Supporting Neurodivergency in Healthcare Professionals
Course Overview
Neurodiversity is an important consideration in nursing education, clinical learning environments, and healthcare workforce development. This activity explores how neurodivergent learners and professionals experience traditional educational systems, including barriers related to disclosure, accommodations, assessment design, communication, executive functioning, and implicit bias. Participants will examine practical strategies for creating inclusive learning environments through trauma-informed teaching, Universal Design for Learning, transparency in teaching, and competency-based education. Emphasis is placed on maintaining academic and clinical standards while reducing unnecessary barriers that can affect learner success, faculty well-being, workforce retention, and patient care.
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Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
- Define neurodiversity and describe its relevance to nursing education, clinical learning, and healthcare workforce development.
- Identify common barriers experienced by neurodivergent nursing students, faculty, and clinicians, including stigma, disclosure concerns, executive functioning demands, and inaccessible assessment practices.
- Differentiate individualized accommodations from inclusive course design strategies that anticipate diverse learner needs from the beginning.
- Apply practical teaching strategies, including Universal Design for Learning, transparent assignment design, and competency-based assessment, to support learner success without lowering professional standards.
About the Author/Presenter
Mackenzie Butler, DNP, MSN, RN-BC is the Head of Nursing Products at Colibri Group, where she leads innovative solutions to advance nursing education and professional development. She holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. In addition to her leadership role, Mackenzie serves as adjunct faculty at the College of Saint Benedict, sharing her expertise with future healthcare professionals. Her professional interests include healthcare simulation and leveraging technology to enhance learning outcomes.
Dr. Megan Arbour is a Certified Nurse-Midwife, Certified Nursing Educator, and Professor and Co-Director of Research and Scholarship at Frontier Nursing University, where she leads national and international efforts to advance neurodiversity-informed nursing education. She holds a PhD and MS from The Ohio State University and a post-graduate certificate in interdisciplinary disability studies from the University of Maine, Orono. Dr. Arbour’s scholarship focuses on faculty preparedness, inclusive curriculum design, and creating learning environments grounded in Inclusion by Default. She is recognized for helping educators translate neurodiversity and disability inclusion principles into practical strategies that support learner variability while maintaining high standards for clinical competence.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Nursing
If you require special accommodations, please contact Colibri Healthcare Support by clicking here: Contact Us
