IDENTIFICATION, ACCOMMODATION, AND SUCCESS OF STUDENTS WITH LEARNING-DISABILITIES IN NURSING-EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Few studies have addressed the issue of nursing students with learning disabilities, although students with both identified and undiagnosed learning disabilities are pursuing nursing education. Legal mandates c oncerning these students impact nursing programs and faculty. To reduc e the risk of discrimination litigation, nursing education programs ne ed to establish educational strategies to promote these students' succ ess. The purpose of this research was to discover the extent to which Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Associate Degree of Nursing program s in one southeastern state admit, identify, and graduate nursing stud ents with learning disabilities, and to identify accommodations provid ed by these programs to promote success among this student population. Of the 54 programs surveyed, 35 responded. Almost 50% indicated that their program had admitted nursing students with learning disabilities and one-third reported graduating students with learning disabilities . Enrolled students with undiagnosed learning disabilities were identi fied during their course of studies by both faculty members and by stu dents themselves. The most frequently reported accommodations for stud ents were counselors, tutors, tape-recorded lectures, and computer acc ess. As the number of students with learning disabilities seeking post -secondary education increases, nursing programs and nurse educators w ill be involved with greater numbers of students needing educational a ccommodations before. In the 10 years between 1977 and 1987, the numbe r of students in U.S. public schools identified with LD had increased by 156% (Torgesen, 1991). Having received accommodation for learning i n primary and secondary education settings, these students have taken the necessary prerequisites for entering college. The percentage of fi rst-year, full-time freshmen in college indicating that they have LD i ncreased from 15% to 25% in the 6 years between 1985 and 1992 (Henders on, 1992). Advocacy groups have increased public awareness of the need s and rights of students with LD. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Ac t of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) requir e non-discrimination on the basis of disability by colleges and univer sities. Institutions receiving federal funds, directly or through stud ent financial aid, are obligated to assure equal opportunity and reaso nable accommodations to students with LD. Because nursing is the third most popular career choice of full-time freshmen with LD (Henderson, 1992), the impact upon nursing education programs cannot be denied. As the numbers of students with LD entering post-secondary education inc rease, the potential for admission of students with LD into nursing al so increases. Nurse educators must develop strategies to identify, ret ain, accommodate, and promote success for the growing population of st udents with LD.