Nurse who could not read

[lynbrown]

There has been a case recently of a dyslexic nurse who was stopped in the nick of time from poisoning a ptient. Investigations show she received her nursing diploma from University in Aberdeen and got a job as a staff nurse. She could not tell the time, read or write up notes. She did not like to make eye contact. She guessed where medicines were stored by their shape and colouring. How can that happen? How did she pass her nursing exams? They at least knew she had the condition but no-one, least of all her, told the hospital that employed her. Even worse, how many more are out there?

[Loosehead]

Sounds like she's illiterate not dyslexic. Still a frightenning prospect though.

[NH]

"How many more are out there?"

Well, as a story that the media regards as great importance...about 3. Let's face it, it'll a special case...these things always are.

"How did she pass her exams?"

You have a point there. I don't know either. Good job I'm not at Aberdeen now you've pointed that out...

Some of these stories get too weird...like the one about the paedophile residency under the bed that cropped up a while back. And let's face it...there isn't a paedophile under every child's bed, is there?

[lynbrown]

I take the point about media stirring up scare stories. However, one dyslexic nurse or one paedophile or one anyone that can cause real harm is one too many.

[prattler]

if you read futher into this, you'll find she didn't go into nursing via the modern route(i.e. the nursing course that exists today-where you can only qulaify via diploma or degree).It's a hard enough course to pass without being dyslexic.its the media at it again!

[prattler]

I'm pretty sure she didn't qualify recently.there's no way she would have got through the various exams if she had such problems.I am a mature student on a nursing course , with a few qualifications under my belt, and beleive me, people that dont cut the mustard can't progress.I;m assuming that journalists with the usual lack of education and information are scare-mongering as usual.

[prattler]

in fact, the person who started this thread exaggerated out of any realms of reality this whole news story.they made it up as they went along!what a load of bull.I hope they never have to go into hospital or see a loved one have to go into a psychiatric ward .they will see what nurses are like in reality-highly educated and qualified people who slog their guts out and study at the same time to help ungrateful people like the poster when they are ****** and someone has clocked them for no reason at all!

[lynbrown]

To Prattler. Sadly this is one of those stories you could NOT make up. Read accounts on www.Scotsman.com over last week. She qualified only 3 years ago from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. She has now been demoted to care assistant. Bells were ringing her whole 3 year career but it seems no-one took action till she was stopped at the last minute from injecting a patient with wrong solution. Its all there, you can easily read about for yourself.

[OBonio]

Having found the article and read it, I can honestly say I feel for the woman.

http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1668182 006

How many more are out there? Apparently 1 in 10 people suffer from dyslexia, so I would hazard a guess and say a fair few. And I would also say that most of them will be doing a fine job.

Judge ye not, lest ye be judged. Especially based on 'facts' from a newspaper.

[Loosehead]

People can we get clear on this, she is not dyslexic she is illiterate! Not the same thing at all !

[Champagne]

I'm with Loosehead on this. Sounds like she's illiterate in which case I'd be interested to know how she got through her exams in the first place! Also, how can you get away with nursing without your colleagues noticing that you can't write up notes. The story is a bit thin on the ground but I think her employer is just as much to blame, frankly. It's a bit like me doing my job as a P.A. without being able to write, spell or type!

[Scylax]

I guessed that this would happen one day. People are so
petrified by the threat of litigation that they gloss over the obvious deficiencies ( in nursing notes and exam papers)
lest they be held accountable in a court of law - horror of horrors. Far easier to lose this illiterate in the system, and let others deal with the consequences.
I could recount many such stories of glossed-over ineptitude in the professions and universities, all due to the pervasive and corrosive fear of being 'unduly' judgemental..
O tempora, O mores.

[lynneuk74]

I worked for BT about 10 years ago. They employed a woman who was very partially sighted to work on directory enquiries.

The problem was she couldn't read the computer screen so they sacked her. The RNIB got on the case and they were forced to reinstate her and buy a HUGE computer screen and other software for her.

She still made a total mess up of things and just seemed to click on any listing.

Not sure what happened in the end but it is true that it's very hard to get rid of someone from a job if they claim 'disability'.

[prattler]

I still can't for the life of me can see how she would pass all her nursing exams if she was as 'stupid' as press reports make out.there's something amiss here.I am only saying this because I have first hand experience of nursing exams and I have a degree below my belt.the course was far from easy, despite my expectations.Most dyslexics apparently have a high level of intelligence, I think this woman, from what I read made an error that was caught in time but it snowballed from there.I'm not going to judge anyone unless i know the facts, but if anyone has a disability that could put others lives in danger, well, the line has to be drawn.Nurses get a bad enough press, I just couldn't sit back and listen to all the claptrap that's been going on here.

[lynbrown]

Prattler. Do you at least acknowledge i did not make it all up and in fact merely repeated what i had read in the newspaper? The facts must be accurate as it is the report of a court case. Your hasty condemnation of my initial posting was quite wrong.

[Scylax]

Claptrap, Prattler ?
Can you believe that there is someone out there with many, many years experience of setting and marking papers for SRNs/RGNs/RMNs - someone perhaps at the very top of the hierarchy, with a multiplicity of degrees at Masters level ?
Maybe that someone can genuinely testify that ineptitude in exams does not guarantee a 'Fail' rating. For ever and ever will remain those pusillanimous employers ( and examiners) who would pass a candidate rather than face
the possibility of litigation. An awkward reality.