The USC College of Nursing is aiming to provide guidance, educate and show aspiring, disabled nursing students that they have the same opportunity to be who they want to be.
MUSC alumna Dr. Susan Newman is leading a nursing initiative to allow for more education and opportunities for students with disabilities, according to a USC press release. The initiative is backed by The Duke Endowment, while partnering with collaborators Able SC, the Lexington Medical Center and the National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities.
Because of the relatability and connection people form when they share a disability or experience, the project seeks to diversify the nursing population both within the state and nationally. The organizations behind the project want to embrace nursing impairments rather than cure or ignore them.
Director of Public Health and Disability Integration at Able SC Mandy Halloran said she experienced the connection, as her daughter and the nurse who cared for her both have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
"I have watched my daughter, receiving for instance, who lives with a disability, get care in an emergency room from someone with the same disability she has, and it is amazing," Halloran said. "No provider has ever said 'Listen, I know what you're going through, because I too go through it,' so there's a big advantage."
Able SC Vice President and Chief Public Relations Officer Mary Alex Kopp said Able SC CEO Kimberly Tissot shared a similar and connected experience with a nurse.
Tissot said she had with a caring nurse who shared a similar process with her in the past, giving her comfort that was needed in the moment.
"You can only imagine the survey when you're filling back out to tell the hospital staff how appreciative you are of them," Kopp said. "Because that connection is so important."
During the course of a week, the College of Nursing aims to bring five high-school to college-aged students to campus, providing basic nursing experiences and skills, sitting in the College of Nursing Center for Simulation and Experimental Learning and visiting nursing units that have collaborated with the university, such as Prisma Health and the Lexington Medical Center.
Newman said funders at Duke Endowment are helping to present video biographies of others to show the students, giving students a glimpse of what their futures can look like and proving it's possible.
"There can be very effective nurses, but there are these barriers we automatically think of. 'You're in a wheelchair, you never could take care of a patient.' ... There are ways to do it," Newman said.
Her inspiration for the initiative comes from Andrea Dalzell, as she was diagnosed with transverse myelitis and was permanently disabled by the age of 12. She is the first registered nurse in a wheelchair in New York state after going to 76 job interviews, continuing now as a keynote speaker at many conferences nationally, telling her story for aspiring nurses to hear.
Meanwhile, collaborators such as Able SC are working to recruit students for next summer's first class, making sure to not hesitate on youth that may not be given the benefit of the doubt in everyday life.
"I hear repeatedly about how many times nurses with disabilities have to interview before they get a job, so there's a lot of hesitance from the healthcare system side and even nursing education side about the potential for people with disabilities to be successful at nursing, so we're trying to change that," Newman said.
Newman said another obstacle the state of South Carolina upholds are technical standards for nurses, often involving physical limitations like being able to stand on your feet for 12 hours each day, seeing and moving independently.
"Sometimes that's the first thing a potential student may see on a website," Newman said. "And if they're reading those, they're like 'I can never do this,' (because) they have a disability, so we're trying to change that language."
Kopp said Able SC is working towards recruiting for the summer program, but also for the resources to be able to accommodate for them, as she's seen a certified nursing assistant with a disability work for over 15 years with proper accommodations, supporting their work.
"I'm really excited about how this program is not only going to back up those individuals who have already been doing it, but really encourage more folks to see that there is potential for them in this field," Kopp said.
Through all barriers however, Halloran said there is a community that is created through having a disability, and she wants this program to truly embrace individuals with disabilities, instead of quickly looking to cure them as if they're issues.
"There's nothing to be ashamed about. In fact, you are welcome in this community with us," Halloran said. "Let us show you how proud we are and how we thrive."
The first class for this initiative will be launched in the summer of 2026, and you can find more information here.