Attitudes toward nursing students with disabilities: Promoting social inclusion

Background: Nursing education programs rarely refer to individuals with disabilities as potential nursing students; more often, the assumption is that they are patients. Thus, this study aimed to capture nursing students’ perspectives of social inclusion through examination of their attitudes toward nursing student colleagues with disabilities. Method: Paper-and-pencil structured surveys containing two validated scales were collected from Israeli nursing students (N = 270). Analyses included measuring associations using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and general linear regression models. Results: Nursing students held relatively negative attitudes toward colleagues with disabilities, and these negative attitudes were correlated to attitudes toward people with disabilities in general, even after adjusting for noted confounders. Conclusion: Nurse educators and nursing students should be aware of prejudicial attitudes with their respective communities toward nursing student colleagues with disabilities, and they should work toward a better understanding that cultural competence and awareness extends not only to patients but also to one’s colleagues.