School of Nursing Panel Emphasizes Patient Autonomy , Accessibility

thehoya.com · Feb 27, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY | A Berkeley School of Nursing event discussed patient autonomy A panel co-hosted by Georgetown University’s Disability Cultural Center, School of Health, School of Medicine and Berkley School of Nursing emphasized disability inclusion in medicine through centering patient autonomy and treating accessibility as a standard part of care at a Feb. 12 event. The panelists argued that one of the most persistent barriers to equitable treatment is the assumption that disabled patients have a lower quality of life than non-disabled patients. This perception may result in care plans that do not reflect individuals’ own goals for their health and daily lives. Panelist Christopher Moedijo, assistant director of nursing for pre- and post-operative services at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, said the belief that disabled patients have a lower quality of life can shape clinical decision-making. “I think as clinicians and nurses, we tend to put ourselves in the patient’s shoes, but sometimes we ignore the patient’s lived experience,” Moedijo said at the event. “Quality of life is different for every person, so you have to ask, ‘What matters in life to you? What would make your quality of life better?’ and then go from there.” Alexis Verity, a registered nurse in the psychiatric unit at MedStar and panelist at the event, said those conversations often reveal goals that are not immediately visible in a medical chart and can change how clinicians approach care. “For me, a lot of that was I was frustrated about getting swelling in my hands and not having dexterity,” Verity said at the event. “I’m a big crafter — I crochet, I paint, I make paper cards — so part of the reason I am committed to doing my occupational therapy exercises is so that I can craft. Finding what is going to make quality of life for this patient reveals a lot more about them.” Verity added that building trust is essential to providing equitable care, particularly because many disabled patients have experienced dismissal in medical settings. “The only reason that they have to trust you is that we have told them, ‘You can trust me,’ and they might have had any number of other providers who have the same education and the same credentials who have mistreated them,” Verity said. “So if someone is being difficult or loud, there’s a reason for this behavior, and you have to give them the time and the patience and really build that trust.” Panelist Chloe Smith (SON ’26), who said she lives with chronic pain, said clinicians should not rely on visible distress when evaluating patients. “Right now, I would say it’s about a six, but you can’t tell that by looking at me,” Smith said at the event, referring to her pain on a standard one-to-ten scale. “So when we’re assessing patients and we don’t see them grimacing or crying, and they’re telling you they’re in pain, we shouldn’t discount that. The same way I can sit here with a smile on my face and you can’t tell that I’m in pain is the same way that patients are telling you they’re in pain.” Moedijo said his experience as a hard-of-hearing nurse has shaped his understanding of how physical and cognitive demands intersect in clinical work. “The fatigue that I feel at the end of the day where I have to talk and listen a lot is very, very real,” Moedijo said. “My hearing works well, but I do have to work a little harder to listen to people, and that mental load kind of wears on you after a while. The cognitive, the social and the medical — it’s all connected.” The conversation repeatedly returned to universal design, which panelists described as creating health care spaces and training programs that work for a wide range of bodies and minds without requiring individuals to formally state their condition. Verity said it is important to ask individuals about what specific accommodations they require, rather than assume based on their disability. “We should stop asking people for what their disability is to make accommodations and start asking them, ‘What accommodations do you need?’” Verity said. “You can have two blind people and one might read braille and one might need large print, so just knowing they are blind does not tell you what they need in the space.” Panelists emphasized that autonomy must remain central in clinical decision-making, particularly when patients are accompanied by family members or caregivers. Verity said this is essential in building trust between health care providers and patients. “Talk directly to the patient,” Verity said. “Don’t be talking to the patient’s family as if the patient isn’t there, and let people make bad decisions. Even if they’re disabled, they have the right to make a bad decision, and if you support their autonomy, they’re going to come back when they need help because they trust you.” Dr. Kambez Shukoor, a dentist and panelist at the event, said that a culture that emphasizes overworking does not lead to better care and can exclude people who cannot physically push themselves to such extreme limits. “Work better, smarter, not longer,” Shukoor said at the event. “We have this culture where people say, ‘I worked 16 hours straight,’ and that becomes a badge of honor, but that doesn’t make you a better provider, and it can exclude people who physically cannot do that.” Smith said clinicians must remain open to being corrected by patients and continue learning throughout their careers. “You should never want to be the smartest person in the room, because that means you have reached your peak,” Smith said. Shukoor said a career in health care is defined by continual growth, and that this mindset is essential for reducing bias in clinical care because it requires providers to adapt their approach for different patients. “A practice of dentistry or health care — that’s what it is. Every day you practice to get better,” Shukoor said. Your donation will support the student journalists of Georgetown University. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.