Supporting Dyslexic Nurses: What Managers and Preceptors Need to Know

If you manage, mentor, or preceptor a dyslexic nurse, the challenge is rarely clinical competence — it is the design of the systems they are expected to work within. Dyslexic nurses bring distinctive strengths to practice: pattern recognition across complex datasets, systematic attention to detail in procedural work, and procedural rigour that often exceeds that of non-dyslexic colleagues. The friction comes from clinical environments that rely almost exclusively on print-based information without accessible alternatives (Major & Tetley, 2019; Burton & Alexis, 2026).

Legal Obligations and What AHPRA Requires

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth), employers must provide reasonable adjustments enabling a dyslexic nurse to perform the inherent requirements of their role. The obligation is engaged whether or not a formal diagnosis has been disclosed — if the employer is aware, or ought reasonably to be aware, the duty applies. For the legal detail, see Reasonable Adjustments in Nursing: What Australian Law Actually Requires.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) does not require nurses to document in handwriting or any particular format. The requirement is that clinical documentation is contemporaneous, accurate, and accessible. Voice-to-text transcription, structured digital templates, and recorded verbal handovers can all meet that standard.

Adjustments That Work

Research with dyslexic nurses and nursing students consistently identifies a core set of adjustments that reduce adaptive labour and improve outcomes for the whole team (Illingworth, 2005; Crouch, 2019; Butler, 2024). Structured documentation templates and checklists reduce reliance on free-text writing. Access to assistive technology — voice-to-text software, text-to-speech for chart reading, electronic systems with spell-check and drug-name verification — addresses the most common barriers. Dedicated quiet time for documentation after high-acuity shifts makes a material difference. Verbal handover formats alongside written ones ensure information transfer does not depend on a single modality. The common thread is universal design: systems built to work for a range of cognitive profiles.

Creating a Disclosure-Safe Environment

Many dyslexic nurses choose not to disclose at work because they fear being perceived as incompetent or face concern about career progression (Major & Tetley, 2019). As a manager, the most effective thing you can do is create conditions where disclosure feels safe — where asking for an adjustment is treated as a routine professional conversation rather than an admission of deficit. That means normalising adjustments as standard practice, ensuring confidentiality, and responding to disclosure with practical support rather than surveillance.

For practical guidance nurses can use when requesting adjustments, see How to Ask for Reasonable Adjustments as a Neurodivergent Nurse. For documentation strategies, see Dyslexia in Nursing: Documentation Strategies That Work.

References

Illingworth, K. (2005). The effects of dyslexia on the work of nurses and healthcare assistants. Nursing Standard, 19(38), 41–48.

Major, R., & Tetley, J. (2019). Effects of dyslexia on registered nurses in practice. Nurse Education in Practice, 35, 7–13.

Crouch, A.T. (2019). Perceptions of the possible impact of dyslexia on nursing and midwifery students and of the coping strategies they develop and/or use to help them cope in clinical practice. Nurse Education in Practice, 35, 90–97.

Butler, S. (2024). Nurses with dyslexia: overcoming challenges and thriving in the profession. British Journal of Nursing, 33(15), 694–698.

Burton, S. & Alexis, O. (2026). The experiences of student nurses with dyslexia in clinical practice in the United Kingdom: A literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 82, 235–246.

Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth)

This post contains general information only and does not constitute legal, medical, or professional advice. Information is accurate to the best of the author’s knowledge at the time of publication. For advice specific to your situation, please consult an appropriately qualified professional.