| Sumario: | Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common, fatal inherited disease found in industrialized nations. CF affects multiple body systems, but has the greatest impact on the lungs and pancreas. Although there has been an increase in the number of working-age individuals with CF in the past 20 years, research on career choice, work status and work disability of individuals with CF has received very little attention. Information about the vocational potential for individuals with CF indicates limited expectation for vocational success. This paper describes the vocational status of 183 adults with CF and provides information about this group's vocational potential. Important findings of this study were: (1) the majority of participants were either working or in school; (2) those employed were working in professional, technical, managerial, clerical and sales occupations; (3) the jobs held varied in physical demands and strength ratings, and; (4) patients with skilled jobs were more likely to have maintained their positions than those with unskilled jobs. These numbers are impressive given that the majority of these individuals were sick enough to be evaluated for their candidacy for lung transplant. These data suggest that, as with most people, vocation is an important part of life, and many individuals with CF go to school and achieve in careers and work despite their declining health. Rehabilitation counselors should consider people with CF as viable candidates for successful job placement. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
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