A Late Bloomer: Nursing with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Bipolar Disorder by Cary Jo Cook, RN, CMSRN (Continued)
I have never asked for or received any formal accommodations. What I have received is help on a personal level. On the medical-surgical unit, my coworkers would help me spike a bag on a bad day or open a tough blister pack of meds. When my hands and wrists were weak, my coworkers did the majority of my lifting for me. I also asked my floor director not to assign me any patients with tuberculosis, since exposure to TB is contraindicated while on certain RA meds like Remicade. This wasn’t a problem, as we didn’t get many patients with TB anyway. Of course, when anyone else needed help, I was always the first to volunteer, whether it was a difficult patient, passing meds or taking over so someone could have a crying jag in the restroom. That is what team members do for each other, and I was very lucky to work with the kind of people who helped each other out. Patient safety should always come first. There is no excuse for irresponsibility when other lives are at stake.
I did not tell them I had RA when I started working at the clinic. I honestly didn’t think it would affect my work. I am able to use the cast saw at times — it just depends on whether I’m in the middle of a flare or not. We lug around a heavy laptop computer as well. When my hands are in pain, the PA and surgeon carry it for me. They are terrific and never complain. I’m sure they have no idea how much those little helping hand moments mean to me. No one wants to feel disabled.
Nurses with disabilities understand better than anyone what it is like to be ill or injured — and what mountains of worry a patient is often buried beneath. These are the nurses who relate better to the patients on a personal level because of their shared experiences. These are the nurses who better understand the big picture — the ramifications illness or injury may have on a patient’s entire life. It cannot be emphasized enough what a comfort these nurses are to their patients.
Workable Wisdom
Cary Jo Cook, RN, CMSRN, grew up in Clinton, Iowa, and attended Elgin Community College in Illinois. She works as an ortho/spine nurse clinician for a large, private orthopedic practice in Geneva, Illinois. In addition, Cary is attending the University of Phoenix on-line in pursuit of her BSN. She can be reached at Birdijo@aol.com.
An excerpt from Leave No Nurse Behind: Nurses Working with disAbilities by Donna Carol Maheady, ARNP, EdD, founder of www.ExceptionalNurse.com. Permission to reprint granted by Ms. Maheady. The book is available at www.Amazon.com and other online booksellers. ISBN # 0-595-39649-6. 
