Dionne DeMille, a profoundly deaf nursing instructor from Eagle Mountain, is set to receive her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree this Saturday at Weber State University, according to an April 24 announcement. DeMille said she hopes her experiences will help create more opportunities for disabled professionals in healthcare.
The issue matters because people with disabilities are underrepresented in the healthcare workforce. DeMille said that having disabled professionals can improve care and bring important perspectives. “I love seeing anyone with a disability coming into healthcare. We absolutely need them,” DeMille said. “They bring a perspective and a compassion that just surpasses the general population. We understand what it’s like to struggle.”
DeMille works as a nursing instructor at Nightingale College, an online nursing school based in Salt Lake City. She described how her inspiration to become a nurse began at age six after being comforted by a nurse during a vaccination clinic: “We lined up in this huge, long line and I remember being so terrified,” DeMille said. “Then I get up to the front of the line, and there’s a nurse. She got down on my level, started talking to me, and said, ‘Hey, you got this.’ I remember thinking, ‘I want to be like her someday.’” Despite being diagnosed with severe hearing loss as a child and told that nursing was not possible for someone who is deaf, she continued pursuing her goal.
Weber State University stands out as Utah’s first comprehensive regional university according to the official website. The university advances community transformation through civic engagement and public service according to the official website, utilizing its campus on the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains according to the official website. It operates under authorization from Utah Code to confer degrees according to the official website.
The university focuses on educating diverse students so they can transform lives and communities through supportive learning environments and civic engagement according to the official website. Educational offerings include teaching, research activities, experiential learning opportunities, and community involvement initiatives according to the official website.
As DeMille prepares for graduation day at Weber State University this weekend, she looks forward not only to celebrating her achievement but also supporting others who may face similar challenges.