The
Exceptional Nurse: An Interview With Dr. Donna Maheady, ARNP
*This month’s blog has Fatenah chatting with an
advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) who advocates for inclusivity
within the nursing profession. Dr. Donna Maheady is a professor with the ABSN
program at Utica College, located in Utica, New York. She coined the phrase
“exceptional
nurse” to reflect those within the nursing profession, students
and/or staff, with disabilities.
Let’s learn more about Dr. Maheady and her
inclusion work through Exceptional Nurse, as well as additional resources.
Who is Donna Maheady?
Big question! I am a nurse, nurse practitioner,
and nursing professor (pediatrics is my specialty); mom of a 35-year-old
daughter with a genetic defect called HNRNPU, which presents with some symptoms
similar to autism; wife; founder of two non-profits: ExceptionalNurse.com (for
nurses and nursing students with disabilities) and ExceptionalEnsembell.org (a
bell choir for adults with disabilities); author; blogger; dog lover; and
volunteer.
I wrote three books about nurses and nursing
students with disabilities and created a coloring book including nurses with
disabilities.
What was the impetus for
starting Exceptional Nurse?
Lauren, my daughter, was born in 1986 and was later
diagnosed with HNRNPU, OCD, epilepsy, and a host of other autism-related
challenges. I quickly became an advocate for her and, over time, expanded my
advocacy efforts to include nurses and nursing students with disabilities.
When considering a research topic for my doctoral
dissertation, it was just “natural” to study the experiences of nursing
students with disabilities. I found that few resources existed for this group,
and most students struggled to become nurses and find employment—and nurses who
became disabled had virtually no place to turn for support.
A carpenter was doing some work on our house. He
said he created websites “on the side.” Mind you, at that time, I was lucky if
I could pick up my email!
Long story short: ExceptionalNurse.com was born
in 2001!
Later, we became a non-profit. And the rest is
history as they say. We have grown and grown.
What do you hope to
accomplish through Exceptional Nurse?
Per our mission statement, “We are committed to
inclusion of more people with disabilities in the nursing profession. By
sharing information and resources, ExceptionalNurse.com hopes to facilitate
inclusion of students with disabilities in nursing education programs and
foster resilience and continued practice for nurses who are, or become,
disabled.”
We provide mentorships (linking a nurse or
student with another nurse or student with a similar disability) and yearly scholarships.
[To create community]…we maintain a blog, Facebook page, and LinkedIn groups.
How would you address the
beliefs by some nurses who feel “such person with such disability can’t be a
nurse?”
To my fellow nurses and nursing educators, I
would stress the importance of recognizing that disability is part of life…for
everyone! Nurses with disabilities have knowledge, experience, and skills to
share. They have walked the walk and gained insight into patient care from
“both sides of the bed.” Their experiences inform and benefit their nursing
practice. Many have a passionate desire to care for others. Nurses with
disabilities can be the best role models for patients. Many of our practice
settings are some of the most accessible facilities in our society. We need to
put these settings to work for nurses as well as patients. Where technology,
equipment, and reasonable accommodations are not enough, nurses need to rely on
positive attitudes, teamwork, and thinking outside the box. A move toward
upholding more of the spirit of the ADA will benefit all of us.
Some higher education
institutions where I’ve worked mention that they look to what the clinical
sites will “allow” and use that as the basis for student admissions into their
nursing programs. What is your reaction to this?
That may be the reality for some programs, but
that does not make it right. If the university or college is receiving federal
funds, the ADA applies. Nursing programs often rely on “what a clinical site
will allow,” but their larger responsibility is to uphold the law and provide
reasonable accommodation.
What can nursing programs
do to support exceptional nurses? What can be done to have a healthier view of
seeing differently abled individuals as equals in the nursing field?
Faculty need to ask themselves, how we can meet
the curriculum goals and provide the accommodation a student needs? Maybe it is
time to look at other more accommodating clinical sites. Or provide an
in-service to showcase the accomplishments of nurses with disabilities and what
skills they can offer a facility (recognizing Covid limitations).
Another idea might be to invite nurses from facilities
to a technology vendor–type show or webinar and have reps demonstrate how
equipment/technology can help nurses with and without disabilities (amplified
stethoscopes, Safe’N’Clear masks, etc.).
Build resources (books, videos, etc.) that help
faculty understand how students can be accommodated. Some nursing faculty (not
all) need to do a better job advocating for all
students to be accepted at a facility. Work towards your program being a role
model of acceptance for other programs. Research the topic and get papers
published.
This is a great example. Covid actually opened
doors for nurses who use wheelchairs:
Disabled Nurses Find Covid-19 Silver Lining; Hope For More
Inclusive Future
Outside of your website,
what other resources or support are available for exceptional nurses?
Websites
YouTube
Blogs
A Nurse With Albinism and Vision Impairment
Blind Nurse Colleen Collins, a LightHouse Employment
Immersion Client, Lands a Job at American Care Quest
How would you advise
someone considering a nursing career who lives with a disability?
Cast a wide net for career opportunities. There
is a place for everyone! If one door closes, move to the next door. The
possibilities are endless—from the bedside to case management, telephone
triage, legal nurse consulting and writing, teaching online, and becoming an
entrepreneur. Consider using your nursing background to start a health-related
consulting business, or become a clown or humorist, certified yoga instructor,
Reiki master, massage therapist, personal chef, inventor, blogger, fitness
coach, holistic nutritionist, cosmetic tattoo artist, tutor for nursing
students, host a radio show, or design apparel for people with disabilities.
Read everything you can get your hands on
regarding success stories of other nurses with disabilities and reach out to
organizations for support.
Some
references to explore:
·
Dupler, A. E., Allen, C., Maheady, D. C.,
Fleming, S. E., & Allen, M. (2012). Leveling the playing field for nursing
students with disabilities: Implications of the amendments to the Americans with
Disabilities Act. Journal of Nursing
Education, 51(3), 140–144.
·
Matt S. B., Fleming S. E., & Maheady,
D. C. (2015). Creating disability inclusive work environments for our aging
nursing workforce. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 45(6), 325–330.
·
Matt, S. B., Maheady, D., & Fleming,
S E. (2015). Educating nursing students with disabilities: Replacing essential
functions with technical standards for program entry criteria. Journal of Postsecondary Education and
Disability, 28(4), 461–468.
Thanks to Dr. Maheady for sharing her expertise with us! If you would like to learn more about the Exceptional Nurse, visit the sites below or contact Dr. Maheady at exceptionalnurse@aol.com.
Exceptional
Nurse Website
*Fatenah Issa is an Instructional Designer II with Orbis Education. This interview was previously published in the Orbis Education "Hub" blog.
Cheers!
Donna
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