Can You Be a Nurse With One Eye or Not?

To become a nurse, one should have a 20/20 vision to get admitted to a nursing school.

However, this is not true always.

Can you be a nurse with one eye?

Yes, you can. And, there are lots of nurses who do not have a 20/20 vision, yet they are serving in hospitals or assisting the surgeons.

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Can you be a nurse if you are blind in one eye?

There is no question that you can become a nurse even if you are blind in one eye.

Several people have completed their nursing and have become EMTs (emergency medical technicians).

However, they have certain limitations at work such as no carrying patients downstairs, no driving, and so on.

Contrary to the popular belief that you need a 20/20 vision to become a nurse, there are many nurses with certain visual challenges who used adaptive aids and other methods to get around.

So, there is no way that you cannot become a nurse even with one eye.

However, the vision problem could be a matter of concern when it comes to potential employers. But, if you want to become a nurse with one eye, it is still possible.

Most nursing colleges tend to train people with one eye.

So, one thing is certain that you can be a nurse with one eye and you can get your certificate. There are nurses with one eye who are employed by hospitals for performing different types of work.

But certain regulations might limit job opportunities in healthcare and they will continue to do so.

Job opportunities for the visually impaired or partially blind continue to work for the blind people who are receiving their training or who have already been employed in hospitals.

There is no shortage of partially blind nurses in healthcare facilities.

And, some of them have even earned higher positions.

On the other hand, some blind nurses are competent enough but they are yet to receive employment.

As said earlier, not all employers like to employ blind nurses. But there is nothing to be concerned about because they are very small in number.

Moreover, the number of blind nurses is increasing day by day.

You may have seen lots of blind people who intend to study nursing or are pursuing one in nursing colleges.

The desire to become a nurse continues to rise. And, job opportunities for blind nurses are increasing significantly.

It is not a good idea to deprive a person who is blind with one eye with education thinking that there might not be sufficient opportunities for them to work in a healthcare facility.

Moreover, there are lots of examples where it is seen that after working for several years in healthcare facilities, many nurses lost their sight because of diabetes or another ailment.

See also: Nursing Care Plan for Diabetes

So, does that mean they have to leave their work?

In these situations, the nurses have to go through rehabilitation programs that make them self-sufficient to take care of things regardless of having one eye.

Apart from vision loss, other problems such as hearing loss, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and other disorders are being frequently encountered by nurses worldwide.

See also: Can You Be a Nurse With Bipolar Disorder?

But they are successfully employed. So what they did is use their own experience and rehabilitation programs to become more sensitive toward the people that they are serving.

See also: Can a Deaf Person Be a Nurse?

Can you be a surgeon with one eye?

Chances of becoming a surgeon with one eye might not be possible.

And, there are no medical associations that will allow any surgeon to perform critical surgeries with just one eye.

While it cannot be ruled out that some surgeons perform some sort of surgery with only one eye, but there are contributing factors to it.

Sometimes surgeons might lose eyesight during their career.

A surgeon operating with a single eye should have vast experience to do such kind of work in the first place.

However, the surgeries that require microscopic assisted equipment might be challenging for the surgeons to perform surgeries.

In short, surgeons with one eye may not be able to do microsurgery anymore.

If you go by the books, a surgeon should have a good vision.

This is because they need to work with small instruments and delicate machines for longer hours. And, they need to have good eyesight while performing with them on the patients.

See also: Why Do Nurses Work 12 Hour Shifts?

There is no denying that surgery is all about choices and instruments used that could either bring life to the patients or put an end to their lives.

It is a very crucial moment and no one should be taking the risks. Surgeons have to follow and make movements according to the plan with extreme care and precision.

They have to be quick in their responses so that valuable time is not wasted on things that are not necessary because they might have a negative impact on the patient’s health.

Because of these reasons, surgeons with clear and good visibility are a must when doing critical surgeries.

Apart from good eyesight, they should have strong hand-to-eye coordination and contrast sensitivity.

So that everything gets done within a stipulated timeframe without attracting any kind of adverse situations.

And, all these are possible only if the surgeon has good eyesight from both eyes.

Having one eye and performing a critical surgery is out of the equation and it might put everyone at the operation table at risk.

There are doctors and in very rare cases surgeons who are successfully employed as psychologists, cardiologists, audiologists, naturopaths, etc.

See also: Can Nurse Practitioners Do Surgery?

However, it is tricky for any surgeon with one eye to perform intense surgeries.

But there are a few surgeons who have achieved mastery over their disability and can perform well when it comes to normal surgeries.

As medical science progresses, there might be technologies that surgeons with one eye can take benefit of.

See also: Will Nurses Be Replaced by Robots?

Conclusion: Can you be a nurse with one eye?

So, it is clear that people with one eye can become a nurse. While pursuing such as dream is challenging, but it pays off in the end.

Regardless of your visual impairment, you should believe in yourself.

And, work hard while motivating yourself. That way, you can achieve your goals.

See also: SMART Goals for Nursing

At this point, you should know whether can you be a nurse with one eye or not.

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