Developmental disabilities: improving competence in care using virtual patients

Nurse practitioners (NPs) have an increasingly important role in health care provision in the United States. However, most nurses report that they receive little or no clinical training in the area of developmental disabilities. A core development team consisting of NP faculty members from three universities, one physician assistant faculty member, the parents of children with developmental disabilities, and educational specialists developed two multimedia interactive pediatric instructional modules in CD-ROM format: one involving a child with Down syndrome and the other, an infant born at 26 weeks gestation. Participants were required to make decisions about proper clinical interaction throughout the cases. The modules on CD were piloted with NP students at three universities. Effectiveness study results demonstrated significant gains in both knowledge and comfort level regarding the care of patients with developmental disabilities.