Abstract
BACKGROUND: Globally, the exclusion of nursing students with disabilities diminishes the diversity and innovation that is crucial for a dynamic, inclusive healthcare system. Nursing students with disabilities represent a vital yet often overlooked segment of the healthcare workforce. Despite legislative milestones such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which aimed to dismantle barriers and promote equality, nursing students continue to face challenges such as insufficient accommodations, stigmatization, and discrimination in clinical and academic settings.
PURPOSE: This scoping review aimed to explore the experiences of pre-licensure nursing students with disabilities, as reported in the literature, which is significant to our understanding of this issue.
METHODS: Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) methodological framework guided the scoping review of relevant literature. Comprehensive searches using keywords based on prelicensure nursing students with disabilities were conducted in CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The search was limited to articles that included a pre-licensure population of nursing students with disabilities, publication dates between 2013 and 2023, written in English, and studies conducted in the United States.
RESULTS: A total of 210 articles were screened at the title and abstract level, of which 17 full-text articles were reviewed. A thematic analysis of these articles revealed that nursing students (1) were hesitant to disclose their disabilities, (2) felt marginalized by faculty, clinical preceptors, and peers, and at times, concurrently (3) received empathy from their nursing faculty and colleagues who were willing to facilitate accommodations and advocate for inclusive practices and policies.
CONCLUSION: By cultivating a healthcare environment that offers robust support systems for nursing students with disabilities, barriers and stigmatization are reduced to ensure full integration within the global nursing workforce.
Sigma Membership
Eta Mu
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
DEI/BIPOC, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Workforce, Nursing Students, Students with Disabilities
Recommended Citation
Nagtalon-Ramos, Jamille; Leuthold, Erin G.; Latini, Ann Marie; Feldman, Hana; and Pegues, Curtis Joseph, "Don't Count Them Out: Nursing Students with Disabilities – A Scoping Review" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 48.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/48
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Don't Count Them Out: Nursing Students with Disabilities – A Scoping Review
Seattle, Washington, USA
BACKGROUND: Globally, the exclusion of nursing students with disabilities diminishes the diversity and innovation that is crucial for a dynamic, inclusive healthcare system. Nursing students with disabilities represent a vital yet often overlooked segment of the healthcare workforce. Despite legislative milestones such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which aimed to dismantle barriers and promote equality, nursing students continue to face challenges such as insufficient accommodations, stigmatization, and discrimination in clinical and academic settings.
PURPOSE: This scoping review aimed to explore the experiences of pre-licensure nursing students with disabilities, as reported in the literature, which is significant to our understanding of this issue.
METHODS: Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) methodological framework guided the scoping review of relevant literature. Comprehensive searches using keywords based on prelicensure nursing students with disabilities were conducted in CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The search was limited to articles that included a pre-licensure population of nursing students with disabilities, publication dates between 2013 and 2023, written in English, and studies conducted in the United States.
RESULTS: A total of 210 articles were screened at the title and abstract level, of which 17 full-text articles were reviewed. A thematic analysis of these articles revealed that nursing students (1) were hesitant to disclose their disabilities, (2) felt marginalized by faculty, clinical preceptors, and peers, and at times, concurrently (3) received empathy from their nursing faculty and colleagues who were willing to facilitate accommodations and advocate for inclusive practices and policies.
CONCLUSION: By cultivating a healthcare environment that offers robust support systems for nursing students with disabilities, barriers and stigmatization are reduced to ensure full integration within the global nursing workforce.
Description
Globally, the exclusion of nursing students with disabilities diminishes the diversity and innovation that is crucial for a dynamic, inclusive healthcare system. Nursing students with disabilities face significant challenges. This scoping review explores their experiences, revealing hesitance to disclose, marginalization, and supportive faculty efforts. The findings highlight the urgent need for robust support systems and reduced barriers to ensure their full integration into the workforce.