The discourse surrounding disabilities in nursing education: an integrated literature review
Date
2012-06-14
Authors
Payrastre, Heather
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Abstract
People with disabilities continue to suffer from health inequities and discrimination in North
American society at large and even within the health care system (Scullion, 2010). It is widely
believed that disability-related theory needs to be explored in undergraduate nursing education in
order to disrupt the social inequities faced by people with disabilities (Goddard, Mackey &
Davidson, 2010; Smeltzer, Dolen, Robinson-Smith & Zimmerman, 2005; Thompson, Emrich, &
Moore, 2003). How are nurse scholars conceptualizing and theorizing disability in nursing
education literature? The purpose of this integrated literature review is to draw on current
nursing literature about disability education in order to critically examine the authors’ discourses,
assumptions, and attitudes regarding disability that are embedded in nursing education literature.
A discourse lens frames the analysis of relevant literature to examine how disability is
conceptualized and portrayed. While authors of the articles reviewed held that disability-related
education is important at the undergraduate level, their writings presented a range of
conceptualizations and various theoretical approaches to disability. These findings are
encouraging, but more emphasis on disability theory is needed to adopt a consistent approach to
disability education that is grounded in our disciplinary values. The results of this critical review
of the literature could be used in the development of disability-specific nursing competencies or
an educational framework for North-American nursing curricula. Overall, in the articles
reviewed, there is promising evidence of movement towards social awareness and the
empowerment of people with disabilities as a priority in undergraduate nursing curricula.
Description
Keywords
disabilities, nursing education