Disability Inclusion in Nursing

The number of students with disabilities in nursing programs is rising, prioritizing the need for strategies to improve accessibility, equity, and inclusion. Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (JHSON) and Student Disability Services (SDS) are addressing this need through a participatory action research approach called experience-based co-design (EBCD). This project will focus on creating an interactive, multimedia toolkit aimed at increasing awareness and identifying and removing barriers to access and inclusion for nursing students with disabilities. The toolkit will serve as a central resource for guidance in academic and clinical settings, with the flexibility to be adapted for use in other schools and disciplines. Central to this effort are the lived experiences of disabled students, which will take a lead role in shaping the project’s outcomes.

PIs: Rebecca Wright, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor; Janiece Taylor, PhD, MSN, RN, Assistant Professor

By addressing systemic barriers and promoting a culture of accessibility, the College of Health Professions at Pace University intends to serve as a model for change within the nursing profession by eliminating barriers that prevent students with physical disabilities from being admitted to and successfully completing nursing programs. Starting at Pace’s home campus in Pleasantville, New York, the project aims to reimagine the role of the nurse and foster an inclusive environment for nursing students with disabilities. It will identify and remove barriers that prevent students with physical disabilities from applying to nursing programs, successfully completing the curriculum, passing the NCLEX, and entering the nursing workforce. The project aims to establish dialogue and partnerships with clinical agencies to ensure robust, equitable learning environments and improved opportunities for nursing students with disabilities.

PIs: Michele Lopez, DHEd, MA, RN, Assistant Professor of Nursing; Elizabeth Berro, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor of Nursing

Nurses are serious about the work that goes into taking care of people. While this is one of nursing's most important strengths, such a singular focus can also contribute to a narrow perspective on the ideas, norms, and expectations that shape professionalized nursing in clinical and educational settings. This project will employ a collaborative and transdisciplinary approach to transform nursing teaching practices, curriculum, and clinical settings for a more just, equitable future. The overarching goal is to foster greater capacity for and dismantle barriers to disability justice in the nursing workforce, building this capacity through professional development curriculum and a toolkit for healthcare educators working in clinical and classroom spaces.

PIs: Jess Dillard-Wright, PhD, MA, RN, Associate Dean of Equity & Inclusion and Associate Professor of Nursing; Celeste Surreira, DNP, MS, Director of Undergraduate Nursing Programs and Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing

Nursing students with disabilities face such barriers as the absence of proper accommodations, inadequate faculty training, and deep-seated biases, all of which impede student success and career progression. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Nursing will work with the Disability Resource Center, and University Medical Center to develop a pilot faculty and staff training program aimed at fostering a more inclusive and supportive atmosphere for nursing students with disabilities, ensuring they receive necessary accommodations while promoting diversity and equity in both nursing education and healthcare. The team hopes to create a replicable training toolkit and advocate for policy reforms, setting new standards for accessible clinical education.

PIs: Kayla Sullivan, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Direct-Entry MSN Program Director; Angela Silvestri-Elmore, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, Associate Professor of Nursing

Ameliorating the persistent national nursing shortage requires fresh approaches to recruitment and retention. One such approach is improving recruitment and retention of people with disabilities. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, in reality, prospective nursing students with disabilities are often systematically excluded from nursing education, and therefore the nursing workforce. In 2020, inclusive technical standards for nursing were published. However, adoption of these technical standards has been extremely limited due to nursing faculty and clinical partner resistance related to concerns about safety and the ability to meet program accreditation standards, learning objectives, and clinical requirements. This project, housed at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, will bring together faculty from multiple institutions to systematically explore the barriers and facilitators to nursing schools’ adoption of inclusive technical standards and develop a publicly available resource to aid nursing schools in facilitating implementation of inclusive technical standards.

PI: Allison Edwards, DrPH, MS, RN, CNE, CDDN, FAAN, Associate Professor, Department of Undergraduate Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston-Cizik School of Nursing

The Linfield University-Good Samaritan School of Nursing collaborates with clinical workforce partners to train highly prepared nurses. Increasing our capacity to train students of all abilities is crucial to growing the nursing profession and addressing recruitment, preparation and employment inequities. Our project will engage students with disabilities, clinical partners and nurses to identify barriers to success. We will develop a data-informed framework with training modules addressing accessibility in a variety of educational environments. These modules will be made available to the broader nursing community.

PIs: Heidi Johnston, DNP, MSN, RN-BSN, Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Nursing; Julie Fitzwater, PhD, MNE, BSN, Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Nursing