Abstract
Background: Nursing students often report limited confidence when caring for neurodivergent individuals, contributing to communication challenges and barriers to inclusive care. Undergraduate nursing curricula frequently lack structured neurodiversity-focused training, highlighting the need for targeted educational interventions.
Methods: This Doctor of Nursing Practice project used a pre–post quasi-experimental design to evaluate whether a structured neurodivergent-focused simulation with guided debriefing improves undergraduate nursing students’ communication self-efficacy. Students completed the 12-item Self-Efficacy in Clinical Communication (SE-12) scale before and after participation. Paired-samples t-tests assessed change, with a Wilcoxon signed-rank test conducted to confirm findings (Axboe et al., 2016).
Intervention: The intervention included standardized pre-briefing, an immersive simulation involving neurodivergent communication scenarios, and faculty-led debriefing emphasizing communication strategies, empathy, and neurodiversity-affirming care.
Results: Eighty-five paired responses were analyzed. Composite self-efficacy scores increased significantly from pre-intervention (M = 6.10, SD = 1.80) to post-intervention (M = 8.25, SD = 1.34), t(84) = 12.07, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 1.31. Nonparametric testing confirmed significance (W = 54.0, p < .001). Improvements were observed across all communication domains.
Conclusions: A structured neurodivergent-focused simulation with guided debriefing significantly improved communication self-efficacy and represents a feasible, scalable strategy for integrating neurodiversity-affirming education into undergraduate nursing curricula.
Date of publication
2026
Document Type
DNP Scholarly Project
Language
english
Persistent identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/5117
Committee members
Mary McInnis
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Recommended Citation
Williams, Rebecca, "DNP Final Report: ENHANCING NURSING STUDENTS’ SELF-EFFICACY IN CARING FOR NEURODIVERGENT PATIENTS" (2026). DNP Final Reports. Paper 99.
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/5117
Included in
Health Communication Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Other Nursing Commons, Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Patient Safety Commons, Pediatric Nursing Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Commons, Quality Improvement Commons