Learning Disabled Students

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I'm in nursing school and recently found out that 2 students in my class are "Learning Disabled", meaning, they are allowed extra time to complete the tests, they receive extra help from instructors, and they are allowed to use calculators when the rest of us aren't.

This really bothers me because in my mind, if you can't do the work, you shouldn't be in the program.

I think it has something to do with Georgia Laws requiring help for those who are labeled "L.D".

Personally, I don't want a "L.D." nurse caring for me if I'm a patient dealing with life and death!

Has anyone else encountered this in nursing school? :uhoh21:

Hey, they still have to pass the boards. If they can, mazel tov. Otherwise, ain't my business.

Specializes in Geriatrics & Wound..

Same in my class, the person has extra time for everything. But while were in class the person talk's and ask's irrelevant question's. This tick's me, because it's like the person is spreading their L.D. through everyone because noone can learn. Does this person pass their test's? I personally know (he/she) does not, is (he/she) being passed onto other classes they should not be? yes, why? I have no idea, and I am right there with you when you say that you would not want someone like this taking care of you in the field. What is there that you can do about it? I have no idea, and I have tryed alot of thing's.

Specializes in Looking for a career in NICU.
I just asked my best friend about this scenerio. She has dyslexia, and she works in hospice. She said that she would take about 3 seconds to block off the name of the drug with her finger, in chunks, to double check the drug name and dose. She said she does this sort of thing all the time and nobody knows she is dyslexic. I asked her if a patient could die in those three seconds. She said "well...new grads are slow...we don't keep them on orientation until they are as fast as a veteran nurse." Then she snorted that she walks really fast so maybe those seconds could be made up. These variables are just too hard to quantify in reality. Some nurses without any kind of LD are just slower than others, some think more slowly, etc.

Obviously it depends upon the severity of the dyslexia. I bet that there are some cases of dyslexia that are so severe that the person couldn't work in any field requiring reading, let alone critical care. But that's not the average dyslexic. Shades of gray.

I completely agree with you that the severeity of a disability would be hard to assess. I'm sure there is a way to do it, but I'm not an expert nor have studied methods to do so in any class.

I guess what I'm saying, and I believe that if those that have a LD say that they can function the same when they are working....then on the same token...why do they need special accomodations in school?

I don't want anyone to misread this post at all. I am not against anyone with a LD having a career and even worked under a professor when I received my undergrad that was very creative in helping a severely sight impaired student take her tests, etc. Thank god for computers, is all I can say.

I am merely showing that I can see why some nursing students would be upset at those that are receiving additional time, etc.

I am merely showing that I can see why some nursing students would be upset at those that are receiving additional time, etc.

See, and my point is that it doesn't matter what anyone else is doing. Do your own work and worry about your own self. The licensing process will take care of those who can't cut it.

I am currently a nursing student and let me tell I'd rather have me as a nurse than those who dont want to touch a patient in clinicallys because I at least have a caring and loving heart just because I have ADD doesnt mean I am careless, I will double check every thing I do. I dont get any special considerations for having ADD, I dont get any special treatment about test or anything else. If someone in our class wants to take 2 hrs longer to take a test the insturctors never say a word they do not have to have a LD to do so. I may be more cautious than others so I think thats in the pts favor. This is also why people dont say anything about LD because some people are always trying to slam us about something...

Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

I guess what I'm saying, and I believe that if those that have a LD say that they can function the same when they are working....then on the same token...why do they need special accomodations in school?

You don't seem to understand that the there is a fundamental difference in the academic setting of taking exams when one has a LD compared to functioning in the real work world. If your job consisted of taking exams 8 hours per day you would have a point. I don't understand all of the exact specifics, but I trust the experts who are authorities on this.

I had to take extra time on exams this semester because I was on predisone at times and it slows my recall of newly learned information and my time calculating math. I have taken prednisone while working and while I didn't feel great, I wasn't impaired to work. I just had to be careful and double check my work. I didn't look impaired, I didn't look like a gork. Recalling new info for an exam uses different neuropsych functions than working does. Why you do not give deference to the experts who work in this area boggles my mind and makes me wonder why your arguments seem bent on excluding those with disabilities.

I don't want anyone to misread this post at all. I am not against anyone with a LD having a career and even worked under a professor when I received my undergrad that was very creative in helping a severely sight impaired student take her tests, etc. Thank god for computers, is all I can say.

I am merely showing that I can see why some nursing students would be upset at those that are receiving additional time, etc

I don't really care if some nursing students are choosing to be arrogantly ignorant if a classmate has the accommodation of extra test time. I care about what the experts say and not locking those with disabilities out of society. Thankfully, our society has chosen to integrate those with disabilities by implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act. The tenet of the ADA is that those with disabilities who are able to perform the essential functions of a job are able to do so with reasonable accommodations. I can only say that I support this 100%. So if a student with dyslexia or ADD needs an extra 30 minutes on exams to be a successful student and then later nurse, I say FANTASTIC. You seem to think they are getting an extra advantage. They are not. They are receiving reasonable accommodations under the law to help compensate for their disability. I really don't care to contribute more to this topic. I respect the rights of those with disabilities to receive accommodations to integrate them into society and jobs. You don't appear to; or you seem to be a skeptic who cuts your arguments against understanding the issue and against the experts and authorities on the issue.

You seem to think they are getting an extra advantage. They are not. They are receiving reasonable accommodations under the law to help compensate for their disability.

Will these same students receive accommodations under the law to help them compensate for their disability when they're working on the floor with patients?

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
Will these same students receive accommodations under the law to help them compensate for their disability when they're working on the floor with patients?

Have you read a single thing that has been said in the posts that were contributed by people with an LD? :confused: It seems to me as if this is going to be your response no matter what is said, so I wonder if anyone is going to trouble themselves with explaining yet again the purpose of accommodations and the difference between academic achievement and technical performance.

It was an honest question. Sorry if you're taking offense. Do students with LD's get special accomodations on the NCLEX? Are they required to tell their potential employers about their LD? Are their employers required to provide special accomodations for their disability?

Why can't I ask a question without every LD person freaking out? Go back and read my previous posts. I'm not saying people with LD's are unable to perform on the floor. And I'm not saying that people with LD's are less than intelligent.

Relax, people, and let me ask a question. Geez. How is anybody supposed to learn more about this subject if you continue to get so defensive?

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
It was an honest question. Sorry if you're taking offense. Do students with LD's get special accomodations on the NCLEX? Are they required to tell their potential employers about their LD? Are their employers required to provide special accomodations for their disability?

Why can't I ask a question without every LD person freaking out? Go back and read my previous posts. I'm not saying people with LD's are unable to perform on the floor. And I'm not saying that people with LD's are less than intelligent.

Relax, people, and let me ask a question. Geez. How is anybody supposed to learn more about this subject if you continue to get so defensive?

The question has been asked and answered a number of times on this thread. Yes, if this person is capable of performing essential functions of the job, their employer will be expected to make "reasonable accommodations". This is black letter law. Yes, provided they qualify and produce the appropriate documentation they can be granted accommodations but not modifications on the NCLEX. No, I don't have a learning disability. How utterly presumptuous of you to imply otherwise.

I wasn't referring to just you dear. I don't know if you are LD or not. But others in this thread have taken offense to my honest inquiries. How utterly rude of you to take attitude with my honest questions.

But thanks for the response.

Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.
Scary ain't it?

Frankly, the only thing I find scarey is a lack of compassion.

+ Add a Comment