Student Survey: Louisiana NP Processes for Diagnosing Adult ADD/ADHD

The purpose of this project is to collect research data on nurse practitioners’ methods of diagnosing adult ADHD. Accurately diagnosing ADHD in this population is essential to the practice of nurse practitioners. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects approximately 4.4% of adults worldwide (Deshpande, Ostermeyer, Lokhande, Abid, & Shah, 2017, p 315). Defined as “persistent and developmentally inappropriate symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity–impulsivity that interfere with a patient’s social, academic and/or occupational functioning (p. 1283-1284)”, adult ADHD can negatively affect health-related quality of life and workplace performance (Coghill, Banaschewski, Soutllo, Cottingham, & Zuddas, 2017). As healthcare providers, nurse practitioners are responsible for proper diagnosis and treatment of ADHD.  According to Moreira-Maia et al. (2018), appropriate treatment can lower the risk of substance abuse, car accidents, unintended injuries, emergency room visits, depression, suicide, and criminal activity. Adequate ADHD treatment is a relevant topic for providers to consider to prevent these adverse outcomes. However, clinicians are often hesitant in treating adult ADHD due to the potential for diversion, misuse, and abuse of stimulant medications (Deshpande et al., 2017).

In this study, a survey will be provided to members of the Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners. The

 survey has been attached to this application. The following is the link to access the survey on survey monkey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CGWBZNP. The survey will be emailed through the Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners and participants will voluntarily participate. Data will be analyzed using Survey Monkey. No interventions or treatments will be provided.