Nurses with disabilities: can changing our educational system keep them in nursing?

A recent qualitative study revealed that registered nurses with physical disabilities experience discrimination in the workplace and frequently leave their jobs and the profession. In light of these findings, it is vital that nursing faculty begin to inculcate students with an appreciation for collegial support before they enter the workplace as registered nurses. The familiar refrain "nurses eat their young" is apparently also true of nurses who have physical limitations. This article will discuss the findings from a qualitative study and offer recommendations for how nurse educators can educate students to help prevent the loss of nurses with disabilities from the profession.