ABSTRACT
The effective transition of young children with disabilities from early intervention services that they receive before age 3 years to services that they will receive as preschoolers is an important priority. Mandates in federal law have created new responsibilities for professionals who provide these early childhood services. As part of a multidisciplinary team, pediatric nurse practitioners can play a key role in facilitating these transitions. This article describes the PRIME Transition Model, a comprehensive, research-based model that outlines these responsibilities and presents guidelines, transition checklists, timelines, and medical and legal information.
Subject(s)
Disabled Persons/rehabilitation , Early Intervention, Educational , Nurse Practitioners , Pediatric Nursing , Child, Preschool , Disabled Persons/legislation & jurisprudence , Early Intervention, Educational/legislation & jurisprudence , Humans , Infant , Models, Nursing , Patient Care Planning , Patient Care Team , United StatesABSTRACT
The mandate for a multidisciplinary approach in early intervention for at-risk and developmentally disabled infants and their families is creating new roles and opportunities for professionals in a variety of disciplines. The extent to which such roles and opportunities will be realized, however, depends on awareness of the nature and scope of early intervention efforts. This study was designed to examine the awareness of early intervention among nurses as a function of professional level. A total group of 64 students, practicing registered nurses, and nurse practitioners completed questionnaires assessing (a) their awareness of early intervention; (b) their perception of characteristics important in early intervention; and (c) assessment of their skill and knowledge in this area. Nursing students were significantly less aware than the other two groups of nurses who did not differ from each other. Each group differed significantly from the other on perceived skills, whereas only the nursing students differed from the other two groups in terms of knowledge. The endorsement of family-centered intervention did not differ as a function of level of educational preparation. It was concluded that nursing education curricula should include information on early intervention.
