Health Sciences

Nursing

Students can be better prepared if they have a diagnosed disability, understand their limitations and are willing to engage with disability services.

Register with disability services: it is extremely important. Take supports provided, and don't feel embarrassed about these - they all help ( eg separate exam venue). Attend educational support sessions in student counseling and one to one counseling with educational psychologist if needed.

Pay attention to class attendance, be there as much as possible. If there are periods of illness for any reason get medical certification. Always follow procedures.

Use College supports such as "off books", and others like medical repeat, if difficulties arise, don't try to keep struggling on. it is better to take time out to recover and then return. Students often feel they have to "keep their heads down" and "keep going" once they are on the course, otherwise it might be held against them, this is not the case. Students who avail of these services, when needed, often ultimately succeed.

Disclose your disability if you are in a practice profession, don't be afraid. Everyone is there to support you and provide "reasonable accommodation" if required, discrimination is often a fear of students in nursing. However in reality senior nurses wish to be informed so that they are (a) aware of a students limitations and (b) they can support them. In Nursing, there is a history of over supporting rather than vice versa.

I would advise careful course choice. Nursing is an extremely demanding profession. All students ought to be prepared for the realities of nursing, by researching or taking practice experiences. It is an immensely challenging environment, requiring a range of interpersonal, psycho motor, technical and personal management skills, and students are expected to demonstrate a range of competencies by the end of the program. It is a practice based course, and there are a few students who join the course unaware of this.