Cocurricular Clinical Opportunity: Addressing Student Attitudes, Knowledge, and Skills With Disability Education

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Disability Studies
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Healthcare organizations advocate for disability content in professional training.
• Limited adoption of disability curricula in US nursing schools hinders education on disability.
• Insufficient training contributes to health disparities for individuals with disabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a disability education program on nursing students.
• To address the gap in disability-specific training within nursing education.

Main Methods:

• A 2-hour cocurricular clinical experience was designed for senior nursing students.
• Multimodal learning experiences included clinical exposure in facilities serving individuals with disabilities.

Main Results:

• 34 students across five cohorts participated in the fellowship.
• Findings indicate a significant need for continued and required disability curricula.

Conclusions:

• Faculty should implement disability education aligned with population needs and essential nursing competencies.
• Developing robust disability curricula is crucial for enhancing healthcare for people with disabilities.