[chris_at_lucas_RN]

Originally Posted by PsychNurseWannaBe

...it may be necessary to have klonopin, prn, which has mood stabilizing properties for those days when you (again...general) have a bad day and don't feel "quite right".

Klonopin is a benzodiazepine.

Benzos are central nervous system depressants.

Attention deficit disorder is treated with CNS stimulants, not depressants.

Mood stabilizers are a whole 'nother class all together.

Benzos are well known to be habit forming.

Find a safer drug for your "bad days."

(Psychotherapy and counseling can be helpful.)

I would have considered the above post to be giving medical advice. Thought that was a no-no......? This would certainly be one reason why....

[jh479352]

The problem was I was away from nursing for about 17 years and went back and took an RN refresher. Took a job on an epilsey ward, lost that in 2 monthes because I had not been dx. and wasn't on medication. I took this 2nd job hoping I could build my skills and move on. Basically it was the only job i thought I could get. I had no confidence for IV's. We didn't even have pump when I left nursing. I guess i will have to go for the hospital job and just pray I get the right preceptor.

[jasonmark]

Hi
There is a new resource for helping ADHD naturally - BEING IN CONTROL:Natural Solutions For ADHD Dyslexia and Test Anxiety ( with Amazon.com) by Jason Mark Alster MSc . I am sure it will be useful for nursing students with ADD and especially for pediatric nurses.

[jh479352]

Jason,

If it was just about being in control you would think someone out of all the nurses would be able to do this. Its not about being in control its a neurobiological disorder so I would suggest that you get educated on the matter before giving advice. Each person needs to do their part in the maintaneance program, like getting 8 hours of sleep, staying away from caffeine and eating healthy and alot more. Maybe you can check out Dr. Peter S. Jensen, M.D. at Coulumbia University and let him explain to you what its all about. Thanks anyway.

[luv2shopp85]

I've recently been having trouble in clinical about doing things without thinking that were stupid and if I had thought about them I would not have done them. I'm starting to wonder if this type of "impulsiveness" is part of my add and maybe my meds aren't working right? I was diagnosed when I was younger with ADHD and took ritaline throughout elementaryt school. Then I stopped during 7th and 8th grade but then in 9th grade had to get back on int because my grades were really suffering. So then I took ritaline the rest of high school and when I graduated in 2003 I stopepd taking it. Then I started again in sept 2004 because I knew i was going to be taking anatomy and physiology, microbiology and starting nursing school in aug 05. I first tried ritalin and it just made me way too hyper and focused and I could not sleep at all, then I tried something else and it didn't work and now I'm on stratterra which I don't know if its even working. I'm beginning to think maybe I should mention to my clinical instructor that I have add. Would this make her look down on me? Maybe she'll understand why I have these impulses that get me into a lot of trouble. I don't want her to look down on me though or think I'm crazy or stupid. I also don't want her to think I'm blaming my disorder for my impulses because really there is no excuse. What should I do? Has anyone been in this situation?I'm also going to talk to my doctor about maybe adjusting my meds.
I don't want to fail nursing school because of my stupid impulses that I have. Today I had a private meeting with my clinical instructor and she kept asking me why I do things without thinking and why I don't think before saying things. She says that it scares her and makes her think I could put patients in harm. I've never done anything to harm a patient or committed a med error. I did something stupid with a neele container, here is the thread I wrote about it in the general nursing student discussion:
http://allnurses.com/forums/f50/ok-i...ow-146991.html I also had an incident where I ruined a patients 24 ho ur urine that was 6 hours from being finished. I accidentally flushed it down the toilet. Then we had to restart the 24 hour and keep the patient in thet hospital an extra day. My instructor is very concerned about me and shes worried about what I do when she's not looking because of what she's seen me do with the needle container and with the whole 24 urine thing. Should I explain to her that I have add or what? O and by the way I'm done with this clniical instructor after next week. I won't have her in clinical anymore because I'm on my OR rotation next week. But I will have her on Wed for final evaluation. Should I mention about the ADD? I'd hate to have her look at me as immature and incompetent because of my disorder. Maybe if I give her an explanation about why I've beeen acting liek this then she can help me with it and maybe b ea little more understand. Ahhh I'm so confused and stresssed out!!

[jh479352]

Hi Nursing Student,

Here is a great quote from one of the members

ALSO...for anyone in school you might get accomodation because of the ADA act. I have twice the time for exams/quizzes as well as a quiet distraction reduced environment. It is worth checking out with your Dean of Student.

[Agnes Anne]

[Without Dex I can't think and focus. I read the same thing over and over and over again and I can't focus enough to comprehend what I'm reading. I become annoyed. That leads to frustration. That leads to temper, and there it ends. LOL With Dex my emotions are even and normal, like they should be. I can read, think, focus, and behave as I should.[/quote]

This is my first post ever after reading for several months... I just wanted to toss in a few pennies.

AD/HD runs the gamut... an one med will not work for all folks equally. For eample Dexadrine works well for you... but my experience was very different.

I was diagnosed AD/HD while in 1st grade. I was given dexadrine which turned me into a zombie... slowed my blink rate and left me sitting and staring at the wall. It made life easier for my teachers and miserable for me. Each summer I went on a med holiday to catch up on my weight and growth. Once I hit jr high they took me off of it "'cause older kids and adults don't need it anymore."

As an adult I knew I still had the ADD tendencies but was afraid to try any meds becasue I dreaded the zombie effect. After a lot of discussion with my doctor I agreed to try the dexadrine.and entered zombie land again. I was so depressed I could barely move. Next we tried ritalin and it was like night and day! I could stay focused! I could finish a task... and I still felt like ME. How I wish I could ahve had that through out my childhood instead of being sedated and shut up.

Later I tried Adderall. I had the horribly dragging slow thoughts adn blue, but without the all out feeling of depresion. So for now I'll stick with Ritalin.

I take when I need to focus, stay on task and juggle details. I go off it over breaks when I don't need to stay on task! Like working in the gardena and putting around the house.

Now that I'm in nursing school I've chnaged my meds to an XR plus one 5mg later in the day. It helps for the long days when I get up at 5am for clinicals and still need to study in the evening. Again, I use the extra tablet only on the days when my schedule is stretched to the max.

And finally, two non-pharm approaches I use for studying. #1 is a timer. I set it for 15/30/45 minute increments while I read depending on how hard/boring the content is. When the timer goes off I set it for 5-10 inutes and do something physical with no brain work... something to work out the kinks and get my heart pumping... mabye vacuming, a quick tidy around the house whatever. The change of pace suits my ADD brain. On other days when even with meds my brain wants to drfit away... can you say midterm burnout??? I race my daughter. She'll pick a task that she's been avoiding and she'll work as fast as she can to finish while I read/work as fast as I can. For some reason my hyperfocus kicks in, I absorb it better and get done faster... and we feel like a team even though we're working on seperate stuff!

[STORK315]

Has anyone had experience with accommodations in the workplace? I am an RN working in a very busy Labor and Delivery unit. I've been a nurse for 20 years, but dx with AD/HD 1 yr ago. I'm on Adderall and it has corrected all of my clinical problems (missed meds, missed charting details, etc), but I'm really having a problem with tardy arrrival; something I've always had problems with and the meds don't kick in until around 9am. Mornings are still horribly disorganized for me despite all my attempts to be more organized. I was placed on Admin Leave (suspension) 1 week ago for excessive "occurences" (my employer counts any tardy as an absence). I've been upfront about my Ad/HD ever since my dx. I filed an ADA discrimination complaint and request for reasonable accomodations through my Union. My accomodation requests will be going to an "Accomodations Committee". In the meantime, I'm off work indef without pay, which really bites.

Anyone been in the same boat? Does anyone have an intermittent LOA going related to AD/HD?

[nurse_clown]

Originally Posted by STORK315

Has anyone had experience with accommodations in the workplace? I am an RN working in a very busy Labor and Delivery unit. I've been a nurse for 20 years, but dx with AD/HD 1 yr ago. I'm on Adderall and it has corrected all of my clinical problems (missed meds, missed charting details, etc), but I'm really having a problem with tardy arrrival; something I've always had problems with and the meds don't kick in until around 9am. Mornings are still horribly disorganized for me despite all my attempts to be more organized. I was placed on Admin Leave (suspension) 1 week ago for excessive "occurences" (my employer counts any tardy as an absence). I've been upfront about my Ad/HD ever since my dx. I filed an ADA discrimination complaint and request for reasonable accomodations through my Union. My accomodation requests will be going to an "Accomodations Committee". In the meantime, I'm off work indef without pay, which really bites.

Anyone been in the same boat? Does anyone have an intermittent LOA going related to AD/HD?

No. but it's commong knowledge amongst my coworkers that i'll either be very early or pretty close to being late. i leave at the same time. i live about 3 km from my hospital job and i give myself 45 minutes to get there and i drive. i don't take any ADD meds. i never reacted well to them. both of my jobs make accomodations for me and understand me pretty well. not that i make excuses for myself and blame add. but sometimes we all have to face the facts. i have to work hard at making sure i don't screw myself and the my jobs shouldn't expect me to go above and beyond. i probably wont ever get a student. been there done that and what a disaster!!! if we are short staffed, dont' ask me to do more than i'm barely capable of doing. sure i'll try my best but i'll forget about that. both my jobs know not to schedule me for day shifts and i am able to handle the odd evening shift. they know that i'm not on any meds. and i take responsibility. if something doesn't make sense, then i make sure i check with someone else. if that means calling another unit or calling the manager on call (because unfortunately, i'm usually "charge nurse") for procedural advice then so be it.
also, remind yourself of your talents. we're completly different people from the "norm" but we do have skills that the "norm" do not have. so, be proud of them. take this time to reflect and find ways to take responsibility for your ADD. tell them what you need and accept nothing less. we don't need too much extra. just "accomodations" to make our life a little easier. i was given four calendars from each of my jobs and unions. great. i chose the best one that was easy for me to recognize and not misplace. i use a lot of post it notes. i have an unlimited supply of pens. my coworkers know to give me a chance to sit down and get my paperwork done because i would rather "goof around" then do paperwork. my coworkers also know how to talk to me because apparently i think i'm always right. and they don't hassel me too much when i'm late. i don't make a big stink when others are late. but they also know that i can handle emergency situations very very well. and my "always right" attitude makes me a good advocate to the docs.
it's hard having ADD. it's harder knowing that things wont go my way. but that's my life and it's worked so far.
try not to let it get you down. you are a special person. you just got to find a way to make it work for you. i know that if they see you trying your best to perfect your skills, they'll understand you more and be more willing to help.

[RNRabbit2be75]

Originally Posted by luv2shopp85

I've recently been having trouble in clinical about doing things without thinking that were stupid and if I had thought about them I would not have done them. I'm starting to wonder if this type of "impulsiveness" is part of my add and maybe my meds aren't working right? I was diagnosed when I was younger with ADHD and took ritaline throughout elementaryt school. Then I stopped during 7th and 8th grade but then in 9th grade had to get back on int because my grades were really suffering. So then I took ritaline the rest of high school and when I graduated in 2003 I stopepd taking it. Then I started again in sept 2004 because I knew i was going to be taking anatomy and physiology, microbiology and starting nursing school in aug 05. I first tried ritalin and it just made me way too hyper and focused and I could not sleep at all, then I tried something else and it didn't work and now I'm on stratterra which I don't know if its even working. I'm beginning to think maybe I should mention to my clinical instructor that I have add. Would this make her look down on me? Maybe she'll understand why I have these impulses that get me into a lot of trouble. I don't want her to look down on me though or think I'm crazy or stupid. I also don't want her to think I'm blaming my disorder for my impulses because really there is no excuse. What should I do? Has anyone been in this situation?I'm also going to talk to my doctor about maybe adjusting my meds.
I don't want to fail nursing school because of my stupid impulses that I have. Today I had a private meeting with my clinical instructor and she kept asking me why I do things without thinking and why I don't think before saying things. She says that it scares her and makes her think I could put patients in harm. I've never done anything to harm a patient or committed a med error. I did something stupid with a neele container, here is the thread I wrote about it in the general nursing student discussion:
http://allnurses.com/forums/f50/ok-i...ow-146991.html I also had an incident where I ruined a patients 24 ho ur urine that was 6 hours from being finished. I accidentally flushed it down the toilet. Then we had to restart the 24 hour and keep the patient in thet hospital an extra day. My instructor is very concerned about me and shes worried about what I do when she's not looking because of what she's seen me do with the needle container and with the whole 24 urine thing. Should I explain to her that I have add or what? O and by the way I'm done with this clniical instructor after next week. I won't have her in clinical anymore because I'm on my OR rotation next week. But I will have her on Wed for final evaluation. Should I mention about the ADD? I'd hate to have her look at me as immature and incompetent because of my disorder. Maybe if I give her an explanation about why I've beeen acting liek this then she can help me with it and maybe b ea little more understand. Ahhh I'm so confused and stresssed out!!

Hi, I just wanted to reply to this quote because I know EXACTLY how you feel. I don't remember which thread it was(the exact site) but I also was concerned or unsure about telling my instructor that I had add. One time, I forgot to give a 12pm med and my instructor flipped. And this one that I recently had made me so nervous that I screwed up so much in front of her. I lost a patient's nicotine patch, I gave a sub q shot wrong, it was a mess! At those times though, I wasn't taking my prescribed doseage of ritalin and when I do, It's like night and day. I practice healthy regimens by exercising, deep breathing, yoga, vitamins and not eating junk and I feel very clear headed. I'm trying AGAIN to decrease my doseage but use these activities that I just mentioned as an adjunct so I don't have to take this high of a dose 60mg. But, I'm afraid I may end up screwing up, but then again, I'm thinking that I may just stick with this dose and once I become a nurse, I'll have the money for alternative therapy. Anyhow, I would try switching meds(this is just an opinion, cause I know someone who took straterra and it didn't work at all) and just try to calm yourself down. I know it's hard at clinical but try to sit down for 20-30 minutes a day and listen to meditation music, it's known to REALLY help with anxiety and concentration. Again, this is just an opinion. As for telling the instructor, you may want to go to the Learning disabilty department at your school( I know, It's hard to do, so that's why i'm doing my OWN regimine's to stick this out). Good luck and remember, your not alone!