The original query was from Glenn Raybone and it implied that there was
concern about this nurse' ability to administer medication. Realistically
this could be due  to nothing more than poor visual acuity, rather than the
dyslexia...

Would a good first step be to get a specialist psychologist assessment of
the nature of the specific disability (specialist probably identified by the
British Dyslexia Association) and then work on the specific problems).

The final accommodation to the disability  would be for two people to work
together to give out the drug and "cost effectiveness" would not really  be
a reason not to do it (are they really that desperate on  the wards these
days that another person could  not assist or do the drugs while the nurse
concerned did another RN task?)

What is more worrying is that she completed her training and the issue was
not picked up or resolved. In the distant past when I trained (1981) one had
to successfully complete a drug round assessment giving all the right drugs
to the right people at the right time in the right dose. Is this not checked
in current day nurse training?
Because if it had been identified at an early stage the nurse might have
been steered into specialties/jobs where it would have been less of a
problem..
Diane

----- Original Message -----
From: "Greta Thornbory" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "diane romano woodward" <[log in to unmask]>;
<[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 5:53 PM
Subject: Re: Dyslexia


> Interestingly enough I think my lecturer colleagues and myself would say
> that there are many nurses, both in and out of OH, who have dyslexia. In
> fact one very senior (retired) OH lecturer with an MSc is dyslexic. The
> problem is sometimes when they have not been identified and have got quite
a
> long way professionally struggling with an unidentified problem. Thank
> goodness there is a great deal of help and understanding today. Anyone who
> knows they are dyslexic knows how to deal with it and if they need more
help
> then the British Dyslexia Association can help.
>
> As for reading drug dosages - how many non dyslexic people can safely read
> drug charts? Judging by the mistakes that occur it is nothing about
dyslexia
> and probably such people would be safer than others as they would take
more
> care.
>
> I encourage everyone to visit the BDA website as advised by others,
>
> Greta
>
> Greta Thornbory
> Consultant, Occupational Health & Education
> www.gtenterprises-uk.com
> Tel: 01235 770156
> Mob: 07778 518 027
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "diane romano woodward" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 5:19 PM
> Subject: Re: Dyslexia
>
>
> > As far as I am aware the DDA applies. Anyone else think differently?
> > Many schools of nursing facilitate people with disability well. I saw an
> > article not so long ago about a student nurse who had only one arm and
who
> > was doing very well.
> > I think the difficulty comes when students who are well supported in
> > university go into an employment situation where there are greater time
> > pressures and fewer resources, e.g. access to computers  and specialist
> who
> > support people with disabilities.
> >
> > I suspect it is quite legal to discriminate against people with a
> disability
> > if there are public safety issues e.g. LGV driver with insulin dependent
> > diabetes... perhaps the problem  of a nurses who cannot reliably read
> > numbers for  drug dosage or gets mg and mcg confused from a drug chart
> > might be considered a public safety issue-(I'm being deliberately
> > provocative here!)
> >
> > Perhaps what needs to happen is good Occupational Health advice as to
> which
> > specialities in nursing would be the most suitable eg away from acute
> > bedside nursing and in to ? Occupational Health? , working for NHS
> > Direct-etc  you get the idea.Essentially giving the same type of specifc
> > advice as a nurse with,say ,hand dermatitis. I am not sure in general we
> in
> > OH are particularly good at advising them before they embark on a course
> > either and then again they might not listen..( I am not speckin about or
> on
> > behalf orf any particular university here..)
> >
> > Bst wishes,
> > Diane
> > ---- Original Message -----
> > From: "Chris Packham" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 3:13 PM
> > Subject: Dyslexia
> >
> >
> > > I have two daughters, both of whom are dyslexic. As our local
education
> > > authority at that time would not provide any suitable assistance we
put
> > them
> > > both through private education. (I am not going to debate the ethical
> > > arguments of this!) Both achieved university degrees. The one who is
> > > severely dyslexic obtained a degree in Tourism and Business
Management,
> > the
> > > other an honours degree in Applied Biology with European Studies. The
> > > younger one is now a partner in our consultancy business and has
> > specialised
> > > in the new science of skin bioengineering. She is currently doing a
part
> > > time PhD with the Photophysics Research Department at South Bank
> > University
> > > in London, doing very complex and advanced work with lasers (OTTER =
> > > Optothermal Transmission of Emitted Radiation).
> > >
> > > Both girls have developed special techniques of their own to ensure
that
> > > they can cope with their work. If they can do this why can a nurse not
> > > dispense medicines? She might need some specialist help to develop the
> > > techniques she will need, but why deny someone who has the
intelligence
> > and
> > > motivation just because they have a physical disability. Incidentally,
> > what
> > > would be the position re the DDA on this?
> > >
> > > Regards
> > > Chris Packham
> > >
> > > EnviroDerm Services
> > > Solutions in skin management
> > > For information on skin management, technical bulletins and
information
> > > about our support services visit our website (www.enviroderm.co.uk)
> > > For immediate help e-mail us at [log in to unmask] or phone on +44
> 1386
> > > 832 311
> > >
>
>
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