Blind Nursing Student?

Nursing Students General Students

Published

I have been reading articles about a blind nursing student admitted to a CC in New York. Now here it is nearly impossible to get into nursing school. They have a whole list of health and physical requirements as well. Even someone who is color blind wouldn't be admitted. So how did she pass the state requirements for admission? Also I wonder if she gets financial aid from Federal or State sources? I just don't understand this at all.

I don't work in nursing right now but I work in technology field and have had coworkers that have been legally blind as well as deaf. For the most part, they fit in seamlessly. It is amazing the tools available.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, OB, NICU.

She can be a nurse on a different nursing branch other than bedside nursing. But I really can't see a possibility of her passing nursing school with blindness. I am talking about clinicals, skills, even exams. Maybe this blind student will go through a different type of nursing education that she is capable of doing. That would make sense to me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

For the first time, I just looked at a chart converting 20/XX to diopters, since I never knew what I was in the 20/XX chart, only what my prescription was. According to that chart, -6.00 is 20/500, but anything over that isn't really "convertible." I was -7.5 before I had lasik, but was fortunate enough to be correctable to 20/20 with contacts or glasses and that after lasik, I'm 20/15 in my "good" eye (was previously only -5.00) and a little worse than 20/20 in the one that was over -7. I would have been able to read the computer screen without glasses, but as a pp said, it would take being ridiculously close to the screen, but there was a point, at least, where I could actually read. Definitely no driving, though- truck or otherwise. =)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am a nursing student who was raised by a legally blind single parent. Over the years i have come to find out there are quite a few different assistance aids/devices for the blind/handicapped. One of the things that truly impressed me is a pocket device that when swiped over money or text will read it back to you....and there is a headphone jack which will allow the person to follow confidentiality guidelines. Another thing that they have is a device that you speak into and when it is plugged into the computer, it will transcribe everything word for word into a text document. And since it was brought up specifically, there are programs that will read what is on a computer screen. The one that my mother has is called JAWS and it reads anything that her cursor is on. So if she wants to get to a specific spot...she just needs to memorize the computer commands to tab through things.

Point is....if there is a need for something....odds are they have something to help with it...or it's in the works now.

Now...on that note, i agree that there would be struggles with a skin assessment/visual parts of assessments, but that doesn't mean that the person can't become a nurse in another field...or teach other people to be AMAZING nurses. Just think...if you had a blind nursing instructor, you would get all sorts of little tricks that the rest of us wouldn't get. For instance....they might pick up on a different sound that is a precursor to something else, or a smell that somebody else wouldn't notice. So i say....if you have a dream/passion for something....don't let anything stop you! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

p.s. since we are all nursing students and we will most likely encounter patients who want more info on devices that will make their lives easier, here is a link to a site that sells all sorts (not only for the blind) of helpful aids:

http://www.maxiaids.com/store/default.asp

Up Vote Up Vote ×

maybe but good luck finding work in optometry. Imagine the pt reaction to a blind nurse working in an eye clinic. "The Doctor will see you now"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
p.s. since we are all nursing students and we will most likely encounter patients who want more info on devices that will make their lives easier, here is a link to a site that sells all sorts (not only for the blind) of helpful aids:

http://www.maxiaids.com/store/default.asp

Well for me I used magnitudes for pulling up syringes meds they clipped onto the syringes.I used talking bp machines, for skin assessments I used magnitudes with lights attached to them gave very detailed views of the skin basically all I used came at a cost of over 5000 out of pocket but so worth it in the end. If anyone is curious go to legal aid.com it will takebyou to some adaptive equipment sites that have catalogs you can order from

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, ED, Forensic Nursing.

It amazes me the incredibly stupid people that are allowed to be NURSES! Nurses themselves should not be discriminatory when they do not know the facts of one individuals case, and make absolutely NO effort to learn the facts! Then in turn talk down on others and say there is no way they can do it, because if there is someone out there willing to put in the effort, and find a way to make it through something, let me get a hallelujah! That is freaking amazing. A friend of mine has CP, she can see, speak, pass a class, the same way you and I can, she walks a little funny, and it takes her more effort, but she can walk and stay on her feet for 8hrs+, she has two horses and shows in A circuit shows, she does better in the ring than I ever did. She wants to do a PCT program. The instructor (who I had problems with when I took this same exact course) took one look at Jamie and said "Oh, well you need a nice sit down job somewhere, you're not going to be able to do this program." and Jamie hadn't even gotten the chance to tell her hello, my name is Jamie and I was wanting to speak with you about the PCT Program... Now this instructor is a REGISTERED NURSE! How on earth did she ever decide she wanted to teach and have influence over people's lives and careers? :devil:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in None.

ashleyisawesome,

i am in my third semester of nursing school and we have a hearing impaired student. I'm not sure the extent of her impairment. She had stenographer (not sure it that is the correct term) who sat next to her and typed as the instructor lectured and it appeared on a laptop screen she used.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Does anyone have any info about nurses in wheelchairs? I have a friend in a wheelchair who wants to be a nurse. She has a scooter to get around, but she is cachectic and only 4 feet tall, so reaching items and lifting anything greater than a pound would be a huge problem. She has done desk work, but I don't know of many types of nursing that involve just desk work? I don't want to tell her she can't do it, but I'd hate to see her take pre-req classes and then not be able to go to nursing school or find work as a nurse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Well for me I used magnitudes for pulling up syringes meds they clipped onto the syringes.I used talking bp machines, for skin assessments I used magnitudes with lights attached to them gave very detailed views of the skin basically all I used came at a cost of over 5000 out of pocket but so worth it in the end. If anyone is curious go to legal aid.com it will takebyou to some adaptive equipment sites that have catalogs you can order from

Ops I mean magnifyers

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I am not aware of any technology that would read something typed on this forum out loud to a blind person. If someone can read this forum, then they are not blind.
I am using zoom text right now to read this . There is also "jaws and wendow eyes screen readers" they make large print and talking bp monitors , thomers , scanners that read print and and so on I am going to take a corse and all the photos of blood vessels ect will be raised so I a can fell the path .
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment