Male Nurse with color vision deficiencies

[Mike707]

It's said that 5% to 8% of men and 0.5% of women are born colorblind. Color blindness is the inability to perceive differences between some colors that other people can distinguish. My question is this, can a person who is color blind (can't distinguish red & green) become a nurse? I can see and distinguish each color alone but the problem is when two colors are mixed up(red/green), I can't tell which one is which. For instance, when you enter a turnstiles in the subways or train stations, (or doors with card readers)you scan your card then the small light in the reader changes to green (this I can't see, all I see is small red light lid). Someone might say it's green or yellow but to me it's always red.

For those experienced nurses, do you think a person with this kind of color deficiency would have a problem in the nursing field & would not be able to care for patients who are hooked/attached to machines with color coded lights. Your input is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[cassioo]

The lights have numbers and alarms but the first thing you learn is look at the patient when things alarm and see why it's alarming....there was an article in the paper this weekend about a MD who is blind.
Myself I have a hard time with urine dipsticks determing a negative from trace of protein as it's just a faint change in green color.

[nursinghumor]

Being color blind would probably bar you from employment as a nurse in direct patient care. Part of our admission testing for nursing school includes a color perception test.

You need to be able to distinguish colors quickly and accurately. You can contact a school of nursing for confirmation of this.

Sorry,

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[Aaron C.]

I don't think it would stop him from Becoming a nurse but it would certainly limit his ability to perform certain duties such as performing a nursing assessment.

[GratefulTedd]

dont tell em I say. you can learn alarms and such by the way they sound and which light comes on. you should only mention it if PoCT (point of care testing) requires it: then ask for (and use this verbage specifically) "an accommodation" under the ADA, that'll shut them up. Go ahead. I miss 40% of the tests for vision and I have been a nurse for 23 years. Once in a great while- I ask my co-workers for a color consult, the rest I do just fine. My assessment skills are par with the best.

[orionseal]

It hasn't bothered me at all. I was born with this HANDYCAP and it is not hard to say; "Hey Anne does this look red or green to you?". These small accomidations are easy enough to get you through, and anti discrimination laws are on your side bud so I say go for it. I did and am enjoying a rewarding job today.

[AmandaWIRN]

When I worked in pediatrics, I worked with a nurse who was color-blind with certain colors. He was an excellent nurse- the only time it ever caused a problem for him was if he was drawing labs on a patient- he would ask me to pick out the right lab tubes for him because he couldn't see he tube colors- something I didn't mind helping out with at all. I don't think something like this should prevent you from becoming a nurse at all.

[MPS0430]

Originally Posted by nursinghumor

Being color blind would probably bar you from employment as a nurse in direct patient care. Part of our admission testing for nursing school includes a color perception test.

You need to be able to distinguish colors quickly and accurately. You can contact a school of nursing for confirmation of this.

Sorry,

Andrew Lopez, RN
Nursefriendly.com, A National Nursing & Consumer Health Directory

I am colour blind (red/green) and was a paramedic, currently work as a Student nurse tech, and am in nursing school. I have never had any employer or teacher say i couldn't be a nurse and work directly with patients. You do have to ask for help with lab tests and labels but other than that you will be fine. Just don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it and let the people you work with know that you are colour blind.

[Ricu]

All things considered, there are many well qualified male nurses or nurse wannabes who happen to have difficulty differentiating colors. It seems that there could be ways around discerning colors by applying words in apprioriate places.

Any thoughts?

R

[joeylvn]

Thanks for this question.

I got the same problem and it make me no confident to apply nurse school.
Now I want to apply nurse school, but not sure do they test colorblindness in the recruitment process?
Hope you guys will answer your experience.

Thanks