She Was Told She Couldn't Be a Nurse Because She Uses a Wheelchair: Andrea Dalzell's Story

SUMMARY:
Meet Andrea Dalzell - a registered nurse and disability advocate who was once told she'd “never be a nurse” because of her disability. In this episode of the Elite Learning Podcast, Andrea shares her journey from patient to bedside ICU nurse during COVID-19, why nursing education still isn’t accessible for students with disabilities, and how her nonprofit The Seated Standard is building frameworks to help hospitals better care for disabled patients. She and host Dr. Mackenzie Butler dig into humanizing bedside care, listening to understand (not to respond), and practical steps any nurse can take to become a stronger disability advocate.

Topics covered in this course include disability inclusion in nursing, accessibility barriers in nursing school, patient-centered care, advocacy for nurses with disabilities, COVID-19 ICU nursing experience, and building a more humane healthcare system.

This podcast course is intended for nurses and other healthcare professionals seeking to strengthen disability inclusion, patient-centered communication, and whole-person care. Through Andrea Dalzell’s experience as a registered nurse and disability advocate, the course explores structural and attitudinal barriers that affect access to nursing education and practice for individuals with disabilities. Learners will examine how bias, assumptions, and diagnosis-focused approaches can limit patient care and professional opportunity. The episode also highlights practical strategies for active listening, humanizing bedside care, connecting patients with community resources, and supporting disabled patients and colleagues. This course is appropriate for professionals interested in improving therapeutic communication, disability advocacy, and inclusive healthcare practice.

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Nurses may be able to complete an accredited CE activity featuring content from this podcast and earn CE hours provided from Elite Learning by Colibri Healthcare. For more information, click here

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Series: She Was Told She Couldn't Be a Nurse Because She Uses a Wheelchair Andrea Dalzell's Story