Aim: The aim of the study was to examine sensory and motor essential abilities required by nursing boards and assess their inclusion in prelicensure nursing program admissions.
Background: The nursing workforce should mirror diverse patient populations for better concordance; however, essential abilities restrictions hinder admissions for students with disabilities.
Method: Requirements for licensure were collected from state boards of nursing and compared with essential abilities admissions requirements from 58 prelicensure programs.
Results: No state boards mandated sensory or motor abilities for licensure. Thirty-one (53%) programs had restrictive essential abilities criteria. Some criteria conflicted with safety standards or the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Conclusion: Disparity of essential abilities requirements was observed. Restrictive essential abilities criteria may create barriers to admission of students with disabilities, thus limiting the diversity and capacity of the nursing workforce.
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