HELP: Overwhelmed ADHD PMHNP Student

JustAnotherNurse13 · May 4

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 · May 6

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!

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · May 8

I am a PMHNP. It sounds like you need your ADHD meds adjusted. See your psych provider ASAP to get this done. Good luck

MindfulRx · May 9

This isn't really the support I was looking for and I don't think a med adjustment is the answer. It's actually really disappointing that you were so quick to jump to that. I'm functioning just fine in every other aspect of my life, I'm just finding school challenging. The resource tips from the previous nurse who posted to me is really what I needed. Meds are not always the answer and it's unfortunate when that it what providers jump to without taking a holistic look at a patient... I don't want to be that kind of PMHNP.

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · May 9

MindfulRx said:

This isn't really the support I was looking for and I don't think a med adjustment is the answer. It's actually really disappointing that you were so quick to jump to that. I'm functioning just fine in every other aspect of my life, I'm just finding school challenging. The resource tips from the previous nurse who posted to me is really what I needed. Meds are not always the answer and it's unfortunate when that it what providers jump to without taking a holistic look at a patient... I don't want to be that kind of PMHNP.

Other people provided those tips. I wanted to address the obvious and this is what you will need to do as a PMHNP. I also find it alarming that you seem to have a reluctance to use medications as a solution when you plan to be a PMHNP. Your main focus is meds. You will not be a talk therapist or counselor or a naturopath. PMHNP programs focus on meds. You need to be an expert in psychopharmacology.

Here is what you wrote: "as someone with ADHD, I find it challenging to focus on lengthy texts and retain everything." That is a big indication that your med dose needs to be increased. You should discuss this with your mental health care provider - describe what you are going through and ask if your meds should be adjusted. Maybe everything is fine, medwise, but often the simplest solution is the best one.

As a PMHNP, most practices will have you see f/u pts in 15-20 min appts. That is not a lot of time. It is also why your focus will be meds. It does not bode well for your PMHNP practice to be reluctant to utilize psychopharmacology. If sx are not adequately relieved, then meds likely need to be adjusted.

It's great to think about "holistic" lifestyle interventions, but the brutal truth is most patients will not do this. They want and need meds. Someone with 3 small kids who also has a job simply does not have the time and energy for a bunch of lifestyle changes when they are overwhelmed, depressed, and anxious. Those can come later and in small increments.

MindfulRx · May 10

Thank you for following up with more context. After reflecting on our conversation, I agree that an adjustment in my medication may be beneficial. I guess I just didn't think that was the case because my ADHD seemed to be well-controlled in relation to other aspects of my life. It's not that I am reluctant to use medication. I think working in psych for so many years has just made me hypervigilant about the negative effects that many of these medications have, including Adderall.

As a psych nurse, I am acutely aware of the potential side effects of medications, which can sometimes lead to noncompliance. However, I believe that a holistic approach to health is equally important, one that emphasizes the importance of internal work, therapy, stress management, and other non-pharmacological interventions. While medication is necessary for many patients, I feel we are too quick to rely solely on it to "fix" people.

To clarify, I strongly believe that medications are important, but other considerations should also be taken into account for treatment. For instance, understanding my ADHD and making adjustments to implement good study habits is just as important as making sure my medication is dosed correctly. I know that psychopharm is a huge focus in this program, and I am grateful for that. Nonetheless, I believe that we should approach medication with caution and consider other non-pharmacological interventions whenever possible.