New USC Initiative Will Help People With Disabilities Enter Nursing Profession

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South Carolina has one of the highest disability rates in the country. Yet people with disabilities remain vastly underrepresented in the health care workforce.

A new initiative funded by The Duke Endowment and led by the USC College of Nursing aims to build clear pathways for people with disabilities to enter and advance in the nursing profession.

Led by Susan Newman, a health sciences endowed professor, the college will kick off the multi-year project by offering a summer immersion program for high school, college and second-degree students with disabilities who are interested in nursing.

Participants will receive training on clinical skills, accessibility tools, disability rights and health equity in the College of Nursing’s state-of-the-art simulation center.

Existing licensed nurses with disabilities will be supported through mentorship and career resources.

Success in these initiatives will foster a broader nursing workforce and lead to improved care and reduced stigma.

Health care for people with disabilities can be unfamiliar to providers, which can create barriers to care. Increasing disability representation in the health care workforce can help mitigate these barriers.

• In South Carolina, 1 in 3 adults report having a disability, higher than the national disability prevalence rate of 1 in 4.
• People with disabilities make up 4 percent of the nation’s health care providers.
• Only 40 percent of South Carolinians with disabilities are employed, and 27 percent live below the poverty rate.

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