#OrthopedicEquipment #SchoolPolicy #HealthcareStudent #MedicalRecovery #OrthopedicBoot #SchoolAccommodation
Hey there, healthcare student! Dealing with school policies and regulations can be a real struggle, especially when it comes to your health and well-being. It’s frustrating that your school is making it difficult for you to wear your orthopedic equipment, but don’t worry, I’ve got some helpful information for you.
Can they tell me I can’t wear the boot?
Your school cannot legally prevent you from wearing your prescribed orthopedic boot, especially if it’s crucial for your recovery and mobility. As a healthcare student, you have the right to prioritize your health and well-being, and your school should accommodate your medical needs.
Can they tell me not to use my crutches to get to and from class?
Just like with the orthopedic boot, your school cannot prohibit you from using your crutches to move around campus. It’s essential for you to have the necessary support and mobility aids to carry on with your daily activities, including attending classes. You have the right to use your crutches as needed, and your school should respect and support your medical needs.
What sort of lawyer do I even contact?
If your school continues to make your life difficult and doesn’t accommodate your medical needs, it may be necessary to seek legal assistance. In situations like this, you might consider reaching out to an education lawyer who specializes in disability rights and accommodations. They can provide you with guidance and support to ensure that your school complies with the necessary accommodations for your medical condition.
In conclusion, as a healthcare student, it’s crucial for you to prioritize your health and well-being, especially during your medical recovery. Your school should support and accommodate your medical needs, including the use of orthopedic equipment and mobility aids. If you encounter any difficulties with your school’s policies, don’t hesitate to seek legal assistance from an education lawyer specializing in disability rights and accommodations.
Remember, your health comes first, and you have the right to receive the necessary support and accommodations to ensure a successful academic experience. Stay strong and advocate for your needs, and don’t hesitate to seek the necessary support and guidance to navigate this situation effectively. Good luck, and here’s to a smooth and successful academic journey! 🌟
So, if you’re a healthcare student dealing with similar challenges, know that you have the right to advocate for your needs and seek the necessary support and accommodations to ensure a successful academic experience. Your health comes first, and it’s essential to prioritize your well-being. Don’t hesitate to seek legal assistance and advocate for the necessary accommodations to navigate this situation effectively. Stay strong, and here’s to a smooth and successful academic journey! 🌟
Do your classes incorporate a practical element or internship/externship/whatever?
They are telling you that you are not cleared to return until you don’t need the crutches anymore. That is why they are suggesting a longer break for recovery. Whether or not the restriction on using crutches is reasonable will depend on the nature of the classes, but it is extremely common for patients to drastically underestimate how quickly they will heal, and compromise their recovery by pushing themselves too soon.
I am not sure why you would fight this policy, since missing class for recovery time is going to make it harder to keep up your grades, but taking a semester off will make it more likely that you will succeed in your classes when you return. If they are holding your place without penalties, it seems like they are trying to help you.
Apply to your school’s Disability Resources department (or equivalent). There’s not always a guarantee they can dictate how clinicals are met as its often a 3rd party like a medical provider, but it can certainly help. Temporary accommodations.
NAL but I’m confused if you are reintroducing weight bearing at 3 weeks is not full duty. I went through the same years ago had broken bones while in clinical. Had to specifically have the doctor state I was allowed to perform certain tasks because if not the school could have liability. Yet when the timeline progressed during clinicals if I did not have full clearance I would not be able to continue. I will say at no facility I’ve worked at in 25 years would they allow to lift anyone with a walking boot on. So at the time of clinicals if you’re not completely healed even though they are allowing you to do virtual now you still maybe in the same boat and have to delay.
I went through a similar thing at a hospital I used to work at. It ended up being an infection control issue and not at all an issue of the disability. Not saying that’s what’s going on with your situation, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind.
Not a lawyer, but I am the safety director for a teaching hospital and someone with a disability that requires a mobility aid. The concern isn’t your classes, it’s your clinical placement. You most likely won’t be permitted to lift or transfer patients while wearing a boot; doing so presents an elevated risk of you injuring yourself or causing a patient fall. Your crutches will also not be permitted in certain areas of healthcare facilities. Anywhere that requires sterile precautions you won’t be able to bring crutches, so that’s ORs, sterile processing/disinfection departments, certain laboratory spaces, and potentially others based on the infection control practices of your placement. Also note that your school or placement location ruling that you cannot use your crutches or braces while onsite may very well not be any kind of ADA or internal policy violation: the ADA only promises that reasonable accommodations be made, and bringing in unapproved durable medical equipment that increases the facility’s liability for you and patients would likely not be considered reasonable. I can tell you from experience for example that I’m not permitted to enter my facility’s OR suites or central sterile departments because I walk with a cane, which cannot be rendered safe for entrance because of contaminants that it could bring in.
I will also say that I personally wouldn’t approve you entering a clinical environment with a note as vague as “can return to regular duty for 8-10 hours work in brace,” especially sense you aren’t currently in a role that requires the same physical workload that you’ll have in March. Presuming that you have a pt or ot that you’re working with post-op, you should look into getting some kind of medical documentation detailing your ability to lift, stand, walk, etc and whether you have restrictions that you may not have noticed. I saw for instance that you mentioned in your post body that you can usually walk in just the boot, but you need a crutch for longer distances; that would qualify as a restriction that you may need to have documented. Due to the physicality required from most healthcare jobs, I would want to see some evidence behind “return to standard duty” before approving, especially if it’s work that’s new to you and/or in a new-to-you environment.
You should reach out to your university’s disability services office as well as the staff member handling your clinical placement (if you know them and have previously communicated; otherwise just go through your university) at the facility that you have been placed at to see what their concerns are. You may also want/need to involve your student health office at some point if they’re not already. Maybe you and your medical providers can positively respond to their concerns, maybe not, but you won’t know until you have a more solid idea of what your expected physical requirements will be.
Please know that I say all of this not to be critical of you or your desire to avoid postponing your education. The purpose of your clinicals is going to be learning hands-on skills that will be important for your career in the future, so anything that may limit your abilities or risk you injuring yourself further would be a disservice to you. Maybe your school is completely blowing things out of proportion and you will be ready and able to do everything that you’re scheduled over the next few months, but you owe it to yourself to have a frank discussion with university staff and your medical team to make sure that it’s a good idea. Best case scenario, your program IS being unreasonable, and the disability office will set them straight.