Any Nursing Students with Learning Disabilities?

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Just wondering. I'm thinking of making the suggestion to the admin that maybe there should be a board for Nursing Students with Learning Disabilities, since we often face another set of challenges.

Personally, I found out six years ago at age 34 that the reason for all my frustration with my academic, social, and employment problems has a name: ADD.

I barely got out of high school. I tried one semester of college, 21 years ago. I've been 16 different things for a living, all of them because I had a knack for them. I lost my job as a consultant creating software solutions for Fortune 100 companies - due to ADD related situations with coworkers - when my son was 4 months old, and after not finding any IT work, not that I wanted to anymore, I became a stay-at-home dad for a while so that I could take some time to be with him and regroup. I figured if I'm going to go back to work when my boy goes to school, I better get a degree.

I decided I wanted to become a nurse. I wanted the flexibility of hours that let me be around for my boy, and to do something where I have to think on my feet, and the atmosphere is dynamic and changing, since I get bored easily. I really was afraid I could not be 'taught' anything I don't have a knack for. But I went ahead anyway and started with my prerequisites in 2003 at night, developed a learning style that works for me, got my 4.0GPA, and got into the nursing program where I got my first B+ ever. Twice. Oh well. I mourned my straight A average for about a week, but then I got real and realized I was wrong when I thought I could not be taught, and apparently I do have a knack for nursing. I graduate in MAY 2006. 161 days from today. But who's counting.

So, if theres anyone out there that's also overcoming the challenges of LDs in nursing school, lets hear from you. Maybe we can get a board of our own.

ND

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Specializes in Nephrology.

I don't have a learning disability but I wanted to congratulate you on your upcoming graduation. I wish you the best of luck and you're truly amazing.

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I am rather dyslexic and start nursing school in January.

Since I always did well in school, I didn't fully realize that I am dyslexic until I worked at a bank; I considered the possibility but did not realize the severity. I couldn't handle the long strings of numbers. The stress of too many customers with repetative transactions only made it worse. One day, I got fed up with my less than understanding boss and gave my two weeks in to pursue nursing school.

I fear that this will make med errors more likely. However, I have custom framed pictures for 3 years with no less accuracy than anyone else.

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Specializes in None yet.

I am in my first semester for a nursing major. I am quickly becoming discouraged for my lack of ability to retain things I learn.

My experience has been that if I am really interested in a topic I can retain details I learn about it.

I can be reading a chapter with great enthusiam, but a week later I forget most of the terms and definitions, and its almost as if I had never read it at all.

I am going to finish this semester with a 4.0, but I feel like I am working way harder than others in order to compensate for my memory and/or learning impairment.

I realize memory declines with age, as I am 43 years old, but this is ridiculous.

I wonder if I am just a victim from growing up in the lead-based-paint era.

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Specializes in General Pediatrics, Pedi Heme Onc.

Hello

I am a new nurse with a learning disability and ADD. I got through school and so will all of you. It is definitely hard but doable. I now work on a general peds unit in a large city hospital. Good Luck

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Specializes in Emergency.

I have ADD, am married, have 8 kids, and graduated my BSN program with a 3.87 GPA. If I can do this, anybody can.

My one piece of advice for nursing students with learning disabilities is this: find a way to study that works best for you. It doesn't matter if anybody else can make sense of it. What matters is that you are able to retain and recall the information when it counts. I am the king of multicolored highlighters and powerpoints for taking notes and outlining chapters.

And before you try to wade through a huge chapter on acid-base balance or fluid & electrolyte balance, go to the back of the chapter first- look at the review points, and base your studies on the review questions for the chapter, if there are any. If the authors thought it was important enough to ask a review question, it will be an important thing to study. Also look at the case studies and do them, if time allows. These two things helped me to remember the information much better than when I tried to stay focused enough to slog through the text.

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Specializes in None yet.

Thank you for the great tips. I will certainly follow your advice.

One habit I think I need to change is my concern for preserving the condition of my text book in order to increase my return margin.

There are so many times I want to highlight something and find myself more concerned about the return of the book-- Kind of dumb when you think about it.

Thanks again

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Specializes in Emergency.
Thank you for the great tips. I will certainly follow your advice.

One habit I think I need to change is my concern for preserving the condition of my text book in order to increase my return margin.

There are so many times I want to highlight something and find myself more concerned about the return of the book-- Kind of dumb when you think about it.

Thanks again

Dude, highlight the everlovin' crap outta that book. You won't get nearly what you put into it, anyway. Besides, nursing is a continuous educational process. Hang on to the relevant material. Ditch the nursing history.

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I think it's a swell idea.

My daughter has a learning disability, flunked out of college. After getting married, having a baby and while working full time as an EMT, went to Excelsior, graduated ahead of schedule, hammered her boards, and is doing exceptionally well as an ER nurse.

Best ER nurse I ever knew was ADD. She ran a level 1 trauma unit. She deliberately did NOT take her Cylert before a 12 hour shift so that she could attend to five or six things at one time. She only took it on her days off because (for example) she would buzz around parking lots unable to select a parking spot because she kept seeing "better" open spots elsewhere... that sort of thng.

So go for it. Get other learning disabled nursing students involved. Great idea.

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I am in my first semester for a nursing major. I am quickly becoming discouraged for my lack of ability to retain things I learn.

My experience has been that if I am really interested in a topic I can retain details I learn about it.

I can be reading a chapter with great enthusiam, but a week later I forget most of the terms and definitions, and its almost as if I had never read it at all.

I am going to finish this semester with a 4.0, but I feel like I am working way harder than others in order to compensate for my memory and/or learning impairment.

I realize memory declines with age, as I am 43 years old, but this is ridiculous.

I wonder if I am just a victim from growing up in the lead-based-paint era.

I doubt your problems are organic. But you may need to assess your study habits and methods. No one reads and retains for the whole semester! You need to be able to assemble notes and study-aids and review, review, review. I don't know if you're working harder than others. (On average, it takes three hours of study for each hour of lecture.) If you're studying more than 9-10 hours a week for a three credit hour course... then good for you! It's working.

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Thank you for starting this thread!

I was never formally diagnosed, but when my oldest was diagnosed as LD after scores and scores of tests it was as an AH-HA moment to say the least. The psychologist was explaining the test results for my daughter in memory and number sequencing and I just about fell out of my seat. It was me all over! I can hold a sequence of three numbers in my short-term memory, and after that it jumbles.

My sister (a nurse) says "how will you ever cope when a doctor rattles off orders while walking away?" I tell her I will clarify and make sure it's documented. I'll get the information that I need for my patient, and I'll get it right. Heck, I've managed to get straight A's for the past two years, and that included Organic Chemistry!!

I agree that we can do it. We just work harder for it.

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I have ADD as well, but I also have severe test anxiety on top of it. I really struggled with this because I didn't realize until a little over 2 years ago I suffered from ADD. After that was diagnosed and I was put on the medication, I began to get increasingly more anxious, this was addressed last semester, after which I had dropped because I was doing so poorly.

I studied my heart out and just could not pass many tests.

Now I am back in 3rd semester and happy to say doing much better, I even got my first A on an exam. It takes patience and alot of hard work. But with the appropriate help people with learning disabilities can reach their goals. Good luck to you and all others who experience these issues.

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