First-of-its-Kind Continuing Education Curriculum for Acute Care Nurses Improves Patient Outcomes for Individuals with IDD

Pittsford, NY, Oct. 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing at St. John Fisher University has launched an innovative, first-of-its-kind continuing education curriculum to help nurses deliver equitable care to patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

The curriculum, Optimizing Care for Hospitalized Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, is designed to prepare nurses to deliver confident, informed, and compassionate care to individuals with IDD in a hospital setting. Patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities can present unique communication and behavioral challenges. Yet, most nursing programs do not include specialized training to meet the needs of this growing population. A lack of tools and training leads to stress and burnout for staff and negatively impacts patient experience and health outcomes.

“Nurses are the segment of the health care workforce most frequently caring for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, yet they often lack the training to address this critical need,” said Dr. Holly Brown, executive director of the Golisano Institute, a nationally recognized leader in IDD nursing. “This program will give nurses the tools and strategies they need to manage daily challenges, improve health outcomes, and enhance the patient experience. It can also improve morale among nurses, increasing staff retention and preventing burnout.”

Brown said that patients with IDD often present a unique set of challenges for health care providers, including communication issues and behaviors of concern. The patient experience suffers, resulting in distress, gaps in health outcomes, and prolonged hospital stays. The program’s eight modules address the wider issues of longer hospital stays, treatment delays, and inadequate care that individuals with IDD experience during hospitalization. In addition, the material helps nurses understand these disabilities at a deeper level to dispel any misconceptions or negative stereotypes so that they can provide quality, professional care to this underserved population. The modules address such topics as bias, communication, behavioral and mental health concerns, and signs and symptoms of deterioration in patient status.

The curriculum is evidence-informed, developed by an expert group of nurses and educators. The scenario-based modules are self-paced, interactive, and delivered in an online format. The program was informed by individuals with IDD and their families and piloted with 110 learners from three New York state health systems over the course of a year. During the pilot phase, qualitative and quantitative data were collected pre- and post-program completion from learners and administrators to ensure it was meeting its goals. Ninety percent of learners in the pilot reported that the program positively influenced their comfort and confidence in caring for individuals with IDD. Administrators reported that the program reduced care team stress and improved patient experiences and outcomes. The skills learned in the curriculum are transferable and can also benefit nurses working with patients who have cognitive or communication challenges, including those with dementia, stroke, or traumatic brain injuries.

Curriculum development was made possible through support from The B. Thomas Golisano Foundation and the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. 

 “Providing high-quality care to this population improves equity, and this curriculum can play an important role in creating an inclusive and empathetic environment to address the needs of patients with IDD,” said Charlene Ludlow, MS, RN, CIC, senior vice president of nursing for Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, New York. “Equipping nurses with knowledge, skills, and confidence positively impacts the patient, while reaping benefits for health care teams and systems.”

To learn more about the curriculum, visit go.sjf.edu/golisanoinstitute.

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About St. John Fisher University
St. John Fisher University is a comprehensive liberal arts institution that provides a transformative education to approximately 3,800 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students from more than 30 states each year. Across its five Schools, Fisher offers nearly 40 majors in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, business, education, and nursing; a variety of pre-professional programs; and master’s and doctoral programs in business, nursing, education, and pharmacy. Located just beyond Rochester, New York, the University’s 160-acre residential campus boasts a robust living and learning community where students grow into purposeful leaders. An independent institution today, the University was founded by the Congregation of St. Basil in 1948. As Fisher moves forward into the future, it stays true to its Catholic heritage and honors the Basilians by embracing their motto, “Teach Me Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge.”

About The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of vulnerable communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services. Named after a tireless advocate for immigrants, children, and the poor, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation funds programs and initiatives across New York State that either provide direct healthcare services or address the social determinants of health. For more information, visit https://www.cabrinihealth.org/.

About Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation
Tom Golisano — entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader — is the founder of Paychex, Inc., the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses, providing integrated human capital management solutions for payroll, benefits, human resources, and insurance services for almost 800,000 clients in the U.S. and Europe. Mr. Golisano’s vision, perseverance, and action have left an indelible mark on a broad spectrum of issues that touch our lives - in business, healthcare, education, voter policies, politics, and tax reform. His continuing investments are helping to drive the success of numerous businesses and start-ups, and advance entrepreneurship. His philanthropic contributions to hospitals — including four children’s hospitals that bear his name — and numerous educational institutions and other organizations exceed $910 million. Of this, he has dedicated more than $145 million to advancing inclusive health around the world, helping to close the significant gap in access to care for people with intellectual disabilities. Mr. Golisano is the author of two books: Built, Not Born, a Wall Street Journal bestseller, and The Italian Kid Did It.

A fierce advocate for dignity and inclusion, in 1985, Tom Golisano applied his pioneering spirit to establish the Golisano Foundation to make the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With more than $120 million in gross assets, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, awarding about $5 million annually to non-profit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.

Contact Info

Melissa Greco Lopes
mgrecolopes@sjfc.edu
+1 585-385-8190

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