Removing Ableist Barriers in Nursing Education: Clinical Essential Requirements

Authors

  • Tracy Mack Critical Disability Studies York University
  • Lindsay Stephens Assistant Professor, Geography and Planning, University of Toronto
  • Iris Epstein Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, York University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15353/cjds.v10i3.820

Keywords:

Nursing Students with Disabilities; Clinical Placement; Clinical Essential Requirements; Disability Studies; Disability Studies in Education; Universal Design; Universal Design for Instruction

Abstract

The current approach to clinical placement training for nurses excludes students with disabilities. The purpose of this article is to introduce a four-step model for nursing programs to identify clinical essential requirements – specific skills and competencies students must gain during placement. Engaging this four-step model will allow educators to identify how essential requirements can be achieved in a variety of ways, and thus can involve accommodations. It will also allow for the identification of which essential requirements cannot be accommodated and must be demonstrated in a prescribed manner due to impacting the nature or integrity of the task. Analyzing clinical essential requirements using this framework will create a consistent and defensible method to determine the flexibility or inflexibility of clinical tasks. The framework provided requires a collaborative process including key experts, nursing students and nurses with disabilities to comprehensively address the challenges clinical environments pose to inclusiveness.

Author Biographies

Tracy Mack, Critical Disability Studies York University

Critical Disability Studies

York University

Lindsay Stephens, Assistant Professor, Geography and Planning, University of Toronto

Ph.D., MScP, Assistant Professor, Geography and Planning, University of Toronto

Iris Epstein, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, York University

RN, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, York University

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Published

2021-12-08

How to Cite

Mack, T., Stephens, L., & Epstein, I. (2021). Removing Ableist Barriers in Nursing Education: Clinical Essential Requirements. Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, 10(3), 147–176. https://doi.org/10.15353/cjds.v10i3.820

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 3 (2021)

Section

Articles

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