Education of nursing students with special needs.

Recent legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act will have a significant impact on higher education in nursing. A survey was conducted to describe the extent to which BSN and ADN nursing programs in the United States admit and graduate special needs and chronically ill students, and to identify the accommodations which have been successful in providing nursing education to these students. Responses received from 86 schools of nursing in 44 states indicated that most schools have had contact with students with special needs such as visual, hearing, or mobility impairments, learning disabilities, and mental or chronic illnesses. Learning disabilities and mental impairment were cited most frequently as having been present among the student population. Few programs have had experience with students with vision problems. While most programs responding had little experience with providing special accommodations to special needs students, most were aware of accessibility on their campuses. Recent legislation aimed at creating opportunities for disabled individuals to successfully enter the work force creates challenges for schools of nursing in education of students with special needs. Issues are raised that must be addressed to meet this important challenge.