4HSK0083: Enhancing Communication with ADHD Patients in Nursing

This essay discusses Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the communication challenges faced by Nursing Associates while providing care to individuals with this condition. It highlights the importance of effective communication strategies, including face-to-face communication, multimodal treatment, educational therapy, and psychotherapy, to improve patient outcomes. The essay reviews relevant literature, focusing on the impact of ADHD on children's lives, the historical perspective of the disorder, and the neuropsychological aspects. It emphasizes the need for specialized educational planning, de-escalation techniques, and family support to enhance communication and address the various challenges associated with ADHD, such as learning disabilities, mood changes, and social difficulties. The author reflects on their experiences as a nursing associate, highlighting the importance of multimodal treatment and de-escalation strategies in improving communication and overall quality of life for patients with ADHD.

ATTENTION-DEFICIT
HYPERACTIVITY
DISEASE

Table of Contents
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) refers to a disorder which is usually
diagnosed in childhood and may precede further in the adulthood as well. It can contribute to
troubled relationships, self-esteem and can create difficulty to face in work or school. It is a
severe mental illness that needs to treated effectively (Becker et al., 2020). As a Nursing
Associate, various difficulties are faced while providing care service to people with Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. There is a need for communication which is most important to
share feelings and information with others. It creates difficulty to get attention and focus on
different treatments include various communication strategies like face-to-face communication,
multimodal treatment, educational therapy, and psychotherapy. De-escalation can help to
communicate effectively and also help them to get quality of life (Cortese (2020).
According to Timothy (2013), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a common
neurobehavioral disorder in children. It is associated with co-occurrence disorder, including
anxiety, change in mood, substance abuse, disruption. In this, children faced difficulty to
communicate which impact on the mental health. It includes a high rate of co-morbid psychiatric
problems, including conduct disorder, cigarette and substance use disorder, and many more. It
has been estimated that this disorder occurs in children. About 4-12% of school-aged children are
impacted within the world (Timothy E. Wilens and Thomas J, Spencer (2013). There are around
4-5% of college-aged students who are suffering from this disorder (ADHD). Whereas in
adulthood, there are around equal ratio of men and women are getting diagnosed and treated.
Author elaborates that there is various psychiatric comorbidity that can elaborate the problem
effectively associated with ADHD (Koch et al., 2018). It is related to the learning disorder within
children, which can cause various difficulties to children in the future. There are also various
difficulties due to not getting proper communication with other. This includes different issues
like good or bad mood and anxiety, substance use disorder and others. It leads to antisocial
disorder within adults that can impact the average life span. It has been identified that various
issues can be there due to ADHD. There are multiple treatments available to get better quality of
life with improvement in mental illness. This treatment includes two significant areas like
pharmacotherapy and non-pharmacological such as educational remediation, family and
individual psychotherapy. (Lupattelli et al., 2019).
From the literature review, it is evaluated that providing various therapy like effective
communicate with children can associate with using different strategies. This can allow sharing
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of information with others. There is a need for specialized educational planning that is highly
effective and can improve the mental health of children with ADHD. De-escalation aims to
communicate calmly with children. That is an effective communication technique for children
dealing with ADHD. In this, de-escalation techniques can be effective, like talking to children,
taking them aside to feel better, not feeling humiliated and not being judgmental can help to
effectively communicate with children that can help them understand quickly and communicate
accordingly. The parent should focus on the proper education of children which is how to
communicate with others. In this, communication is necessary to acquire learning from teachers
or sharing information with peers. It can be effective in sharing the knowledge and helping in
providing education that can be instructed effectively and can be understood by a child with
ADHD. Psychotherapy can also be effective when talking with children which is related to their
issues and other problems. (Radesky (2018).
According to Harpin (2021), ADHD is a disorder that affects all aspects of children's life.
It is also associated with an increase in the healthcare cost for family members. This can impact
when there is need to take care of child for longer time. This may create irritation and can be
time taking. They also include social skills problems, academic difficulties, along parent-child
relationships. Harpin (2021) says that about 30- 60% of affected individuals show their
symptoms in adulthood. Children are at a greater risk for a longer time and can also lead to
adverse outcomes. It can disrupt individual personal and professional life due to different signs
and symptoms of this disorder. In pre-school children, it is analyse that there is a high range of
activity that can be impulsiveness characteristics within normal pre-school children (Harpin V,
A. (2020). It can be seen in pre-school children that they cannot act normally and respond
efficiently like others. Parents sometimes get stress due to not responding to their children as
requested and behavioural advice (Janes et al., 2018). In primary school, children with ADHD
can face some the stress and difficulty in learning different skills, whereas they face academic
failure, low self-esteem, and rejection. There is an impact on the pre-school, primary school
along with adolescence. There is a higher chance of conflict with parents. There is an impact of
this disorder on one child and their siblings, parents, and other family members. They cannot get
sound sleep, and due to this, there are also different consequences. It leads to low self-esteem and
lead to create aggressive behaviour. Young people with ADHD face additional difficulties like
restlessness, inattention or excessive aggression, and others.
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Through the literature review, it is evaluated that there is a need for proper
communication like face-to-face communication can be effective and allow them to get the
attention that can be helpful. De-escalation techniques can help pre-school children to keep tone
and body language natural which effectively provides a feeling of affection. In primary school,
children's de-escalation techniques can be respecting some of personal space that can highly
impact their behaviour and reduce their stress. In this, instruction should use verbal language that
can be more effective to control the symptoms and focus on relieving stress which can be caused
due to proper education (Galvez-Contreras et al., 2017).
The third aspect of the literature review is associated with attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder with their historical events based on the neuropsychological perspective. As per this, the
article's preface is to develop knowledge about the factors and develop communicational aspects
children face from childhood to adulthood (E. Mark Mahone and Martha B. Denckla, (2017).
This article provides information that states that the disease is in a pattern based on hyperactivity,
impulsivity, and inattention, which ultimately become recognised as attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder. In the early years, the advanced diagnostic method and biomarker
identification is identified with the advanced treatment based on an exponential rate. Review of
the article, determined that attention-deficit disease is the common behavioural issue of
childhood. The historical overview is explained in the article, which states that the evolution of
diagnosis such as the hyperkinetic reaction of childhood to attention deficit hyperactivity. These
influential theories include executive function cognitive energetic and delay aversion. Some
landmark treatments are used, such as multimodal treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity
disease and pre-school attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This treatment study uses
advanced mapping techniques containing anatomic, functional and resting state magnetic
resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging to reduce the complication of this disease in
children. Due to this disease, the learning disabilities, sluggish cognitive tempo, and so on
(Fordyce et al., 2018).
The findings from the above literature elaborate about the condition associated with
attention deficit hyperactivity have advanced treatment from the last 35 years. As per this,
majorly the common symptoms in this disease are learning disabilities, cognitive impairment is
also evaluated, and other complexities are involved. Moreover, multimodal therapy includes
support of family, individual, and education. It is all effective in developing communication. In
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school, interaction is being taken among children. The family also supports the formulation of
proper communication. With individual aspect, the suffer patient also shares their thoughts,
which is helpful and acts as a strategy to boost their self-esteem. It helps to develop better
outcomes in the context of communication (Dunn et al., 2019).
As a nursing associate, I experienced a wide-angle of issues associated with attention deficit
hyperactivity disease that complicate children's childhood with learning disabilities and render
their cognitive behaviour due to psychological factors. I also analysed the aspect related to
treatment which is helpful to boost such activity that is suppressed due to this disease. Moreover,
the multimodal treatment is usually considered because, in my experience, this model is focused
on enhancing communication, and they have various patterns that act as a strategy. However, the
multimodal methods include family, educational, and individual support, which play a vital role
in improving attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In my vision, the de-escalation strategies
predominately include "talking down" patients or diverting their thoughts away from the source
of agitation. In this, de-escalation is helpful because it helps to develop communication and
interaction with the patient. It is done by using effective communication and de-escalation, which
is beneficial in raising the activity that enhances the interaction.
With my knowledge and skill, I learned some aspects related to communication
development with the help of the de-escalation strategy which plays a vital role in the
development of quality of interaction and meets up with the patient. It helped me for the future
aspect when I used to place in such a situation associated with children facing the issue of
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The de-escalation strategy is a way that calms down or
establishes support by making an inner approach to communication. This strategy helps me in
my future placement to diagnose and treat the patient who is facing and dealing with issues of
such disease. Majorly, there is a wide range of patients which is from different age groups. They
require support which is helpful to develop the quality of treatment that initially and finally
contribute in future to improve the quality of life and reduce the chance of complication because
of de-escalation because it helps to develop a positive criterion among the patient by boosting
communication and interaction. In my vision, these factors and strategies usually remind me to
take advantage of my knowledge for my future for the betterment of those going through such a
disease.
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Moreover, I experience some strategies underlying de-escalation: recognizing children about
their hearing and ways of paying attention. As per this, usually provide them short and
straightforward direction which help to create understanding with any hurdle they are trying to
communicate, which acts as beneficial support. Moreover, develop communication strategies
with the child, which include listening ball and instructing the child to hold the ball or toss the
ball from hand and this provides an aspect that the child is attending or not. It all experience is
helpful for me for future placements.
From the above discussion, it can be concluding that ADHD is a disorder that can have a
high potential to impact individual lives and further leads from childhood to adulthood. The
proper evaluation effective can be used as a treatment or to deal with them. Use appropriate
communication strategies such as face-to-face communication, multimodal approach, and pre-
school learning strategy.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Becker et. al., 2020. Remote learning during COVID-19: examining school practices, service
continuation, and difficulties for adolescents with and without
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Adolescent Health, 67(6), pp.769-777.
Cortese, S., 2020. Pharmacologic treatment of attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder. New
England Journal of Medicine, 383(11), pp.1050-1056.
Koch et. al., 2018. The effect of learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and
psychiatric disabilities on three-year persistence outcomes at four-year higher education
institutions. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 48(3), pp.359-367.
Lupattelli et. al., 2019. Association of maternal use of benzodiazepines and Z-hypnotics during
pregnancy with motor and communication skills and attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder symptoms in preschoolers. JAMA network open, 2(4), pp.e191435-e191435.
Radesky, J., 2018. Digital media and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in
adolescents. Jama, 320(3), pp.237-239.
Janes et. al., 2018. Salience network coupling is linked to both tobacco smoking and symptoms
of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Drug and alcohol dependence, 182,
pp.93-97.
Fordyce et. al., 2018. A critical review of developmental exposure to particulate matter, autism
spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Environmental
Science and Health, Part A, 53(2), pp.174-204.
Dunn et. al., 2019. Neuroinflammation as a risk factor for attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 182, pp.22-34.
Galvez-Contreras et. al., 2017. Alterations of growth factors in autism and
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Frontiers in psychiatry, 8, p.126.
Online
E. Mark Mahone and Martha B. Denckla (2017). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A
Historical Neuropsychological Perspective. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5724393/
Timothy E. Wilens and Thomas J, Spencer (2013). Understanding
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder from Childhood to Adulthood. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3724232/
Harpin V, A. (2020). The effect of ADHD on the life of an individual, their family, and
community from pre-school to adult life. Retrieved from
https://adc.bmj.com/content/90/suppl_1/i2
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