anxiety depression and adhd have caused me to struggle to find my fit as a new nurse

[brad0428]

My question is what type/area of nursing would be a good fit for me now or prepare me to return to acute care in a hospital setting someday?

About 6 months ago I graduated from nursing school and was hired on a unit where I had previously worked as pca for 1.5 yrs. The unit itself was run horribly and many of the experienced nurses left the unit for other jobs. Being a new nurse that was not liked by some of the RN's (but not all) caused some difficulty for me as far as teamwork and looking out for each other and supporting each other went. Also since our unit was not performing well an interim manager was brought in and the manager that had hired me and worked with me for the last 1.5 years was put on leave for training. I did not perform well as a new nurse for several reasons..... Some of those reasons are: I had undiagnosed/untreated major depressive disorder , generalized anxiety disorder and ADHD (which diagnosis and tx began shortly before I was terminated), and the unit was short staffed, inexperienced and not trained well, and the college I attended gave me a semi-poor education and my disabilities hampered my ability to fully absorb the information to my full ability. Having said that I was let go after six months just before I was out of probation (was on my own for 3 months with no preceptor) and my manager told me that she had full faith that I could make it in that world I just had to work a little harder and longer at it then someone that does well in an acute care level 3 trauma inner city hospital on a GI floor straight out of nursing school.

My question is what type/area of nursing would be a good fit for me now or prepare me to return to acute care in a hospital setting someday? Some factors to consider are me being a new nurse suffering from mood disorders and adhd which all appear to be successfully treated thus far but still mildly affect me and being average intelligence maybe a little above in certain cognitive areas and me not gaining the full knowledge or education that I should have in nursing school but still obtained enough to never fail a class and pass the nclex with 83 questions my first time. Any advice anyone could offer me would be greatly appreciated.

NewRN

[Nola009]

No... I didnt say "taking pharmaceuticals only is ineffective". In fact, if you would like to take prescriptions along with herbals, you MUST let your MD/DO know. The main point of my comment was: Western medicine has many problems of its own and the new trends are leaning toward integral holistic approaches. Consult your own provider, get a 2nd opinion, and heck, do some of your own research for the sake of your own health issues. Good luck.

BTW- While I might make a suggestion to a colleague, I dont advise pts on herbal remedies at the bedside bc its out of my scope. Pt edu regarding diet and other natural methods of optimizing certain tx is. Ie- breathing techniques, diversion techniques, etc.

For my own health, based on my own experiences/responses to antidepressants (they dont help if you cant take them d/t unbearable SE, either), a natural remedy works best, all things considered.

I am a conservative, nature loving person who appreciates tradition, but looks at it with a suspicious eye. Who are you to poo-poo what works for myself and many others , right?

[mhy12784]

No... I didnt say "taking pharmaceuticals only is ineffective". In fact, if you would like to take prescriptions along with herbals, you MUST let your MD/DO know. The main point of my comment was: Western medicine has many problems of its own and the new trends are leaning toward integral holistic approaches. Consult your own provider, get a 2nd opinion, and heck, do some of your own research for the sake of your own health issues. Good luck.

BTW- While I might make a suggestion to a colleague, I dont advise pts on herbal remedies at the bedside bc its out of my scope. Pt edu regarding diet and other natural methods of optimizing certain tx is. Ie- breathing techniques, diversion techniques, etc.

For my own health, based on my own experiences/responses to antidepressants (they dont help if you cant take them d/t unbearable SE, either), a natural remedy works best, all things considered.

I am a conservative, nature loving person who appreciates tradition, but looks at it with a suspicious eye. Who are you to poo-poo what works for myself and many others , right?

When some person who is incredibly religious opts not to seek any treatment whatosever for their gravely ill child because they believe that spiritual healing or something is going to cure them. Would you say many nurses poo-poo on them ? Herbal healing isnt far off from that

[Nola009]

@mhy12784: When someone echews newer, more current information in favor of outmoded info they have been spoon-fed, there is not a whole lot I can do. Take care and best of luck to you.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

When some person who is incredibly religious opts not to seek any treatment whatosever for their gravely ill child because they believe that spiritual healing or something is going to cure them. Would you say many nurses poo-poo on them ? Herbal healing isnt far off from that

Well, everyone has opinions... but three of the doctors I've been to for my insomnia have suggested I try meditation and melatonin supplements. One of them even suggested I try valerian root. It seems like if something is endorsed by Western physicians as a valid treatment option, it could quite possibly be a legitimate medical treatment and not some hocus pocus that you seem to think anything like than something produced by a drug company is.

I am all for supplements if the person finds something that helps him or her, there are no contraindications to the person taking that particular supplement, and the particular supplement in question does not interact with anything else the person is already taking.

There is a reason we studied supplements, their uses, and their interactions with prescription medication in pharmacology in nursing school.

[Emergent, RN]

This thread seems to have sidetracked into a debate over alternative remedies versus standard. I didn't see where, in the original statement that the OP was requesting medical advise. Nor are we allowed to give it here.

I suggest the OP do some honest introspection. I also think that she should seek employment in a less challenging environment for the time being. Also, on the medical front, be sure to exercise and get plenty of sleep and eat an above average diet. Have your thyroid function checked, vit D levels, and any other underlying causative issue looked into. Advocate for yourself. Find a medication regimen that works for you to manage your symptoms, if needed.

In retrospect, it probably wasn't a good idea to start in a unit where you were disliked by some, that probably didn't help. So now, pick yourself up and move forward.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I did not see any statements of "ownership". According to your own words, everything was out of your control and you were unable to make any conscious decisions on your own behalf.

Quote "I did not perform well as a new nurse for several reasons..... Some of those reasons are: I had undiagnosed/untreated major depressive disorder , generalized anxiety disorder and ADHD (which diagnosis and tx began shortly before I was terminated), and the unit was short staffed, inexperienced and not trained well, and the college I attended gave me a semi-poor education and my disabilities hampered my ability to fully absorb the information to my full ability."

Until you can objectively analyze your own behavior/performance and figure out what you were doing wrong, there is no hope of making the improvements that will help you achieve your goals.

I tried making a similar point earlier, but must have inadvertently deleted my own post. Oh well. All I wanted to say was that I can relate to the OP as a nurse with a mood disorder, but I've also had to realize that I can't blame everything that goes sideways on my illness, and that it's necessary to first figure out where I went wrong before attempting to move forward.

[gen88]

You mention you have undiagnosed conditions....not doubting that you might! but you need to get all that sorted with treatment plans, with a doctor first. Once all under control I think you will surprise yourself- you are not giving yourself enough credit or motivation!

[brad0428]

I'm definitely interested in all natural or herbal remedies also , just because it wasn't created in a lab doesn't mean it doesn't work. Do you have any other all natural suggestions for depression or anxiety that you have heard that worked? I tried St. Johns wart for a few weeks but it didn't do much for me.

[pinkiepieRN]

I'm definitely interested in all natural or herbal remedies also , just because it wasn't created in a lab doesn't mean it doesn't work. Do you have any other all natural suggestions for depression or anxiety that you have heard that worked? I tried St. Johns wart for a few weeks but it didn't do much for me.

I'm not sure if you said in the OP whether or not you have sleep issues, but I find Melatonin to be helpful for me.

[brad0428]

I struggled with depression and anxiety for many years until it finally started beggining to fade when I started nursing school but it still affected me. It was treated when I was younger but for whatever reason it was unsuccessful. I am currently being treated but it still impacts my life. That is why I believe psych nursing may be the right nursing job for me because I am passionate about helping people live full long lives and I don't want them to go through what I did. However I do not want to set myself up for failure in another nursing job (I was a fired from inner city hospital at the end of probation after I had been a pca there for 1.5 years and a RN there for 6 months).

My question is what type of psych nursing jobs are there and what would be a good fit for me being pretty much still a new grad (only 6 months med-surge experience) and considering my struggle working in a fast paced inner city hospital on a gi/medsurge floor and my history of anxiety and depression?

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

The first year can be VERY stressful; the learning curve is steep-stress is at a all time high.

Anxiety and depression don't "go away", my suggestion is to speak to someone in helping you adjust to the stress and find ways to cope, as well as medications, if necessary.

If you are actively having symptoms, any stress will trigger your anxiety and depression.

I have anxiety and depression due to PTSD. I was struggling for a long time and had to switch jobs and get back on medication myself; I've had a leadership position as well as take care of complex medical children, which are very stressful positions; I am glad I see a therapist, a pdoc for medication management and take my medication regularly to help; it's allowed me to continue to enjoy this business and allow me to hone my practice.

Be gentle on yourself; seek appropriate help to ensure your success, whether it be on a Med-Surg floor or in Psych.

[MollysMammie]

Let me know if you find something that works! Having attention deficit disorder, depression, anxiety, and the hyperfocus that comes with the territory is quite a hindrance. I am a new LVN and am hesitant to accept a job offer in a LTCF because of the workload and number of patients. However, LTCF is about the only option for LVNs in my area. I was diagnosed with ADD at 14 and have been taking medication for the past 15 years. My story of nursing school is the same. I made excellent grades, but I did not retain the knowledge. I passed the NCLEX at 85 questions the first time. But I feel completely unprepared for the real world. If you've gained any insight, please clue me in!