| Sumario: | Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are more likely than the general population to experience health inequities. While a number of factors contribute to these health inequities, a major modifiable factor is inadequate healthcare provider knowledge and comfort in caring for individuals with IDD. Education has been effective to improve patient outcomes, yet no regulatory or licensing bodies require IDD training for nurses. Educational content must be delivered voluntarily by educational institutions and healthcare employers. Change leadership can be useful to support the voluntary addition of IDD education. This article shares an example of creating change in a health system, guided by Kotter's model, by adding IDD education to institutional library offerings. Topics within the newly developed education module included IDD awareness, patient rights, caregiver empathy, health inequities, communication skills, and de-escalation techniques. Using a pre- and post-survey design, improvements were noted by those completing the education model, specifically in the areas of comfort and perceived knowledge levels related to care for individuals with IDD. In the article, we also discuss implications for nurse clinicians, educators, researchers, and administrators.
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