurse at a top-level hospital in the Pacific Northwest, caring for the most premature infants.

“I chose the NICU because prematurity is a top risk factor for developing a disability like CP,” Vanessa said. “Having been a NICU baby myself, and hearing what my mom went through as a single parent, I wanted to provide the same support and compassion for my patients that UC Davis and Shriners gave us.”

For her, the work is deeply personal and preventative.

“Reading my own old medical records, I see how far NICU medicine has come. Now, we’re on the frontline protecting these preemie babies. It’s a privilege and an honor.”

Read more about Vanessa at: 

https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/news-and-media/patient-stories/2026/02/vanessa-cerebral-palsy-care

Cheers!

Donna

Support for nursing faculty with disabilities and chronic illness is needed

 

Cross, Lisa PhD, RN, CNE, CRRN, CHPN; Coombs Delis, Pamela PhD, RN, CNE. Supporting Nurse Faculty Who Have Disability and Chronic Illness. Nurse Educator ():10.1097/NNE.0000000000002187, May 25, 2026. | DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000002187 

Cheers!

Donna

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

Introducing Dr. Sabrina Ali Jamal-Eddine, nurse scientist and disability justice scholar

 "Dr. Sabrina Ali Jamal-Eddine, PhD RN (she/her) is an Arab disabled queer woman, health humanities nurse scientist, disability justice scholar-activist, and spoken word poet. Dr. Jamal-Eddine completed her PhD in Nursing with a certificate in Disability Ethics at University of Illinois Chicago where her doctoral research explored the use of spoken word poetry as a form of critical narrative pedagogy to educate nursing students about disability, ableism, and disability justice. Dr. Jamal-Eddine's goal is to create transformative change within nursing education and practice through developing engaging decolonial pedagogic strategies, community-based interventions, and transformative policies rooted in the lived experiences of multiply marginalized disabled people. 

Dr. Jamal-Eddine simultaneously investigates the ways in which unjust systems of oppression manufacture disability, both domestically and transnationally. Her long-term goal is to found an applied public-humanities / community-engaged healthcare equity center in a university that confronts healthcare inequity, violence, and oppression and promotes liberation, humanization, and belongingness for all marginalized patients, students, and practitioners."

"Sabrina has performed a spoken word TEDxTalk on her experience with Xenophobia and Islamophobia. This can be found here: go.osu.edu/tedxsabrina"

https://www.sabrinajamaleddine.com/

https://nursehub.com/meet-dr-sabrina-ali-jamal-eddine-phd-rn/

Cheers!

Donna

Lisa Myers, a nurse, receives kidney transplant: Third time was the charm!

The National Kidney Foundation reported the story of Lisa Myers, a nurse who faced kidney disease head-on and emerged victorious through three kidney transplants. Through her resilience and determination, Lisa's journey offers hope and inspiration to all.

"Soon after I graduated, I got the call. I was second in line for a kidney. At one-thirty in the morning, they called again. The kidney was mine, but I was nervous. I'd had two transplant failures at this point and had settled into my dialysis routine," said Lisa. "When we got to the hospital, my team was so positive I felt reassured that  I was in good hands."

When Lisa woke up from the surgery, she saw a bag full of urine–the kidney was working! With that knowledge, she peacefully went back to sleep. 

"When they took the catheter out, I urinated for the first time in a decade. That's when it hit me–After ten years of dialysis, working full time, and going to school, I was going to be free again. I guess you could say, 'third time's the charm' for me." Lisa said, "After recovery, my transplant center honored me with an invitation to speak to their staff as a qualified speaker with experience as a patient and a provider."

It's been four years, and Lisa's kidney is still functioning. She's a school nurse, volunteers during her free time, and has begun focusing on her mental health. 

"My coworkers couldn't understand how I could go to dialysis and come to work every day. Helping people got me through it. Now, I need a professional to fully heal. I started therapy and am working through the trauma by writing a book about my story," said Lisa. "I want others on dialysis to know that they aren't alone. There is hope. Don't give up."

Cheers!

Donna

Overcoming Adversity: A Nurse's Kidney Disease Story | National Kidney Foundation

Michelle DiGiacomo, a nurse with a tracheostomy, shares her story of pain, peace and purpose

Michelle's story "begins with a busy but unremarkable life as a new wife and mother, showing only initial signs of a common medical condition. Then, she delves into her struggles with accessing proper medical care and describes the eventual procedure that left her disabled in her mid-twenties. She explores the physical and emotional pain of adapting to her new appearance and the impact on her family life as she learns to manage living with limitations. DiGiacomo's quest to find a new normal, told through humerous anecdotes, includes the jarring discovery that the operation was not medically necessary. This leads her to further, even more disturbing revelations."

"DiGiacomo dares to address the broader issues of medical negligence, provider bias, healthcare disparity, ableism, and the importance of patient advocacy. Her story emphasizes the power of community as she shares her perspective on forgiveness, finding strength and faith while using her experience to help others as she fights for systemic change in the delivery of healthcare."
"Michelle turned an adverse medical event into an opportunity to meet her true self, and in doing so, gained the strength to triumph as a nurse. Her resilience sheds light on the power of forgiveness and faith."
"A wide audience would benefit from reading this book… parents of children with tracheotomies, adults with tracheotomies, medical professionals, nurses, and nurse educators."

The book can be found on Amazon at: https://a.co/d/0eetLRf8

Michelle can be followed at https://www.facebook.com/Nursewiththetrach and https://www.instagram.com/michelle__d_rn/

Cheers!

Donna

Amanda Lee became a nurse in spite of her past! Support for second chances!

 Amanda Lee, RN posted this on Facebook on February 5, 2026.

"Half of this photo represents who I am today.
The other half represents who I once was.

There was a time when my face was posted online as Most Wanted.
Active addiction. Mental illness. Homeless. On the run. Jail, psych wards, detoxes. I truly believed my life was over before it ever started.

Fast-forward to nursing school.

What most people don’t know is that I went through all of nursing school not knowing if I’d even be allowed to sit for the NCLEX. There was no guarantee. No safety net. Just hope, hard work, and faith.

After graduating, I had to submit a packet to the Board of Nursing that was literally about an inch thick:
• court closure documents
• proof of completed probation
• letters of recommendation
• personal statements
• documentation of years of recovery
• evidence that my life looked nothing like it once did

Then I waited.

For months.

While my classmates scheduled and took their NCLEX, I waited. I watched. I prayed. I wondered if everything I worked for could be taken away with one “no.”

Eventually, I got the answer.

Yes.

Not only was I allowed to take the NCLEX — I passed.
Not only did I become a nurse — I’ve gone on to travel nurse, advocate for patients, earn recognition, and build a career I once thought was impossible.

Today, my life looks completely different:
 Married to an incredible man
 Over a decade sober
 Travel nurse
 Homeowner
 Pardoned by the state
 Restored relationships
 A life filled with peace, purpose, and joy

This photo isn’t shock value.
It’s proof of transformation.

I share this because people deserve to know:
• Your past does not automatically disqualify you
• Recovery is real
• Transparency matters
• The Board cares about who you are now
• And it IS possible to come back from what feels like the end

If you’re navigating nursing school with a record, recovery, or fear about the Board — ask me questions.
If you’re in the middle of rebuilding your life — you’re not alone.
If you feel written off — so was I.

And if this photo makes you uncomfortable?
Good. Growth usually does.

Recovery didn’t just save my life.
It gave me one worth living."  

https://www.facebook.com/alabamaamanda

Cheers!

Donna

Army combat medic fought mental health issues on return from Iraq and moved forward to become a nurse

                                     

"While deployed in Bagdad, Iraq, as an Army combat medic during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Sgt. David Fields was known as “doc.” He cherishes that title as a badge of honor."

Years later, “My sponsor asked me when I felt the happiest in my life. It turns out that it was when I was in Iraq as a combat medic,” Fields says.

After going to the Veterans Administration, Fields secured Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits designed to retrain military personnel and help them access employment and educational opportunities. He took aptitude tests that confirmed that he was best suited for nursing.

On the cusp of graduating with a bachelor’s degree in nursing with a minor in gerontology, Fields is hoping to establish the same rapport he had with military service members with a different population – the elderly. He is this year’s recipient of RIC’s Harold Sweet Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions and excellence in the study of aging. 

Less than one percent of registered nurses are certified in geriatrics, according to the American Geriatric Society, so Fields’ presence will help to fill a major void.

“I feel like I have a special knack with senior citizens,” says Fields, now age 43. “I have a close relationship with the elderly women in my family, especially my nana, who is in her 80s now. I strive to treat people the way I treat her. I have the care and capacity to make a difference in geriatrics, and I want to do so as a nurse practitioner in geriatrics mental health.”

Read more at: 

https://our.ric.edu/news-events/news/meet-our-graduates-former-combat-medic-earns-degree-nursing-work-elderly

Cheers!

Donna