Midnight Princess
Diary Dude
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Registered: 05-2009
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 My additional hurdle: being a student nurse with a chronic condition
A major reason for me being called into nursing has been due to living with a chronic illness and having had the experience of suffering, surgery and treatment. I have learned a great deal that will help me understand my patients.
At my disability support meeting at one uni the advisor I met told me I was the first student from the school of nursing that had been referred to her with a medical condition in her 5 years working there, and she's the only advisor who deals with the medical side; the others deal with learning difficulties in the main. She asked a great deal of questions regarding my encounters with the nursing school and their attitudes towards disability, as she has long had suspicions that their students are not being directed the the disability service and are being made reluctant to disclose any medical condition or disability.
On the whole I have found the rest of the staff in the department very helpful and welcoming and I won't allow one person to ruin my opportunities. The disability advisor and I have taken steps to document concerns raised.
At the nursing school open day, all applicants who were in attendance (and all have conditional offers) were told to declare any medical condition to the admissions officer on that day. There was no confidentiality applied: I had to speak to her with others in the background able to overhear everything. I was made to feel like a naughty child who should know better than have a chronic condition (how illogical!). I was also told I'd have to submit a doctor's line to state my condition's controlled and that i also had to email her and she'd discuss my condition with colleagues and get back to me. It was made plain from her tone and attitude that she had the authority to reject me on the grounds that I have a medical condition.
I left feeling feeling dejected and shaken  .
Fortunately there were other lovely staff members and current students there who were so helpful and positive that they restored my faith in the department and my own intentions and skills.
I pity the younger girls there: they looked absolutely terrified and i can't let others be treated in the same way as I was.
It's the province of Occupational Health to decide whether students are medically fit, and the admissions people have to right to judge us on an open day.
Last edited by Midnight Princess, 24/May/2009, 10:19 pm
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16/May/2009, 7:16 pm
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Midnight Princess
Diary Dude
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Registered: 05-2009
Posts: 18
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Re: My additional hurdle: being a student nurse with a chronic condition
It's fortunate that I know how the law views this situation; the younger students probably don't.
I've stated the case in writing for these younger ones, not just myself. The university states that third party complaints can only be made for students under the age of 18, so if you're over 18 you have to make your own voice heard and if you're under 18 you need someone else to speak up on your behalf.
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18/May/2009, 8:54 am
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Midnight Princess
Diary Dude
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Registered: 05-2009
Posts: 18
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Re: My additional hurdle: being a student nurse with a chronic condition
The fact that the disability advisor has been so supportive makes a difference. She mentioned that the Nursing and Midwifery Council had been in contact with her last year to conduct research on nursing students' support and perception of support for disabilities and medical conditions from departments during their training.
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19/May/2009, 9:26 am
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Midnight Princess
Diary Dude
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Registered: 05-2009
Posts: 18
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Re: My additional hurdle: being a student nurse with a chronic condition
I'm feeling strained waiting for this to be resolved and for the uncertainty of where I'm going and what I'm doing to be sorted out.
The stress of it is taking its toll on me physically; I'm going to have to take extra good care of myself over the next few weeks.
I will be little help to my patients if I don't address my own needs.
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19/May/2009, 9:31 am
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Midnight Princess
Diary Dude
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Registered: 05-2009
Posts: 18
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Re: My additional hurdle: being a student nurse with a chronic condition
The bad news is that I had a reply from nursing admissions to say that they won't change the conditions of the offer. I'm being forced to do extra study in the summer for no good reason, despite having higher than the requested grades in all subjects. They claim to be acting fairly.
The good news is that my disability advisor in the university has received my letter, set up an appointment in the school of nursing to discuss the contents of the letter and my plight and has mailed me a letter.
Nothing's ever simple, but thank goodness I'm not doing this alone.
Last edited by Midnight Princess, 24/May/2009, 10:20 pm
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19/May/2009, 5:32 pm
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