I have ADHD.Can I be a nurse?

[henryswife]

Hi,

My name is Mia and I want a career in the healthcare field that has the potential to be very financially rewarding. Never really had a passion for a certain career. Just always wanted a career where my heart is known to everyone and get paid very highly for it:whe!:. I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. My mother doesnt belive in medicating children. Never sought treatment for my illness. So I suffered hard in school:banghead:,eventually dropped out and recieved my G.E.D. Not really ashamed,because I recieved some sort of recognition:yeah:. Well I recently been rediagnosed with Adult ADHD and decided to get it treated. I plan on going to community college here in charlotte,nc and get my associate in arts to hopefully attain my BSN. I was recently torn between choosing a career in social work:redbeathe or nursing:nurse:. Of course money motivates me, so i choose nursing. I know without treatment for my disorder. Going to school and pursing this career may be very impossible. I mean can you even be a nurse and have ADHD? Taking medication for the rest of my life:sofahider. Just so I can focus and my brain wont scramble. Is it fair to the future patients?. I mean even as I write this. Im still torn on careers. I know my mind set will be different once Im treated. Will this dilemma come to hunt me? Will I have to tell employers that I take medication for ADHD. I would love to hear your thoughts on my situation.

Please hold nothing back. Honesty is key with me. Im a big girl and big girls dont cry.:roll

[yolanda2]

I am so happy to have read this thread! i am a new nurse and have just realized that i may have ADD myself, though i have not yet been diagnosed. Most of my life I've struggled with self esteem due to the fact that i always felt as if i couldnt focus, i was so disorganized, and felt as if i was very 'absent minded'. I would often get picked on by my co-workers, who at times called me names like 'airhead', etc. I found it difficult to understand how to them i was an airhead, yet i was always in honors level courses in school, frequently receiving A's and being ahead of my peers. A nurse at my new job recently made a comment about how he felt i had an 'attention problem'. I was a bit insulted at first, but then after doing some research i came to realize he was right! I have 90% of the symptoms and began to wonder, if diagnosed, how would i ever make a good nurse? After reading this I know that it is possible to continue my plan into becoming an RN. I feel lilke I have some of my self esteem back :loveya:

[Irock]

Aka "C's get degrees...."

Not at my school, they don't. I don't want a "C" nurse., honestly. You can get A's and B's with ADHD. One of the best ER nurses out there has ADHD (she's on meds for it). If you think nursing is your PASSION, then you can do it!