Nursing Faculty Perceptions Regarding Students With Physical Disabilities

Background: Students with physical disabilities continue to face barriers seeking entry into nursing programs even as the nursing profession advocates vigorously for the rights of these individuals. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify faculty perceptions that create barriers for students with physical disabilities to meet the requirements of a BSN education. Methods: Nursing faculty (n = 111) completed an online survey about the ability of a student who uses a wheelchair for mobility to meet required outcomes. Results: Participants believed students could meet the 14 cognitive and affective domain outcomes (88%-100%) for generalist practice. Their agreement that students could meet psychomotor domain outcomes was lower (66%-90%). Younger faculty expressed more positive perceptions. Conclusions: Using the psychomotor requirements of bedside nursing as the technical standard for nursing education is a barrier for students with physical disabilities. Faculty should expand their perceptions of the essentials of nursing education to create an inclusive environment.