Nurse Leader's Idea Has Worldwide Impact on Employment for People With Disabilities

As director of the emergency department at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, I was frustrated with high turnover rates in certain jobs, particularly the job of restocking supplies in exam rooms. The medical center had just instituted a diversity initiative that solidified its commitment to increasing employment opportunities for qualified persons with disabilities. That initiative caused me to wonder; could people with intellectual disabilities adequately handle the positions I found so difficult to fill? I turned to the person who led the special education program at 4 career development campuses in southwest Ohio. We enthusiastically collaborated, and today, 20 years later, the resulting program called Project SEARCH has spread to worksites throughout the world.1