Can anyone give me tips for clinical and managing my ADHD?

[PJB94]

I'm halfway through the practical nursing program and feel like I need to be improving more than I am. I am doing better and I feel like I am getting more confident, and am even getting better with organization, however, I find it hard to stay focused at times and remember things. I write things down and have an paper organizer for my patient, but sometimes my memory last less than 1 minute. I was told something by my instructor and went to do it a minute later and got half of it done didn't even realize there was another part. My patient was upset, so she wanted the nurse to go talk to him and wanted me to go in and someone how it just slipped my mind that she also wanted me in the room to learn therapeutic communication. I have been trying to clarify things to make sure I didn't miss something, but that doesn't happen every time. Another time I almost forgot to put air into the syringe before drawing up an injection. I knew what to do and my instructor reminded me 30 seconds earlier and I almost forgot. Does anyone else struggle with ADD/ADHD or have any tips to help me manage it better during clinical? I really enjoy nursing school and think this is the right path for me, but am scared of messing up and not making it to the end because of my problems in clinical. It's like I zone out sometimes and don't even realize it. I'm not on any medication and I really don't want to get on medication since I'm breastfeeding and we are planning another pregnancy sometime in the next year.

[canigraduate]

If you aren't going to medicate, then you need to eat right and exercise frequently.

ADHD has been shown to improve with a balanced diet that leans toward more protein, fewer carbs, more fruits/veggies, no processed foods.

I have heard a lot of anecdotal evidence that a fish oil supplement helps, so you could try that.

If you can, get in a good thirty minutes of activity before clinical and take frequent "sanity" breaks. The ADHD brain needs a little more time to rest and recharge. One of the things I do is go in to an empty room, like the supply closet, take a few deep breaths, and go over the list of things that I need to do. This often jogs my memory of the little things, like the Diet Coke for 2A, that have slipped my mind.

Another thing that I do is that I repeat to myself what people are telling me, or I rephrase it back to them. It helps it stick in my head better.

For example, if a patient asks for a blanket, water, and their pain medicine, I will focus only on the pain medicine if I don't repeat it back to them. I always reiterate what they have asked me on the way out of the door. "So, you need a blanket and your pain medicine, right? Anything else?" "Don't forget the water!" "Blanket, pain medicine, and water. Got it!" This also is a good way to make sure you get all their requests, instead of them asking you for one thing at a time. That drives me BATTY. "Here's your water!" "Thanks, can I have a blanket?" "Here's your blanket?" "Great, now I need pain meds." Ugh.

When you're in clinical, you are under more stress because you are trying to perform for your instructor. Try stress-reducing techniques, like mindfulness and deep breathing, in addition to your exercise routine. The ADHD brain does not retain info well when it's stressed.

Just keep calm and remind yourself that you CAN do this, and you will be fine!