Nurses with vision loss are increasing in number every day.  Have you ever wondered if organizations, equipment and services are available to help?

Detra Bannister, a former school nurse, is currently the CareerConnect Program Specialist at the American Foundation for the Blind.  She was the right person to ask. Here is an excerpt from our conversation.

DM:  Can the American Foundation for the Blind help a nurse with vision loss?

DB:  Yes.  A person with vision loss will likely face a difficult challenge in convincing their vocational rehabilitation counselor and potential employer that they can a) continue their nursing career after vision loss or, b) make it through nursing school as a student with vision loss.

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) CareerConnect® can help by sharing articles and documentation of successfully employed nurses with vision loss. Helpful job seeking skills information is also available.

Leora Heifetz, RN, works in Labor and Delivery.

Labor & Delivery Nurse

DM:  Can AFB connect a nurse with vision loss to other nurses with vision loss?

DB:  Yes, we can.  We provide a connection for registered users of the program to do informational interviews with CareerConnect mentors. CareerConnect mentors are people with like disabilities (vision loss) mentoring others who are interested in doing the same type of work.  Nurses can ask them about how they do their jobs and how they overcame various obstacles they encountered during the process. 

Dawn Wilcox, RN, works in a senior day health program.

Geriatric Nurse

The mission of AFB CareerConnect is to expand employment possibilities for people with vision loss.  Nursing is one of the careers people seem most interested in, especially experienced nurses who have lost or are losing sight.

DM:  How can technology help a nurse with vision loss to continue to practice?

DB:  There are many high and low tech devices nurses can take advantage of to help them complete a task.  What they use and the job modifications they may need, will depend on their level of vision loss.

Examples include:

·         software that reads or magnifies the computer screen

·         lightweight portable magnifiers

·         electronic note takers

·         small hand-held recorders

·         talking thermometers and blood pressure monitors

·         braille or talking watches.

There are many other accommodations that make it possible to do a nursing job besides technology; for example:

·         lighting adjustments

·         job sharing or trading tasks with willing co-workers

·         moving into a different  area of nursing (e.g. teaching or patient education)

DM:  Where are nurses with vision loss working?

DB:  Just about everywhere.  Nurses with vision loss are working throughout the United States in a wide range of positions that include: administration, education, labor & delivery, senior daycare, intensive care, and program services.

DM:  What advice would you give a nurse or nursing student with vision loss?

DB:  Above all, spend time developing your blindness compensatory skills.  Beyond that, to succeed in nursing you have to be very tenacious and do your homework to carve out your niche.  You will face more nay-sayers than supporters, so gathering your data and documenting what other nurses are doing and how is very important.

Do informational interviews to share with your vocational rehabilitation counselor and employer - to demonstrate that there are many opportunities for nurses with disabilities, including those with vision loss.

Patience and a positive, determined attitude will go a long way.  And, in the end, when you have that job where you are making a difference doing something you love, it will be worth all the tears it took to get there.

 ……….

Readers: Please share your thoughts and suggestions as to how we can work toward inclusion of more nurses with vision loss in nursing practice.

About the Author:  Donna Maheady, Ed.D., ARNP is a pediatric nurse practitioner and nursing care consultant.  She is a strong advocate for inclusion of nurses with disabilities in nursing practice, and has taught nursing for over 20 years and worked with nursing students with a wide range of disabilities.  Donna is the founder of www.ExceptionalNurse.com, a nonprofit resource network for nurses and nursing students with disabilities.  

Click here to read more on Donna Maheady.