HELP: Overwhelmed ADHD PMHNP Student

[MindfulRx]

Hi Everyone,

I'm currently three classes into my PMHNP program, and I'm feeling a bit unsure about whether I'm on the right track or if I'm taking the right approach to the coursework. Full disclosure: I have ADHD, which can be both a blessing and a curse. I'm an "A" student, but I am an overachiever and a perfectionist when it comes to school. Even though I'm only working 32 hours a week and taking one 12-week course at a time, I'm still feeling overwhelmed.

I'm curious about how you all manage the extensive reading assignments. Do you read everything thoroughly, or do you focus on specific sections relevant to the assignments? To be honest, I only read what is necessary to complete my assignments, and it still takes me about 20-25 hours per week to complete them. I'm worried that I may be missing something important, but as someone with ADHD, I find it challenging to focus on lengthy texts and retain everything 😥

I've only taken core MSN classes so far (nursing research, nursing informatics, and population health). But, I know that when I get to the more focused psych courses, I'll need to be more diligent. I worry that I might be putting too much pressure on myself (or maybe not enough?). That's why I'm reaching out to you all for help and advice. I'm wondering how you manage to strike a balance between thorough reading and managing other responsibilities. Did you prioritize certain readings over others? How did you decide what was essential for understanding the material?

Thank you all so much for your friendly and supportive presence. I truly appreciate any advice you can share, and I'm really looking forward to hearing all your thoughts and suggestions!

[JustAnotherNurse13]

Hello! I was just scrolling through various posts about NP students, came across your post, and came to a screeching halt! LOL! I have just applied to NP school (Dual FNP/PMHNP) and have been researching strategies for studying with ADHD...because I'm ate up with it too! 

It took me a minute to go find some of the resources I found. I'll leave them below. While I am not technically in your shoes yet, I can definitely relate and hope my finds will help you. I obviously can't vouch for any of these resources, but I wanted to at least share them with you. I fully intend to utilize them when I start my NP Program. 

additudemag.com is a great resource for people with ADHD.

NPHeadtoToe seems to be another great resource.

PsychCentral is another site I'm keeping in mind.

Study Strategies for Students with ADHD

I also found some helpful information at Shimmer, a site targeted to adults like us, and includes topics like 14 Best Study Strategies for ADHD. 

 

Please let me know if you find any strategies (these I've shared or others) useful. I would certainly like to hear if someone else has any success with any of these suggestions/strategies. Good luck!

[MindfulRx]

You just made my day you have no idea 🤗 I was really discouraged that I posted this a couple months ago and its had almost 300 views and no responses... until you!  I'm disappointed that no one reached out with any support, and I really appreciate you taking the time to respond.  I am certainly going to look into all of these resources!  I had a meeting with my academic advisor and there are some additional resources that my school offers.  You are allowed extended time one exams (which honestly, I have not utilized because I haven't needed to).  Another helpful resource that was offered to me that I did take advantage of was having copies of my text books sent to me in an online version.  I was not sure whether I would like having a tangible text book or using an e-book, but I have both and the e-book is very helpful if you want to look something up quickly.  Right now, I am taking advanced pathophysiology and it's the first class that I am having a lot of difficulty in.  I don't know about you, but I am a visual learner, so reading a text book is not helping me to grasp any of the information.  Fortunately, there are TONS of online resources of videos to watch that help make the content understandable and actually fun to learn. I highly recommend Ninja Nerd and Kurzgesagt on YouTube and khanacademy.org is also fantastic for patho!  Keep in touch and I will send you the resources I find as I go along! Thank you again SO MUCH for reaching out, and good luck!