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Nurses with disabilities, the barriers they encounter, their rights despite the nursing shortage, and “the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 14 years ago, it’s difficult to understand why nurses report disability as a barrier to employment” (Maheady, 2004, p. ... Reading these articles have made me realized how fortunate I am to be working in the nursing profession without any disabilities. ... Disability is never an easy task to undertake, nevertheless, many nurses are impaired because of physical illness, mental health disorder, and drug or alcohol abuse; hence, these impairments place their patient’s lives in jeopardy, loss of their employment, and suspension or termination of their nursing license.
As Maheady further states “Many nurses have disabilities, including hearing or vision loss mobility or dexterity limitations, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy (…). These disabilities should not hinder employees from finding suitable position for these nurses, considering that the nursing profession is quite versatile and interchangeable. For instance, nurses with mobility restrictions can become great case managers, telephone triage nurses, and advisors. ... Therefore when nurses feel they are at ease with disclosing their disabilities, and utilizing suitable accommodations without fear of reprisal, and everyone working with the individual is aware of his/her disability, the patient safety is improved.
In “Nurses with Disabilities” (2004) the editor argues that the key to successful transition of disable nurses in the work place is:
Nurses say that support from their employer and coworkers are the key to success.
Technologic accommodations are also useful and include equipment such as amplified
and electronic stethoscopes, amplified telephones, digital blood pressure machines and
thermometers, and see through masks (which facilitate lip reading, for example, for OR
nurses who are deaf. Yet nurses’ stations and medication rooms that can accommodate
wheelchairs or scooters are still needed, as are appropriate and available parking spaces.
Approximate Word count = 1421
Approximate Pages = 5.7
(250 words per page double spaced)
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