Nursing times

When chronic pain and the results of a nasty spinal infection made mobility increasingly difficult for Bethann Siviter, she thought her nursing career was lost forever. But nearly a year to the day later, she returned to work as a nurse consultant

Almost a year to the day after I thought I’d lost my job and my independence, I moved into a new office.

Four months previously, Occupational Health had referred me to the Access to Work (AtW) programme, through which every aspect of my working life was assessed. This resulted in comprehensive recommendations covering – and funding – everything from a vertical mouse and specialist chair to a scooter and support worker. Wonderful!

The initial transition was difficult. My union representative wasn’t well versed in the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and my manager wasn’t keen on disabled nurses, but our diversity lead and AtW adviser were confident that with time and reasonable adjustments I would find my way. My employer provided adjust­ments, a flexible schedule and most of the time, acceptance.

One difficult thing was the constant commenting about my scooter, like “Don’t run over me!” or “Watch out for speed cameras!”…I wanted to scream: “Stop looking at the scooter!”

I felt that people stopped seeing me as a nurse, just as disabled.

Blue badge parking, as it is everywhere, was an issue from the start. Everyone used the blue badge spaces – deliveries, able-bodied staff and visitors. Actions to stop inappropriate parking resulted in nasty anonymous threats against me. In the end, my employer repainted the lines and took a harder stand. It’s still a sore point for some staff.

I returned to work two years ago. Initially I was angry at becoming disabled, and terrified of the future. It took time to heal and although there are still occasional issues, most are part of being an employee, not just a disabled one. Occasionally I have to remind people of the help I need, but that’s OK: it proves that they now see me, not the disability.

I think my experiences have made me more insightful, patient and sensitive and, I believe, a better nurse.

Because I know the DDA, as a union rep and as a nurse, I help people return to work or cope with disability, directly and through policy work. I’m no longer angry or terrified.

I thought my career was over: in reality, a new one was just beginning.

BETHANN SIVITER: CAREER PATH

• 1982-1984 and 1994-1999: Nursed in the USA
• 1999: Moved to the UK from the USA
• 2002: Received a UK nursing diploma from the University of Central England
• 2003: Qualified as a district nurse at the University of Wolverhampton
• 2003-2005: District nurse team leader for a nurse-led GP practice
• 2005-present: Consultant nurse for a large PCT. Has written two books: The Student Nurse Handbook (Elsevier, 2004, 2008) and Newly Qualified Nurse's Handbook (Elsevier, 2008). Currently working on a book about disability in cooperation with another disabled healthcare worker