Learning Disabled Students

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Dec 10, 2006

Yes! :) It makes me extremely nervous when I have to take a math exam and pass it with 100% accuracy without the use of a calculator. I would love the use of a calculator on a test. But I'm not allowed to use one.

Sigh...You completely missed my point.

Those with LD find a way to accommodate. They know what works for them and when they need to do to succeed. You, without LD, should just stop being concerned with other people are doing or needing.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Dec 10, 2006

When I returned to college and needed extended exam time that first semester, I decided that I would NEVER tell a single classmate my story like I did here in this thread. The attitudes expressed here tell me that my decision to keep this all private at school was the correct one.

dmarie (GA) · Dec 10, 2006

multicollinarity, please allow me to add a post-script to my previous post in which I thanked all of the LD folks for helping others understand this subject. Thank you to all of the posters, those with LD's and those without LD's, those with relatives with LD's, and those without relatives with LD's, those educated on the subject of LD's, and anybody in between who has contributed to this thread.

My intention was/is not to offend you or anyone else, in any category, with my honest inquiries. And the post that you are referring to is one in which I was trying to calm the feeling of defensiveness that seems to have taken a life of it's own here.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Dec 10, 2006

multicollinarity, please allow me to add a post-script to my previous post in which I thanked all of the LD folks for helping others understand this subject. Thank you to all of the posters, those with LD's and those without LD's, those with relatives with LD's, and those without relatives with LD's, those educated on the subject of LD's, and anybody in between who has contributed to this thread.
My intention was/is not to offend you or anyone else, in any category, with my honest inquiries. And the post that you are referring to is one in which I was trying to calm the feeling of defensiveness that seems to have taken a life of it's own here.

Ok, we're done here. Maybe others can give you ideas on how to handle clinicals with this other student.

dmarie (GA) · Dec 10, 2006

Again, let me refer back to one of my earlier posts in which I pointed out that other students' accommodations didn't come to my attention until I was teamed up with a student and was told that because of the learning curve I might be able to help her along. This created extra work for me and was beyond frustrating.

Before that, I didn't even notice that she was allowed the use of a calculator and extra time to take the test.

My original point was that it scared me, after seeing her perform in clinical, to know that she was being helped along, especially with drug calculations. But --- whatever. If the powers that be feel she is doing well, then so be it.

And yes, originally, my first reaction was that it wasn't fair (sorry, this was my original reaction) for this student to have a different set of criteria for progression through the program. In my mind, you either do the work like everybody else, or you don't make it through the program. Period.

After reading the various posts here, I see that this certainly doesn't apply to all LD students. I've learned a great deal on this thread about the subject, and I sincerely thank those who have contributed.

I completely agree with the statement that these situations are never black/white.

I'm just trying to squeek out my own degree, which by the way does NOT come easily, and get the heck out of there.

*RubySlippers* · Dec 10, 2006

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:

i am sorry but, i think this is a blatent bias against people with learning disabilites. you have said in other posts after this that you weren't trying to offend anyone, just ask a question, but the 2nd statement you made was "i think it has something to do with ga laws" . that is the law everywhere, it is not a law slapped on in certain states. then you go on to say " i would not want someone with a ld taking care of me in life & death", well if you did not think either of these would not offend anyone something is sadly wrong. it seems as though you may have said something you would like to take back or rephrase???

my son is in 4th grade and was just diagnosed with a slight learning disablity and it broke my heart to realize he was struggling and someone finally paid attention besides me to get him the help he needed. also, there are laws put in place for people with lds and this quote above is exactly why they are there.:angryfire "lets just tell them where they can work or if they can work and what programs they are aloud in" "lets tell people with glasses that they can't use them, or take peoples hearing aids from them" ummmm... we live in america, land of the free & equal rights.

trust me i am in my 3rd semester of rn school and there are a lot of students without any lds that can't think quick on there feet and i would not let some of them take care of my dog. most of them are straight a students with no common sense and no bedside manner.

when my son graduates from highschool and wants to go to rn school or med school or whatever, i will support him all the way. he has just as much right as anyone to attend nursing school, and obviously those people that are being talked about are not that slow or they would have never made it into the nursing program to begin with.

and yes in the real world nurses use calculators and all sorts of helpful tools to assist with their jobs. nursing school is primitive to begin with, every facility i have done my clinicals at have computers, and more to help with med calculations, etc.

if nursing students can't have empathy and understanding for classmates with learning disabilites, how are they ever going to be a nurse??????