Something Powerful

Tell The Reader More

The headline and subheader tells us what you're offering, and the form header closes the deal. Over here you can explain why your offer is so great it's worth filling out a form for.

Remember:

  • Bullets are great
  • For spelling out benefits and
  • Turning visitors into leads.

DiversityNursing Blog

Meet The RN Advocating For Disabled Candidates

Posted by Diversity Nursing

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 @ 02:17 PM

Dalzell-Nurses-inspire2
Applying for a new job can be overwhelming and stressful. For candidates with disabilities, the hiring process can be a disheartening experience.  

According to the CDC, one in four adults in the U.S. has a disability; the unemployment rate for that community is double that of non-disabled workers.

Andrea Dalzell can relate to those who face unjust barriers when searching for employment. She is a disability advocate and New York State's first wheelchair-bound Registered Nurse. 

Dalzell fights for those like her, qualified candidates who face discrimination and obstacles when applying for jobs.

Andreawas diagnosed with transverse myelitis when she was 5 years old and using a wheelchair full-time by the age of 12.

Her experiences with Nurses inspired her to become one. She received her Nursing degree from the City University of New York, College of Staten Island.

Even with her Nursing degree it was difficult to find work.

"I once went through 76 clinical Nursing interviews. I was rejected from them all until COVID demanded my help during the peak in NYC. The rejection from ever having a bedside Nursing position was flipped on its head as my wheelchair was seen for what it is: a mobility device", said Dalzell in an American Nurses Association interview. 

Dalzell uses past negative experiences and turns them into a positive, as she can relate to patients who struggle with disabilities, and give them hope. She encourages them to persevere in the face of adversity. 

However, she finds it frustrating that in the field of caring, many still face discrimination.

According to Employee Benefit News, Dalzell said, "We're forgetting that [enabling] technology has advanced so much, and should allow our healing touch and compassion to come into the profession and give hope in a way that is normally not seen. And yet when [people with disabilities] are saying they want to be Nurses or be on a healthcare team, we're saying well, you have a disability — you're not good enough."

Employers need to do more than just talk about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), they need to actually be about it. 

"You cannot tell people you are an equal opportunity employer, tell them to come on in through the door," Andrea says, "but then be unprepared and your doors are not even big enough to accept someone."

"Disability is the fastest- and largest-growing minority in the world. Without disability inclusion, you could very well be limiting opportunities for your future selves," says Dalzell

Andrea is a Pioneer and an inspiration to many. In recognition of her achievements, she's earned many spotlights, such as New Mobility’s Person of the Year (2021). She was also one of the inaugural recipients of the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Visionary Prize of $1 million.

Dalzell is still figuring out how she will use the money, but has already started a 501c3 nonprofit foundation called The Seated Position to create awareness around those with disabilities in education and the workforce.

According to New Mobility, Andrea attributes her tenacity to her parents, first-generation immigrants from Guyana, who encouraged hard work and perseverance. “I told Andrea, don’t let anyone ever tell you there is something you can’t do,” says her mother, Sharon Dalzell. “Just look at them straight in the face and say, ‘Watch me.’ As long as you do it in the right way, you’ll reap the benefits in the years to come.”

Andrea knows it’s important for people to see someone like her — a black, disabled woman — out in the world, making a life for herself and changing the lives of others. 

You can follow Dalzell on Instagram @theseatedNurse where she posts her everyday life along with great motivational content. Also check out her website theseatednurse.com to learn more! 

Topics: disability, disabled, Diversity and Inclusion, nurses with disabilities, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, DEI, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, disability advocate, disabled candidates, Andrea Dalzell

If You're Deaf, Can You Have A Career In Nursing?

Posted by Diversity Nursing

Thu, Oct 17, 2019 @ 03:16 PM

hohsteth

To answer this question, we did some research and discovered the answer is Yes, a deaf person can have a career in Nursing. In this article, we focus on 3 Nurses who are making it happen.

For Dionne Jaques, becoming a Nurse was a goal of hers for many years. She knew it would be difficult to achieve this goal because she is deaf. Dionne never gave up. She fulfilled her goal and is a Registered Nurse in a health care facility in Southern Utah. During her valedictorian speech at Nightingale College graduation, she said "Don't let your limitations slow you down".

There are many people like Dionne whose passion is Nursing, like Annie Resetar. Annie has moderate to severe hearing loss. She graduated from Walsh University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She then interned at Akron Children’s Hospital and is currently working as an aide in a Nursing home.

Annie said, "I think my hearing disability sets me apart and makes me a better Nurse. It helps build trust with my patients. It is a testament that there are things wrong with all of us, but that should not get in the way of our lives and dreams. Rather, we simply must adapt and embrace these differences because they make us stronger."

Lauren Searls was born deaf and both of her parents are deaf. Her goal is to be a Family Nurse Practitioner. She received her RN degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and has applied for an MS in Nursing there.

According to the Rochester Institute of Technology, Lauren has relied on interpreters in the classroom and while visiting patients.

She said, "I go into the patients’ rooms with confidence, introduce myself, tell the patients that I am deaf and will rely on interpreters as needed. I have been able to make it work effectively. Although I do well in one-on-one situations and small group settings, I am not hearing and only 30 percent of the English language is lip readable and there is no guarantee that everyone speaks clearly or is easy to understand. Working with an interpreter is the only way I’ll be able to ensure I have access to what is going on around me.”

Nurses who are hard of hearing are legally entitled to use accommodations like ASL (American Sign Language) interpreters and tools such as amplified stethoscopes to assist them. To learn more about resources and accommodations, the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss (AMPHL) and the Society of Health Care Professionals With Disabilities advocates for deaf and hard-of-hearing professionals in the medical field.

New Call-to-action

Topics: hard of hearing nurse, deaf nursing student, diverse nurse, nurses with disabilities, deaf nurse

Recent Jobs

Article or Blog Submissions

If you are interested in submitting content for our Blog, please ensure it fits the criteria below:
  • Relevant information for Nurses
  • Does NOT promote a product
  • Informative about Diversity, Inclusion & Cultural Competence

Agreement to publish on our DiversityNursing.com Blog is at our sole discretion.

Thank you

Subscribe to Email our eNewsletter

Recent Posts

Posts by Topic

see all