Nurses with ADD/ADHD?

Nurses Stress 101

Published

Hey all! I was wondering if there are any nurses with ADD/ADHD out there who want to comiserate and support each other? I know I need the help/advice. It might also be a place for "regular" people (I hate the word normal) to come and read and understand what its like for us. Or ask us ?'s.

I'll start with an intro:p I'm 29, and I've had an official diagnosis for less than 2 years, but have been trying to find the answer (for what's up with me) for MUCH longer than that:uhoh21: :) I currently work night shift at a drug rehab and on call at a nursing home. I have a lot of trouble in staff meetings - sitting through them, being treated like a brat because I actually show some emotion. I had much difficulty in school, (I didn't know back then), not with grades but with social stuff. I almost got kicked out of school because of the problems I was having.

But its not all bad. I'm funny and creative and often am able to connect with my patients in unique ways.

So we'll see how many of us there are out there?:)

Specializes in Trauma, Oncology, Family Practice.

Im the main nurse in a family practice clinic my doc still doesnt know i have adhd well i think i do anyway but he thinks i have dyslexia but i dont know how to tell him i think i have adhd but ive never been diagnosed. Hes know i have seizures and htn but thats it. SHOULD I TELL HIM?????

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I thought that i had been doing well in clinical , but I apparently forgot to sign a bunch of forms the other day. My teacher is really supportive, and told me to make a checklist (which i had done before but decided that i didn't need it) and she has me check in with her every two hours during clinical so she knows that I got everything done. this should help me get in the habit of checking up on my work. of course i wont have someone check up on me in a few weeks when im out working, but ill be more on top of things at least.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case Managemnt, Utilization Review.

There is a great article in the ADD magazine about telling your employer about the diagnosis

http://www.additudemag.com/additude.asp?DEPT_NO=404&SUB_NO=25

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Lactation Ed, Pp, MS, Hospice, Agency.

edgwow:

WOW! What a great article! It even has stuff that I can use re: prior neck surg & accommodation's needed! (I am also ADD).

Thankx! I feel much better now. I was feeling guilt b/c I wasn't always able to disclose. Now I know there r other ways around this!

~MJ

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Have any of you diagnosed tried to make some diet changes? This has worked very well for my son. It is not a cure, but can help you so much with attention and how you physically feel. Check out this website if you are interested: www.feingold.org

There are opinions supporting it, and some that feel it is a "quack" thing, but it certainly isn't going to harm anyone to try something that may just be beneficial for you and others around you.

Good luck to all!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

see next posting

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have adhd and bipolar II disorder. I have been a registered nurse for over 13 years. I finished half of my MSN towards certification as an adult nurse practitioner. I can tell you that these conditions that I have--have caused gravely serious consequences for me professionally and personally. Included in these consequences was an inability to be licensed for over 17 months and board action. I went from making $80,000 per year to zero in a heartbeat. I borrowed over $65,000 from my family to get back to practice and every cent was necessary to do so because of mistakes that I made resulting from my illness. This was a long, harrowing and exceedingly frustrating process. I have much to tell you if you are a nurse with this condition.

If you are impaired by ADHD and it affects your practice as a nurse, there are several things you need to be aware of which may directly contradict what you may have been told.

1. Forget what you have been told about "reasonable accomodations" and the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADHD is officially recognized, supposedly, but this act is useless and not enforced or policed in a heavily regulated, lawsuit happy profession like nursing. What any employer and your board of nursing wants to know is can you function in your area of practice with your condition of adhd WITHOUT any accomodations? If the answer to this is no, then I wouldn't risk my licensure to prove otherwise.

2. If you are significantly impaired by adhd in your chosen area of practice, chances are, people notice it and may report it to your superiors or even to the board of nursing. This includes (for someone with ADHD): problems with documenting accurately and in a timely fashion, staying organized and prioritized in your care delivery, being able to multi-task despite numerous conflicting distractions, and making appropriate judgements about changes in client's status and intervening appropriately (and another biggie--time management problems necessitating your employer paying overtime.) More importantly---not appropriately documenting NARCOTICS is a big, big red flag. You must, must must document fully and completely with narcotics. If you don't, it raises the ire of suspicion of diversion and/or abuse. If you have a lot of narcotics to give and document and it is a problem for you to do so because of your adhd, FIND ANOTHER SETTING to work. If you don't, you will find yourself without a license. Explaining to them that you have adhd doesn't work, having negative drug screens doesn't work, having a good work record may not help either. It is a federal regulation, a nursing regulation and an institutional standard that you document appropriately all controlled substances. Period.

If you had or have trouble with these things, as I did, I urge you to make sure your practice setting is appropriate for you WITH your limitations. This may mean taking a pay cut. This may be a painful but necessary adjustment if you cannot function with your adhd in certain high stress settings like ICU, ED, Telemetry, or Med/Surg. I worked for years and years in these settings and documentation was the common-thread problem and other adhd related things.

The bottom line is: NOBODY cares about your adhd and how it affects your performance. You are held accountable as a nurse, period. Therefore, you must regulate yourself in your practice area with your illness. GET treatment if you are impaired with this condition (once a month isn't enough, generally) borrow if you have to do so for the treatment, FIND an appropriate practice setting and be SELF-AWARE of your behavior and SET LIMITS when you are asked to exceed your normal requirement by working extra when you are tired. Your employer won't pay your mortgage if you can't work as a nurse because of something you didn't do appropriately. And believe me, if your performance comes into question and it has to do with something high profile-- that a doctor complains about or a patient's family complains about or a narcotic issue---YOUR MANAGER/SUPERVISOR WILL NOT BACK YOU. JCAHO is really big about patient rights, resolving and/or eliminating patient complaints and MD's are held in high regard in hospitals because they bring in the patients and the money. The nurse is low and vunerable, especially if you are impaired with this condition. A good work history helps but it may not be enough. I had won many awards and honors but it didn't help when my performance was affected by my illness.

I hope this information has been helpful. Feel free to send me a private message if I can help any nurse or anyone who has a mental illness that is a practicing health care professional. I have learned much from my own recovery process and I have learned through exceedingly painful consequences---as such, I am happy to share my knowledge.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case Manager, Home Health.
Have any of you diagnosed tried to make some diet changes? This has worked very well for my son. It is not a cure, but can help you so much with attention and how you physically feel. Check out this website if you are interested: www.feingold.org

There are opinions supporting it, and some that feel it is a "quack" thing, but it certainly isn't going to harm anyone to try something that may just be beneficial for you and others around you.

If this worked for your son, he did NOT have ADD/ADHD and you are quite right this is a "quack" thing as you said--period.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
If this worked for your son, he did NOT have ADD/ADHD and you are quite right this is a "quack" thing as you said--period.

"Quack Thing" How dare you say that. If something that is homeopathic and works, why call it a "Quack Thing". There are different answers to every problem. If it works, it works. Try thinking outside of the box for a change. There is nothing worse or more dangerous than thinking that pushing drugs is the only answer for everything. The Feingold Diet has worked for a lot of people with ADD/ADHD.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Keep opinions focused on the subject, and not one another please.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

The Feingold "thing" is extremely controversial, w/strong opinions one way or the other.

As SBE said, focus on the subject.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Diet and exercise can do quite a bit to help us unfocused people focus. I know it helps me a lot when I'm eating right and exercising.

Schools that have eliminated pizza, hamburgers, candy bars and soda, and serve fresh fruits and vegetables and health meals have seen behavioral changes in their children.

In conjunction medication diet changes can work syngergistically in many disorders. ADD, depression, bipolar (the omega three studies, etc.) can benefit. As well as a host of other conditions from diabeties, to CAD, etc.

If someone was able to get off medication with diet and exercise that should be respected.

Off my soapbox.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment