She Was Told She Couldn't Be a Nurse Because She Uses a Wheelchair: Andrea Dalzell's Story
Course Overview
Meet Andrea Dalzell - a registered nurse and disability advocate who was once told she'd “never be a nurse” because of her disability. In this episode of the Elite Learning Podcast, Andrea shares her journey from patient to bedside ICU nurse during COVID-19, why nursing education still isn’t accessible for students with disabilities, and how her nonprofit The Seated Standard is building frameworks to help hospitals better care for disabled patients. She and host Dr. Mackenzie Butler dig into humanizing bedside care, listening to understand (not to respond), and practical steps any nurse can take to become a stronger disability advocate.
Topics covered in this course include disability inclusion in nursing, accessibility barriers in nursing school, patient-centered care, advocacy for nurses with disabilities, COVID-19 ICU nursing experience, and building a more humane healthcare system.
This podcast course is intended for nurses and other healthcare professionals seeking to strengthen disability inclusion, patient-centered communication, and whole-person care. Through Andrea Dalzell’s experience as a registered nurse and disability advocate, the course explores structural and attitudinal barriers that affect access to nursing education and practice for individuals with disabilities. Learners will examine how bias, assumptions, and diagnosis-focused approaches can limit patient care and professional opportunity. The episode also highlights practical strategies for active listening, humanizing bedside care, connecting patients with community resources, and supporting disabled patients and colleagues. This course is appropriate for professionals interested in improving therapeutic communication, disability advocacy, and inclusive healthcare practice.
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
- Identify structural and attitudinal barriers that limit access to nursing education and practice for individuals with disabilities.
- Describe strategies for shifting from diagnosis-focused care to patient-centered, whole-person care.
- Apply active listening techniques ("listen to understand, not to respond") to improve therapeutic communication with patients.
- Identify at least two community or advocacy resources nurses can engage with to support disabled patients and colleagues.
About the Author/Presenter
Mackenzie Butler, DNP, MSN, RN-BC, is the Head of Nursing Products at Colibri Group, where she leads innovative solutions to advance nursing education and professional development. She holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. In addition to her leadership role, Mackenzie serves as adjunct faculty at the College of Saint Benedict, sharing her expertise with future healthcare professionals. Her professional interests include healthcare simulation and leveraging technology to enhance learning outcomes.
Andrea Dalzell is a registered nurse, educator, disability advocate, consultant, and keynote speaker specializing in disability inclusion, healthcare accessibility, workforce equity, nursing education, and patient advocacy. She is recognized as the first wheelchair-using registered nurse licensed in New York State and holds RN licensure in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Dalzell is founder and principal consultant of The Seated Standard and serves as head school nurse consultant at The Quad Preparatory School. Her work has been shared through national keynote addresses, scholarly publication, webinars, podcasts, and media outlets, advancing inclusive healthcare environments and more equitable access for nurses and patients with disabilities.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Nursing
If you require special accommodations, please contact Colibri Healthcare Support by clicking here: Contact Us
