Nurses with Disability?

The term suited for nursing means to me when an individual has the physical and psychological capacity to take care of sick persons. It is the nurse educator's moral and social responsibility to examine the capacity of a nursing student to become a registered nurse or a nurse who become disabled to stay in the profession.This is stipulated in ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses, which states that, “The profession of nursing, as represented by associations and their members, is responsible for articulating nursing values, for maintain integrity of the profession and its practice, and for shaping social policy.” However, the defining line of who is suited and not suited to enter and stay in the nursing profession is still a subject of debates, deliberations, and controversies in the academia and in the clinical practice.

Accepting students with disability in the nursing profession and allowing nurses who become disabled to stay in the profession are controversial issues because of its legal implications. Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 states that, “No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States…shall solely by reason of handicap be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Moreover, the American disabilities Act of 1990, “…prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by entities providing public and private preschool, elementary, secondary and postsecondary education. It also prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation and communication.”

It is my personal belief the persons with disabilities may be given a fair chance to enter the profession and practice nursing. The institutions on the other hand, must provide disabled students and nurses physical, psychological, and social support, based on their individual needs.As nurses, we always consider the safety for our patients. This is so, because it is part of our ethical practice to adhere to the universal moral principles. Nevertheless, consider also those disabled individuals who want to enter the profession and those disabled nurses who want to stay in the profession. Let us not leave these individuals who have the hearts and minds in the nursing profession provided they can skillfully practice safe nursing care.