Able Nurses & Midwives

Barbara WatersEx CE Skill: National Bureau for

Students with DisabilitiesUK

Culture

• Risk averse

• Barriers posed by statutory regulation

• Surfeit of requirements often vague

• Disabled people are patients not colleagues

• Focus on what is wrong with people rather than what they can contribute

Impact of nursing as a profession

• Substantial work force

• Highly rated by the public

• Public services need to reflect full diversity of society

• Wealth of skills and personal experiences that can enrich the work

• Framework of competence and conduct

• Public still protected

Evidence of risk – fact or prejudice

• Review by UK Disability Rights Commission of high profile cases where patients harmed or killed

• No evidence regulation of mental or physical fitness would have prevented criminal acts but pointers to inadequate management

• Many standards not legitimate competence standards

What is the problem with existing competence standards?

• Do not determine whether someone is competent to practice in a profession eg ‘ to be of ‘good health’ and ‘good character’

• Frequently lead to discriminatory attitudes, policies and practice

• Impact assessment will help to identify where this is happening

• Link with anti discrimination legislation and human rights act

Finding of Disability Rights Commission UK 2007

• Generalised health standards encourage a diagnosis-led approach to the assessment of risk rather than individualised approach

• No useful function in predicting future conduct or competence or in assessing risk

Do specific disabilities pose a risk?

• People with mental health difficulties are excluded without assessment/support

• Outspoken prejudice drives people underground, making work more difficult without accommodations

• ‘honest students and staff are penalised, so the unsuitable candidates are not being identified’ Nurse with mental health history

Nurses with dyslexia might make mistakes

• Being expert in the accommodations you need means better prepared

• Good use of technology for checking drugs and dosages

• People with dyslexia know they have to check

• No cases of medical mistakes recorded as caused by dyslexia, stress, tiredness and lack of attention more likely causes

How to move forward

• Actively promote entry of disabled people into the profession through websites, literature, promotional events and careers services

• Monitor and research under represented groups and use impact assessments to identify where there are barriers

• Combat the perception that all disabled people are vulnerable receipients of care

How to move forward 2

• Make it clear why information about disability is being collected, who will see it and what use it will be put to

Create an inclusive culture: • Where there are role models• Mistakes made by disabled people are

dealt with as they would be with any student and not automatically attributed to disability

Useful reading

• Into Nursing published by Skill

www.skill.org.uk/bookshop

• Maintaining Standards: Promoting Equality, report of a UK Disability Rights Commission Formal Investigation 2007

www.maintainingstandards.org

Contact Skill

Skill Information Service • Tuesday 11.30am-1.30pm• Thursday 1.30pm-3.30pm

• Website www.skill.org.uk• Email Info@skill.org.uk• Voice 0207 450 0620• Text 0200 068 2422• Fax 0207 450 0650

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