A nurse in a wheelchair?

Nurses Disabilities

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I am a full time wheelchair that is unable to stand yet have a desire to enter nursing. I am just interested in discovering others opinions on whether it is possible to become a nurse despite being a wheelchair user. Any comments I would love to hear, good or bad!

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

I honesty have no clue, hope others can help. I would imagine it would be very difficult to get through school/clinicals..

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

There is a pediatric APN that suffered a traumatic spinal injury resulting in paraplegia. She works outpatient developmental pediatrics and covers the inpatient pediatric rehab/LTC unit. She uses a manual w/c. It is my understanding that her injury occurred while an undergrad in a BSN program. So yes it's possible.

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I had to pass a physical and the made me stand and squat and some other things. I don't know how you'd get through clinicals to be honest. Maybe call some schools to see if they would make accommodations.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

While it is possible....I would say it is not probable. As a nurse with an auto-immune disorder that limits my ability to walk and stand....after being a nurse for 35 years my employer dumped me and no one else will touch me with a 10 foot pole....but I am "ill" so tht does change their view.

I wold still try but have a plan B

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I would imagine trying to complete clinicals would be very difficult if you were unable to stand.Transferring and toileting the patients might be challenging.

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I would call different schools and find out directly from them. While it seems like it'd be challenging, it's your goal and you deserve the right to pursue it.

Good luck on your quest :)

Sent via my iPhone using allnurses.com ❤️

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Specializes in Critical care.

Unless a school dean or other leadership reads and replies to this thread, you'll only get speculations. Best to directly inquire with a few schools, an ADA liason and your state board of nursing. On a roughly similar note, one of the physical therapists at my hospital's outpatient PT dept is chairbound and does fine with appropriate accommodations.

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I work in a wheelchair. However, I agree that getting through school clinicals might be tough. You might have to shop around a lot. What kind of field are you interested in? If you can't stand at all, that might make getting into most of nursing impossible.

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Specializes in Paediatrics, cardiology, education.

Hi JustBeachyNurse, I've just come across your comment about a paediatric nurse who sustained a spinal cord injury and is now working as a nurse. I am a paediatric nurse in the UK, and am nursing as a wheelchair user following a spinal cord injury in 2010. I am trying to get in touch with any other nurses in wheelchairs. Would you be able to put me in touch with the nurse you mention? Let me know if that is possible, Thanks :)

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