Date of Award
Spring 4-2-2024
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Department/Major
Nursing
First Advisor
Jessica Warren, EDD, MSN, RN
Second Advisor
Danielle Fleming, MSN, RN, CEN, SCRN
Third Advisor
Jean Yockey, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, nurse training, nursing, pediatrics
Subject Categories
Pediatric Nursing
Abstract
With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence ever increasing among the pediatric population, nurses can expect to see an increase in the number of autistic patients within their clinical practice settings. Previous researchers have shown that pediatric nurses are required to overcome many barriers when working with autistic patients, and adequate training is necessary to achieve genuine patient-centered care. However, parents have reported less than optimal care received by their children with ASD within the healthcare system. Therefore, research is needed to determine where training could be improved for this patient population. This study aimed to identify where training deficits are within undergraduate and pediatric nurse training, along with successful applications in training for the care required for ASD patients. A rapid review of databases found that while nurses may display a strong knowledge of ASD, this does not directly correlate with confidence in their care for autistic patients. This confidence lack can be due to insufficient pediatric education and exposure during undergraduate studies, with similar confidence issues being found among nursing faculty specializing in pediatrics. Also, even nurses reporting high knowledge of ASD report not having enough strategies when working with ASD patients. Current successful training applications in both pediatric clinical areas and nursing undergraduate programs show that educating on the use of evidence-supported strategies greatly increases the ability of nurses to work with pediatric patients with ASD. Simulations and in-hospital programs, then, may be the answer to solidifying nurses’ skills in working with ASD patients.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Jasmine E., "STRATEGIES OVER KNOWLEDGE: TRAINING GAPS PRESENT IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER FOR PEDIATRIC AND STUDENT NURSES" (2024). Honors Thesis. 314.
https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/314