27. Reducing the impact of disability on nursing careers (emergency matter for discussion)

RCN Emergency Care Association

That this meeting of RCN Congress discuss the impact of disability on nursing careers and discuss how the college can better support this strand of diversity so as not to lose the experience and empathy that disabled nurses bring.

On this page:


Progress reports

Council Committee: Diversity
Committee decision: New work
Council member/other member/stakeholder involvement:
Members of the Diversity Committee and the Reference Group
Staff contact: jacqui.jablaoui@rcn.org.uk

This will be a core outcome of the new Diversity Committee. The committee met on 1 October 2010 and approved a project to examine the impact disability has on RCN members and the way they use RCN services. The project will also consider the evidence available on the impact disability has on nursing careers and will make recommendations to reduce any negative impacts found.

Outputs may include guidance for members, guidance for representatives and officers and disability-related measures to be used in equality impact assessments. The intended outcome is to seek to ensure that mechanisms are in place to make sure there is no detrimental impact on disabled members in the provision of services and ensure that disabled members are satisfied with RCN services.

The project has three distinct phases:

A task and finish group is being set up to support the project which will be led by Nicola Lee, Adviser in Member Support Services. The deadline for applications to join the group is 9 May 2011. Visit the task and finish groups appointments page to find out how to join.

A meeting will also be held after Congress 2011 to review the accessibility of the event. Members and stakeholders will be invited to take part.

Debate report

"No one expects to be disabled" said Claire Picton, RCN Emergency Care Association, when proposing this emergency resolution at Congress on Thursday. Eighty three per cent of disabled people become disabled after birth and have to learn to live with their disability.

Congress learnt how some disabled nursing staff are being forced out of work by their employers, due to a lack of understanding of the simple, reasonable adjustments that could be made to keep them working. Claire urged Congress to "Support all disabled people to be in nursing employment", as she explained how common discrimination and bullying of disabled staff is in practice.

Claire called for the RCN to make tackling disability discrimination as visible as its work on helping BME nurses and stressed that the RCN could do much more to help nurses with physical disabilities.

Stephen Hemmingway, Bournemouth Branch, said there was "very little done to encourage part time work" for disabled staff, and wants the RCN to provide clear guidance on how this could work within the 'Required notification of practice' whilst still remaining on the register.

Lorraine Scaife, Exeter Branch, seconded this as she talked about phasing back into work after illness or disability; she said you need to be in work to get back to work fully, but many managers and occupational health experts won’t always agree this for disabled staff.

Disabled people want to work, "they don’t want sympathy", said Bethann Siviter, South Birmingham Branch, as she told Congress how her "really good managers" had successfully helped her back to work, accommodating her disability and allowing her to carry on her career. Her personal insight into disability has helped many of her patients. She said: "Disabled nurses want to do what we all want to do - go to work, make the best contribution we can, and come home again."