Running Head: RESEARCHED ARGUMENT

Researched Argument
Rebecca Ramos
University of Texas at El Paso
Audience: UTEP nursing student and department heads

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Introduction
Since 1884, when Florence Nightingale became the first nurse, nurses have served as
iconic symbols of health care. Nurses are perceived, by many individuals, as medical
professionals who have healing hands. Yes, nurses do help restore a persons health, but are their
practices and ways of communication enhancing a patients healing process? Hopefully majority
of patients would agree that their nurses are enhancing the healing process, but could the same be
said by patients with impairments? While discussing oppression Ruth Northway comments
Goodall (1992) suggests that disabled people have begun to view professionals as part of their
experience of oppression (Northway, 1997, p. 737). Northway does not directly address medical
professionals, but she does go on to mention nurses (along with other professionals) are
sometimes viewed as part of the problem (Northway, 1997, p. 737). Many nursing school
programs, with the inclusion of the UTEP nursing program, are very rigorous. It is
understandable that these programs are challenging, because the students are pursuing a career in
which a persons well-being is in their hands. On the other hand, just as a persons physical wellbeing must be maintained so must their emotional and moral being. Student nurses are expected
to complete multiple courses which educate them on how to properly address and care for
patients; if this is so why are impaired people experiencing oppression from nurses? There is no
doubt that nursing students are receiving a well-rounded education, but are they being taught that
at times they need to put themselves in their patients position? Nursing students should not
become part of a growing problem; rather nursing students should be part of an uprising solution.
With this being said it will be argued that more should be done within the UTEP nursing program
to educate students on how to avoid oppressing an impaired patient; while, encouraging them to
place themselves in their patients perspective to assist in providing care.

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Models and labels

To begin it will be addressed how certain models and labels used in the medical field
oppress people with impairments, and possible improvements that can be made to educate UTEP
nursing students on this aspect. When educated on the concept of disability nursing students are
informed on the models of disability which provide a definition or explanation. There is no
permanent definition for the word disability but registered nurses Schmerzler and Walsh refer to
disability as any restriction or lack of ability (resulting from an impairment) to perform an
activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being( Schmerzler &
Walsh, 1999, p.16). To further explain the term the various models of disability include; the
religious model, the biomedical model, the social model, and the human rights model. When
dealing with the biomedical model, which is what nursing students will deal with, it must be
carried out with care because it does oppress impaired people. For example, the biomedical
model is defined as a lens through which the person is viewed as the problem in need of cure or
rehabilitation- the person needs to be fixed (Locsin & Purnell, 2009, p.310). As clearly stated
the impaired person is seen as a problem, an object that needs fixing not as a human being. As
addressed by Northway the biomedical model suggests that because an individual has some
form of impairment then he or she is unable to perform certain tasks or take part in certain
activities (Northway, 1997,p.737). Ironically, nursing students are taught that each person is a
human being not an object, whether impaired or not every life matters. This model goes beyond
making an impaired person an object, it makes it seem as if impaired people are objects in which
only certain ones matter. For example, The biomedical model divides persons into groups based
on diagnostic categories or functional traits, effectively fragmenting persons with disabilities into
groups competing for resources and services (Locsin & Purnell, 2009.p.311). This makes

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impaired people seem as if they are fighting for the survival of the fittest, it as if nursing students
are being educated on how to label which person is more important.
The explanation of this model clearly states that impaired people are objects that are
labeled based diagnosis and importance. If not careful nursing students can begin to see and treat
impaired patients and people as objects that have no feelings or sense of reasoning. For example,
Locsin and Purnell state Traditionally, nurses have made assessments in a habitual approach
based on functional abilities and stereotypical labels (Locsin & Purnell, 2009, p.325). If nursing
students enter the workforce with the mentality that impaired people are known by their abilities
or label them by their diagnosis the whole purpose of being a nurse and caring for people is
thrown out the door. It is easy to comprehend that impaired people are labeled, but how are they
labeled? It is discussed that A deep, taken for granted assumption in our culture is that if you
have a problem or a need you get a label: patient, user, client, sick, disabled,
handicapped( Sines, Saunders, & Burford, 2009, p.361). In the medical field this stands true,
people who have a medical issue or are ill, are admitted into a hospital or clinic labeled as a
patient. To any average person the label disabled may not seem offensive, but being aware of
what disability means it can be offensive to people who may be impaired. To people who may be
impaired the term disabled can remind them that some of their functions may be limited,
therefore making them feel that they may not be as significant as a non-impaired person may be.
We have discussed how models and labels affect impaired people, but what does this
have to do with the UTEP nursing program? The UTEP nursing program provides their students
with stimulation labs consisting of scenarios that are expected to occur in the medical field. The
stimulation labs allow the students to put their knowledge and practice to work as they conduct
hospital days. Hospital day is when a group of nursing students come in to the stimulation

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labs and perform clinical rotations as if they were working in a hospital environment. Half of the
students that enter are assigned patient characteristics that they are to act out while the other half
of the students are assigned as nurses to certain patients. Fortunately I was able to observe this
stimulation more than once and I made some interesting observations. While observing the
various stimulation labs it was noted that each room only contained one type of patient. In one
room the patients were categorized to have a mental illness, while in another room the student
nurses had to care for a patient who was in an accident and was losing their son. This hospital
day exemplified the biomedical model; patients were categorized due to their diagnosis or
impairment. When these nursing students enter the medical field each student will not be
assigned patients who all express similar symptoms on the same floor. This categorization can
lead to nurses labeling impaired people as objects, therefore providing good care for those
patients whose diagnosis or impairment is more serious. When the UTEP nursing students leave
the program they have the opportunity to provide equal care to every impaired person. For
example, we both know that, unfortunately, nurses are not supported to care in that Jean Watson
way except as student; and that, unfortunately, in most places it is all about cost-effectiveness
(Locsin & Purnell, 2009, p.158). Nursing students, especially for a great program like UTEP,
have the ability to provide real care to not just impaired people but all people. If UTEP continues
to expose their nursing students to categorization and labeling, will their students understand
what it means to provide real care, or just care based on a care plan?
A nurses perspective
As an outsider looking in it is simple to point out flaws and improvements that need to be
made, but it is a different story when one has to place themselves in someone elses shoes.
Nursing is a complex and challenging practice, and it is a never ending learning career. When it

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comes to nursing it is not as simple as following a care plan. Nurses are expected to follow the
care plan, but it is also up to them to decide if a procedure may be to invasive for a patient, or if
they are to respect the patients wishes when a treatment is refused. For example, a nurse
working in a hospital stated What a doctor writes in the order book is rather exposed, but a
nurse alone in a room with a patient had a lot more conscience to contend with (B. Achtenberg
& J. Sawyer, film, 1983). Nurses deal with a constant pressure of being expected to know what
should be done to comfort a patient, are treatments working, how are patients reacting to the
treatments, and so as. Nurses do the best they can to care for their patients especially those
impaired. At times word choices may be poor and nurses can oppress their impaired patients but
it is like this nurse stated, You cant be constantly examining, how do I feel about this, or you
would be diverting your attention away from the job at hand (B. Achtenberg & J. Sawyer, film,
1983). It is understandable that nurses cannot constantly be examining their impaired patients to
see if they are feeling oppressed and comfortable, but overall nurses should keep in mind that
when they are using the biomedical model some of their impaired patients may not feel too cared
about.
Conclusion
The UTEP nursing program is an overall well-rounded nursing school, but some
improvements can be made to help students gain a better understanding of how to avoid
oppressing impaired patients and placing themselves in their perspective. To avoid categorizing
patients based on the biomedical model, each stimulation lab should contain one of each patient
with varying characteristics in each room. It is understandable that categorizing stimulation
patients may be convenient, but in the medical field not all patients will be categorized. Along
with this is students are experiencing stimulation lab practices where they are aware of the

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categorization of each room and it makes it easier for them to label the patients in the room with
a common diagnosis or impairment.
Another way the UTEP nursing program can help their students gain insight into how
impaired patients feel is be encouraging, or making, their student complete a course on how to
include patients in their care plan. For example, The patient has ownership of the patients
reality and through revealing and in essence, the patient teaches the nurse what the nurse needs
to know (Locsin & Purnell, 2009, p.161). A nurse can base a care plan off of a simple diagnosis,
but in order to provide true care to a patient, impaired or not, a nurse must be willing to learn
from their patient. An impaired patient knowns themselves better than others do; for example If
we want our nursing care and caring to accomplish the patients goals, we must step aside and let
the patient be the knower (Locsin & Purnell, 2009, p.166). It may also be beneficial for nursing
students to attend a disability equality training course, or to complete the sociology of disability
course that is offered at UTEP. Both of these courses will help nursing students gain an insight
into how their impaired patients may feel, whether they speak up or not. One more way the
nursing students can receive a deeper insight while being involved in the community at the same
time is by volunteering as a group in the Special Olympics. This can possibly help student nurses
see that just because a person may be impaired it does not mean that they lack the ability to do
what a normal human being can do. With this being taken into consideration the UTEP nursing
students can become part of an uprising solution to oppression in nursing.

References

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