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for Nurse Practitioner Programs

Create consistent clinical readiness across didactic and clinical practicum education

NP students arrive with varied backgrounds, uneven clinical exposure, and gaps in diagnostic reasoning. Across distributed cohorts, inconsistent placements and preceptor expectations make preparation for independent practice difficult to standardize.

DDx helps NP programs deliver consistent, validated clinical reasoning training for every learner, all while alleviating faculty or preceptor burden.

Designed by clinicians to support online, hybrid, and in-person cohorts, DDx’s highly engaging platform scales authentic case simulation. This enables learners to build confidence in a safe and realistic environment while giving faculty actionable insights into learner performance.

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How DDx helps NP programs

Deliver high-fidelity, multi-role simulations that mirror real NP practice—at scale
Expand and standardize case exposure across courses, sites, and preceptors
Evaluate clinical reasoning using validated, competency-based assessments
Identify at-risk learners early and enable targeted remediation

A flexible library educators can shape to their needs

DDx’s NP library includes cases across three dimensions, empowering educators to decide where to place emphasis based on their learners, curriculum goals, and clinical context.

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Authentic, high-fidelity clinical simulation for modern programs

DDx recreates the full arc of an NP patient encounter — assessment, differential diagnosis, diagnostics, patient management, and education — at the appropriate depth for NP scope of practice, immersing learners in multi-role clinical scenarios that reflect real-world practice.

Regardless of preceptor bandwidth or site availability.

  • Deliver deeper clinical realism rather than traditional digital cases, without the cost or logistics of standardized patients or simulation labs
  • Function as a scalable preceptor through AI-enabled, high-engagement, asynchronous simulations — ideal for online and hybrid programs
  • Prepare learners for high-stakes assessments (e.g., OSCEs) and national certification exams with realistic NP-level clinical scenarios

Scalable case library with standardized case exposure

DDx ensures every learner builds a strong clinical reasoning foundation and encounters the full range of presentations needed to be prepared for NP independent practice.

  • Level-set reasoning skills early with foundational NP-appropriate cases that intentionally build from RN experience and shape RN-level thinking
  • With 250+ faculty-developed cases, provide consistent exposure to rare, complex, or specialty-specific cases often missed in real-world clinical placements
  • Progress from core concepts to specialty-specific complexity across NP tracks (FNP, AGACNP, PMHNP, PNP, WHNP), ensuring learners develop skills aligned to scope of practice spanning clinical reasoning, clinical skills, and communication

Longitudinal visibility via competency-based assessment

DDx empowers faculty with a standardized, low-friction assessment framework aligned to NP-specific competency-based education guidelines (NONPF/INACSL/AACN)

  • Standardize evaluation across learners with built-in, rubric-based assessments aligned to NONPF, INACSL and AACN competency frameworks
  • Track trends at the learner and cohort level to support progression and curriculum decisions with centralized dashboards
  • Turn assessment into actionable insight with AI-enabled scoring to support timely feedback and performance improvement

Early identification and targeted remediation

NP training progresses rapidly, and delayed intervention can allow clinical reasoning gaps to persist before independent practice.

  • Easily detect performance gaps across key domains of NP clinical practice including documentation, test ordering, differential diagnosis, or management
  • Provide structured, competency-aligned feedback grounded to strengthen decision-making
  • Monitor NP learner performance over time enabling scalable remediation without increasing the workload for faculty or preceptors
Ready to experience how DDx can strengthen reasoning skills?
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Real impact for NP education

90%
of NP learners report improved clinical readiness after using DDx
80%
savings compared to SPs and OSCE-equivalent simulations
Countless faculty hours saved through automated case development, delivery and assessment
100%
unmatched insight into how NP learners think, not just what they answer
"Students have responded positively to the DDX case-based learning. DDX supports an engaging learning environment while bridging the gap between theory and real-life clinical decision making. From a faculty perspective, DDX has helped strengthen diagnostic thinking and collaboration and has been a great supplemental addition to my courses."
Glenna Kersten MSN, WHNP-BC
Clinical Instructor, University of Cincinnati

Results from programs like yours

NP
+88%
Increase in learner Confidence
Turning Classroom Knowledge into Confident Clinical Decisions
See how the University of Cincinnati NP Programs replaced a legacy simulation platform with DDx — and why students said it felt far more realistic.
Read more
NP
+91%
Increase in learner Confidence
Hawaii Pacific University Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Program Case Study
See how an online Psych NP program used interactive, case based learning to strengthen clinical reasoning without increasing faculty workload.
Read more
NP
+85%
Increase in learner Confidence
Fresno State University NP Program Case Study
See how a structured DDx pilot helped NP students practice diagnostic thinking in a safe, simulated clinical environment.
Read more

The right clinical content for your curriculum

Didactic
Clinical
Cardiovascular
Endocrinology
GI / Hepatobiliary
Infectious Disease
Nervous System / Psych
Pulmonology
Renal / GU
Reproductive
Rheum / MSK / Integumentary
List of cases
Sample application

Acute limb ischemia

Use this case after introducing common arrhythmias to help students practice working through a realistic palpitations presentation they are likely to encounter in primary care or urgent care. Students focus on gathering a targeted history, organizing a structured differential, recognizing atrial fibrillation on ECG, and determining appropriate initial evaluation and next-step management decisions, including when escalation or referral is warranted.
Sample application

Hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease

Use this case in the endocrinology module to help students translate thyroid physiology into clinical reasoning. Students practice recognizing classic hyperthyroid symptom patterns, interpreting first-line thyroid labs, and distinguishing Graves’ disease from other causes of thyrotoxicosis — skills essential for safe, efficient evaluation in outpatient settings.
Sample application

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Assign this case to provide realistic outpatient practice for a presentation that often challenges learners. Students work through distinguishing functional GI disease from concerning pathology, identifying red flags that warrant further evaluation, and counseling patients effectively without unnecessary testing—reinforcing diagnostic restraint and patient-centered care.
Sample application

Sepsis

Use this case to reinforce early recognition of sepsis in a nonspecific presentation. Students practice prioritizing initial orders, recognizing time-sensitive deterioration, and escalating care appropriately—skills critical for front-line clinicians across settings.
Sample application

Major despressive disorder

Assign this case to help students practice diagnosing depression in a realistic outpatient context. Students focus on applying diagnostic criteria, assessing suicide risk, and planning longitudinal management, reinforcing the ongoing nature of mental health care in NP practice.
Sample application

Community-aquired pneumonia

Use this case to help students work through a common respiratory complaint with variable acuity. Students assess illness severity, decide between outpatient and inpatient management, and select empiric therapy based on patient-specific risk factors—mirroring real-world decision-making in primary and urgent care settings
Sample application

Nephrolithiasis

Assign this case during renal content to give students hands-on practice evaluating acute flank pain. Students focus on selecting appropriate imaging, managing pain safely, and recognizing complications that require escalation or referral, reinforcing judgment around when conservative management is appropriate.
Sample application

Menopause and GSM

Use this case to give students experience managing a common but frequently undertreated outpatient concern. Students practice counseling, shared decision-making, and individualized therapy selection, reinforcing longitudinal care skills central to NP practice.
Sample application

Giant cell arteritis/temporal arteritis

Introduce this high-yield case to emphasize the importance of acting on clinical suspicion. Students learn to recognize red-flag symptoms of a vision-threatening condition, prioritize prompt diagnos
Emergency Medicine
Family Medicine
OBGYN
Pediatrics
List of cases
Sample application

Acute coronary syndrome

Assign this case to help students develop confidence in evaluating high-risk chest pain. Students practice rapid triage, ECG interpretation, and determining when immediate escalation is required, reinforcing safety-first decision-making in urgent care and emergency settings.
Sample application

Hypertension

Use this case early in the clinical phase to prepare students for one of the most common encounters in primary care. Students practice confirming elevated blood pressure, considering secondary causes, selecting appropriate initial therapy, and counseling patients—building confidence in documentation and decision-making they will be expected to perform in clinic.
Sample application

First trimester pregnancy

Assign this case early in clinical training to prepare students for a highly common women’s health encounter. Students practice obtaining a private, sensitive history, confirming pregnancy, and counseling on next steps, reinforcing core habits they will use repeatedly in primary care, urgent care, and OB settings.
Sample application

Febrile neonate

Use this case to reinforce strict evaluation pathways for a high-risk pediatric presentation. Students learn to recognize when reassurance is unsafe, follow no-shortcut decision-making, and escalate care appropriately—addressing a common source of anxiety during pediatric rotations.

Resources for educators

Confidently integrate case-based, AI-enabled learning into your program using practical, proven insights.

blog
March 11, 2026
How Missouri Baptist University uses AI in medical education to strengthen clinical reasoning in nurse practitioner students
Learn how Missouri Baptist University uses AI in medical education to strengthen clinical reasoning and simulation training for nurse practitioner students.
Read more
blog
March 10, 2026
NP programs and the structural challenge of assessing clinical reasoning
Clinical reasoning assessment in NP programs isn't a faculty problem, it's a structural one. Learn how DDx by Sketchy closes the gap across online, large-scale, and smaller cohort programs.
Read more
blog
November 14, 2025
Getting started with DDx: Educator implementation guide
A complete guide to setting up DDx, enrolling students, and using assessment tools for a smooth launch.
Read more
Connect with a clinician

Prepare every learner for clinical practice

DDx equips NP programs with scalable, realistic, and safe clinical reasoning education — built by clinicians, trusted by institutions, and aligned with competency-based standards. Contact us to learn how DDx can support your curriculum, faculty, and learners.