Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
12-2-2025
First Advisor
Lisa Drake
Second Advisor
Beatrice Bailey
Abstract
Accurate diagnosis of adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) remains challenging in outpatient behavioral health settings, as variations in clinician training, diagnostic tools, and assessment methods can hinder accuracy and delay treatment. At the project site, providers reported low confidence and inconsistent use of standardized tools when evaluating adult ADHD, underscoring a critical need for structured education to improve diagnostic consistency and provider confidence. This quality-improvement (QI) project assessed the impact of an educational intervention on provider knowledge, confidence, and utilization of validated screening tools for adult ADHD. Guided by Donabedian’s Model of Quality Improvement and Lewin’s Change Theory, the project employed a quasi-experimental, one-group pretest–posttest design at an outpatient behavioral health clinic in Texas. Nine providers participated, with five completing both assessments. The 60-minute intervention introduced an evidence-based clinical pathway incorporating validated screening tools, including the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS). Descriptive and inferential statistics, paired-samples t tests, and Cohen’s d were analyzed using SPSS v29. Provider knowledge increased by 52% (M = 8.14 to 12.40; d = 0.68), and confidence rose by 16% (M = 11.00 to 12.80; d = 0.62). Although not statistically significant (p > .05), the moderate effect sizes indicated clinical importance, reflecting meaningful improvements in provider competence, confidence, and readiness to adopt evidence-based diagnostic practices. This QI initiative advances knowledge both at the project site and within behavioral health nursing practice.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Adeyemo, Oluwadayo B., "Quality Improvement Project: Provider Education on an Evidence-Based Clinical Pathway for Diagnosing Adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" (2025). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 231.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/231
