Do all nurses need 20/20 vision?

Vision loss is a reality for some nurses. Does it mean the end of a career in nursing? First-person accounts reveal that technology, self-awareness, reasonable accommodations and colleague support are key factors in continued practice for nurses with vision loss.

Do all nurses need 20/20 vision?

Software that reads or magnifies the computer screen, lightweight portable magnifiers, electronic note takers, small hand-held recorders, special reading glasses, talking thermometers, scales and blood pressure monitors and Braille, talking or smartwatches are helping nurses with vision loss continue to practice.

Workplace accommodations are also helping nursing with vision loss. Adjustments to lighting, job sharing, and trading tasks with willing co-workers, moving into teaching or patient education are examples.

Nurses with vision loss are working in a wide range of areas from administration to education, telephone triage, labor & delivery, senior daycare, intensive care, and program services. Some have become entrepreneurs.

Leora Heifetz works as a registered nurse on a labor and delivery unit in a level three hospital in the Chicago Metropolitan area. She uses intense lighting to start IVs and reports, "when drawing up a medication, I hold the bottle and syringe close enough so that I can see. If I am ever unsure, I do not hesitate to ask a coworker for assistance or to double-check my work" (American Foundation for the Blind).

Detra Bannister, RN worked as a surgical, community and school nurse. She is now employed as a Career Connect employment specialist for the American Foundation for the Blind. In her role, she works with nurses and others with vision loss. The Career Connect program provides articles, mentors, career guidance and job seeking skills.

Barbara Sainitzer, RN progressively lost vision due to macular degeneration. She went on to get a master's degree in nursing and was later appointed to the governor of the state of Washington's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment. She also volunteers for the Washington Council of the Blind and serves on the environmental access committee. Barbara states, although people with vision loss many not be able to "see" the details of a perfect sunset, they do have "vision" and can continue to serve and contribute to society (Sainitzer, 2014 p.108).

Susan Nordemo, RN has vision loss from a congenital condition called coloboma. She had good corrected vision until she was diagnosed with cataracts as a result of 30 years of smoking. Her vision dramatically changed for the worse. Susan moved forward and worked with her state department of low vision. They provided her with a job coach, a zoom text program for her computer and large labels for her keyboard. Soon after, Susan landed a job as a nurse doing telephone triage. In addition, she continues to maintain her business "Monarch Health Coaching" providing hypnosis, Reiki and Emotional Freedom Technique (Nordemo, 2014).

Mary Tozzo, RN lost vision due to retinitis pigmentosis. She works as a clinical nurse educator and teaches orientation and continuing education classes. In addition, she is the designated certified diabetes educator and provides both inpatient and outpatient diabetes education (Tozzo, 2006).

Buttrell (2007) conducted a study of nurses who are blind for her master's thesis. She found that blind nurses are diversifying the nursing workforce and creating an opportunity to challenge those within nursing to focus on abilities and nurses as knowledge workers rather than categorizing or limiting people by their disability (p.33).

In summary, technology, reasonable accommodations, colleague support, self-advocacy and self-awareness are keys to success for nurses with vision loss to practice.

Please feel free to comment, share experiences, technology and resources related to this topic.

References

American Foundation for the Blind. Profile of Leora Heifetz, Labor and Delivery Nurse. Accessed on August 25, 2015 Career Profile of a Nurse with Low Vision - American Foundation for the Blind

Buttrell, S. (2007). Nurses with disabilities: A phenomenological study of nurses who are blind. Accessed on August 25, 2015 CiteSeerX - NURSES WITH DISABILITIES: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF NURSES WHO ARE BLIND Abstract

Nordemo, S. (2014). In D. Maheady (Ed.), The Exceptional Nurse: Tales from the trenches of truly resilient nurses working with disabilities. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Sainitzer, B. (2014). In D. Maheady (Ed.), The Exceptional Nurse: Tales from the trenches of truly resilient nurses working with disabilities. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Tozzo, M. (2006). In D. Maheady, Leave No Nurse Behind: Nurses working with disAbilities. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc.

Resources

  1. AFB CareerConnect: For Job Seekers Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired - American Foundation for the Blind
  2. Exceptional Nurse
  3. Accommodating Nurses with Disabilities
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Donna Maheady

About Donna Maheady

Forever nurse! Pediatrics is my love and passion. I am a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and have been practicing and teaching nursing for over 35 years. I am the founder of a nonprofit organization for nurses with disabilities, www.ExceptionalNurse.com, author of three books and numerous articles about nurses and nursing students with disabilities as well as other topics. In addition, I am an autism mom/warrior and dog lover!

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Great article, Donna. This doesn't rise to the level in your examples, but I remember working night shift and pulling meds from med drawers in the patients' rooms. There was a small light above but I would squint and hold the meds up to the light.

It didn't feel safe and made me think of needed accommodations- but I never did ask.

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Thanks for writing this! I am not blind, but my vision has not been good. Though it may seem strange, even though I am thankful for the sight I have now, I have always thought that if I ever was blind, it would not be a disability, but a challenge.

I have already experienced difficulty during my clinical rotations at a hospital. It is so hard to see the computer screen and med labels as I am with my nurse. Another issue I deal with is during physical assessment, my eyes don't track well, so testing for PERRLA in someone else is a challenge!

It is very interesting to see the new technology that comes out to assist nurses with disabilities. I have also read of women in time past who were nurses, like Fanny Crosby (a blind music composer), who nursed without all of the technology we have today. That would have been a challenge!

Just writing to encourage all nurses who might have any eyesight issues: it can be overcome! I will still have to find options that I can work with, but I will find them nonetheless.

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Three weeks before I started my first nursing job, I had a retinal detachment and emergency surgery in my left eye. I had to get special permission from the surgeon to start, as part of the requirements of the job was lifting 50 lbs, but since the first two weeks were orientation, I was allowed. But, even in recovery, I had a "ripple" in my eyesight, which was hardly noticeable in regular sight, but really made it difficult to pass an eye chart exam.

Over the next few months, I developed a cataract, which is expected after the procedure. However, in my case, due to preexisting "severe" myopia, it happened more quickly than usual. It made it more difficult for me to see unless right up close to something and contributed to my appearing unsure or having problems reading instruments or setting up IVs or tube fittings.

I didn't want to say anything, because I was already an older new grad.

I was let go after a 10 week orientation-- and really feel the eye issues contributed to my perceived inability to improve (that and they never told me where I had to improve).

I had cataract surgery a few weeks later, and now see better out of that eye than the right.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, developmental disabilities.

So sorry to hear about this. Did you work with HR and ask for reasonable accommodations? Or "scared silent"?

Did you move on to a new position?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, developmental disabilities.
Thanks for writing this! I am not blind, but my vision has not been good. Though it may seem strange, even though I am thankful for the sight I have now, I have always thought that if I ever was blind, it would not be a disability, but a challenge.

Just writing to encourage all nurses who might have any eyesight issues: it can be overcome! I will still have to find options that I can work with, but I will find them nonetheless.

You go girl! Love your spirit!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, developmental disabilities.
Great article, Donna. This doesn't rise to the level in your examples, but I remember working night shift and pulling meds from med drawers in the patients' rooms. There was a small light above but I would squint and hold the meds up to the light.

It didn't feel safe and made me think of needed accommodations- but I never did ask.

Thanks for sharing Beth....perfect example of why these issues have to come out into the "light"!

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I did not say anything to HR. I guess I was scared silent. Also, I felt if they would never really trust me. I am working in home card, but would very much like to do acute care. Having a hard time getting another hospital job.

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Specializes in PACU, presurgical testing.

This isn't the level of vision problems you're talking about, but vision is starting to become an issue for me. I have been very nearsighted for many, many years, and when I entered nursing 3 years ago, I always wore my contacts to work (figured that if a postop took at swing at me and knocked off my Coke-bottle glasses, I'd be useless). Lately, at the ripe old age of 45, I'm noticing that my close vision isn't what it used to be; it is really bad if I'm wearing my contacts, though it is fine with glasses (I find I peek out below the glasses to see up close, though, and I need more light than I used to). I tried some "grannies" with my contacts to pop on when I need to read a tiny med bottle or see lines on a syringe, but it was annoying to put them on and off all day. I know it's a normal part of aging, but it was definitely hindering my practice.

So I've switched to wearing glasses at work, with a spare pair in my bag. This is working for the moment. I had trouble with the microscope in my prereqs, and the day is probably coming when I can't avoid the "grannies" or bifocals.

I figure I'm blessed beyond measure that my terrible eyesight is 100% correctable, but if that changes, I'll make a faster switch to research or teaching than I planned. I hope your article encourages all nurses to ask for the accommodation they need and to not despair if their vision (or any other issue) starts to affect their practice! There is so much we can do for our patients regardless of where/how we do it!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, developmental disabilities.

I figure I'm blessed beyond measure that my terrible eyesight is 100% correctable, but if that changes, I'll make a faster switch to research or teaching than I planned. I hope your article encourages all nurses to ask for the accommodation they need and to not despair if their vision (or any other issue) starts to affect their practice! There is so much we can do for our patients regardless of where/how we do it!

Thanks so much for sharing your story and for the kinds words!

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I have been an RN for 36+ years and have Never had 20:20 vision....I have never made a med error....I work in the NICU as well.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

I work in ophthalmology, highly specialized in retinal diseases =) We treat the problems mentioned in the article every single day!

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