Date of Conferral

8-29-2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Corinne Wheeler

Abstract

This doctoral project is a staff education program to enhance the treatment and diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at a mental healthcare facility. The identified practice problem was the lack of knowledge about the Abbreviated Teacher Rating Scale (ATRS) used in ADHD testing, which may result in inaccuracies and underutilization of the tool. To bridge this gap is essential in nursing practice as clinicians should be competent in performing standard assessment, which is indispensable for patient with ADHD. Staff education with the ATRS was the practice-directed question for the project: Does staff education with the ATRS increase knowledge for staff members utilizing the tool? It aimed to educate clinicians about the appropriate use of the ATRS to augment knowledge, confidence, and skills. A pretest and posttest questionnaire consisted of nine multiple-choice knowledge questions, and data were analyzed using the learning gain percentages formula. Among the four participants who participated in the project, the mean score increased from 6.27 to 9.0, resulting in a learning gain of 100%. The results would normally indicate that the educational program effectively improved knowledge; however, the small number of knowledge questions on the questionnaire may not have been enough to provide a reliable measure of knowledge and understanding, Implications for nursing practice are increased knowledge, skills, and confidence in using the tool and assessing patients with ADHD patients. For social change, the project promoted education as a means of empowering clinicians with the knowledge to facilitate and correctly use the ATRS tool to inform and create proper interventions.

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