Bad Eyesight

BranRN · Apr 10, 2003

I am a member of the Coke Bottle Glasses Club, and have been in contacts since I was 8. They let me in nursing school and never had a problem with reading/seeing anything, I doubt you will either. Good luck, Brandi

deespoohbear · Apr 10, 2003

I have had glasses since I was 9 y/o (now in mid 30's) and had no trouble getting into school. I had to have a general medical check-up but I would think as long as you can read the eye chart with your glasses or contacts you should have no problems. Best wishes.

KP RN · Apr 10, 2003

Why is it that US SMART people always wear glasses (or contacts?)

gwenith, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2003

Originally posted by KP RN
Why is it that US SMART people always wear glasses (or contacts?)

Hey Kp - That is not as mad as it sounds there is a definite link between keratoconus and high intelligence. Compared to the rest of the population keratoconic patients are statistically more likely to have a tertiarly education.

When I first heard about the link betwen Keraatoconus and intelligence I had just one answer - I wanna swap!

jschut, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2003

I have worn glasses since I was a little girl, just yesterday grauated to my first pair of invisible line bifocals. No. Wearing glasses will not stop you from being a nurse. You go on and become what you want to be, glasses or no glasses.

God bless!

Julie

llg, PhD, RN · Apr 11, 2003

As many others have written above, you don't need perfect vision to be a nurse. However, your question raises another, which is .... "At what point, does poor vision become a problem sufficient to warrent exclusion?"

Now, don't get me wrong. I am asking this question, NOT to suggest that we keep people with poor vision out of nursing. Just the opposite. I am interested in promoting a greater of inclusion of people with signinficant "handicaps" into nursing.

I, myself, am hearing-impaired. I know other hearing-impaired nurses who have been discriminated against because of their hearing loss. It seems we nurses are not as willing to accommodate the special needs of our colleagues as society expects other workers to be. While teaching at one university, I was told by my boss (a famous nursing leader) not to tell people about my hearing loss unless I really had to because my having a handicap would make the school look bad.

As the nursing population ages, more and more of us will have a variety of aches and pains and assorted other problems related to eyes and ears, etc. How prepared are we as a profession to deal with that fact?

I don't see it being discussed much.

llg

military wife · Apr 11, 2003

To all of the wonderful folks answering my question....thank you for your words of wisdom and support. God Bless ALL of you!

Love-A-Nurse · Apr 11, 2003

welcome!

igloorn93 · Apr 11, 2003

I'm one of those nurses who started out with 20/20 eyesight, and partway into my first year of nursing school had to get glasses as I couldn't see what I was suppossed to be studying!!! Have been wearing them eversince. Welcome aboard. We need more nurses.

Dplear · Apr 11, 2003

I swear to god this is true...I worked with a nurse that was blind in one eye and his vision was so bad in his good eye that he had to hold a piece of paper to his nose to read the writing on it. poor guy though, he ended up with a detached retina in his one good eye and that ended his nursing career.

Dave

tonicareer · Apr 11, 2003

I talked to some nurses who don't wear glasses or contacts and a lot of them buy an over the counter pair of reading glasses to cope with the small print on packages and such. As long as you can see well enough to read no problem.

renerian, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2003

My hubby is legally blind without his specs. With them he sees to drive and can do all a nurse does.

renerian