Recognising, managing and supporting dyslexia beyond registration. The lived experiences of qualified nurses and nurse academics.

Abstract

While there is a growing body of research on the effects of dyslexia on student nurses, this is not the case for registered nurses. The main aim of the study was to identify how dyslexia might affect registered nurses engagement in lifelong learning and how lecturers can support them. A narrative lifecourse approach was taken to explore the experiences of 14 registered nurses with dyslexia from across Great Britain and nine lecturers from England and Scotland. In depth interviews were conducted between October 2014 and November 2015. Template analysis of the interview data resulted in four main themes: Recognition of Dyslexia; Impact of Previous Learning Experiences; Teaching and Learning Strategies and Reasonable Adjustments. The study demonstrated that previous learning experiences had an emotional impact on nurses with dyslexia and this affected their engagement in lifelong learning. Despite this, they often sought to challenge themselves and recognised the need to engage in continuing professional development. The support for registered nurses with dyslexia was variable and dependent on the education of lecturers, although wider provision of inclusive approaches to teaching, learning and assessment mitigated this.