Anti-discrimination policies, laws and acts have had a significant impact on nursing practice. Historically, there has been an evolving struggle for equality in rights, possibilities and opportunities. The Americans with Disabilities Act had a lot of resonance and found its way into many more directions than other practices. Its introduction influenced both the attitude towards the nurses themselves and the requirements in relation to patients.
The implementation of the act has influenced the need for institutions to consider candidates for vacancies without bias towards certain deviations. In the modern world, people with disabilities often have fears about a special attitude, in connection with which they hide their disabilities or are afraid to talk about them (Neal-Boylan & Miller, 2017). However, the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that students with disabilities be treated on an equal footing with others, thereby reducing permissible discrimination against characteristics that do not directly affect an employee’s performance (Moraras et al., 2020). This commitment increases competition for positions in the healthcare sector but is humanistic and supports the fight for equality.
Additionally, the Americans with Disabilities Act legally directs health centers to provide a variety of facilities for people with specific disabilities. In this case, it is meant that health care should be in the public domain. The provision of such conditions includes general access to medical facilities and the provision of appropriate conditions (Ordway et al., 2021). Providing appropriate conditions should include changes to space plans and adding new specific practices. Nurses, as hospital representatives, are also required to follow the new practices.
In conclusion, the practices that nurses work with on an ongoing basis are subject to change. Acts such as the Americans with Disabilities Act affect not only the political and legal environment in a country but also the rights and responsibilities of nurses. Due to the act, nurses are more likely to obtain preferable employment rights in the event of a disability, but at the same time, are required to provide equal conditions for patients with special health conditions.
References
Moraras, K., Block, J., Shiroma, N., Cannizzo, A., & Cohen, C. (2020). Protecting the rights of health care students living with hepatitis B under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Public Health Reports, 135(1), 13S-18S.
Neal-Boylan, L., & Miller, M. (2017). Treat me like everyone else: The experience of nurses who had disabilities while in school.Nurse Educator, 42(4), 176-180.
Ordway, A., Garbaccio, C., Richardson, M., Matrone, K., & Johnson, K. L. (2021). Health care access and the Americans with Disabilities Act: A mixed methods study. Disability and Health Journal, 14(1), 100967.