Adhd n.student

CuriousMe · Oct 20, 2010

While my instructor was getting my BP, I told her I was taking adderral. Now she knows that I have ADHD/ADD. Word of advice to other ADDers, keep your mental illness private b/c the instructors will judge you more compared to the other students. Does anyone else agree or disagree with me?

That hasn't been my experience, my Prof's have been super supportive of me (I'm ADHD, combined type) and often are kinder to me, than I am to myself.

decembergrad2011, BSN, RN · Oct 20, 2010

I'm very sorry that your instructor is judgmental about your ADHD. How do you feel like your instructor is targeting or judging you more than other students? She may believe that her actions are keeping you on track and be unintentionally making you feel bad.

I have anxiety, sometimes it's been so bad in the past that I've had to leave the floor for a few minutes to get myself calmed down and back together. I remember my first semester of nursing school, I told my clinical instructor about my struggles with anxiety and she encouraged me to utilize resources for therapy at our university (I currently do group therapy). She was not judgmental in the least, and any instructor that's been privy to that information has only been supportive of me.

I think what's important is to figure out how you are going to handle your ADHD in a clinical setting and find what works for you. My anxiety is present, but does not affect my patient care because I've learned ways to cope with it. I would encourage you to find some concrete techniques for your ADHD, such as a patient care chart, schedules for meds/interventions, and getting into a routine. If your ADHD is not affecting your patient care, your CI has no reason to judge or criticize you for something you can't control.