Nurse with ADD :(

Nurses Disabilities

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This is a touchy subject but I need to talk so if you are reading thanks for reading this.

i was diagnosed with ADHD when I was a little kid. I was put on stimulants and they worked well my grades improved but my parents took me off cuz of s/e (lost too much weight, couldn't sleep etc)

After being off Meds grades dropped and I was put back into special Ed classes, was always getting in trouble for stupid stuff all the time, notes sent home to my parents, parent teacher meetings etc. Grew depressed by 4th grade.

Was off medications until I was in my teens, got put into an entirely different school for kids with learning disabilities and behavioral problems. I was more and more depressed, had anxiety, was bright when it came to science and English but terrible with social/behavioral skills and math. Always was good at basic math in my everyday life but in school just terrible.

Went back to a psychiatrist when I was 16 and got diagnosed again with ADD. Was put on straterra but I don't think it did much so I eventually stopped taking it.

Went years without meds again. Entered college and did pre-reqs for nursing. I did really well with all my other prereqs but failed remedial math 3 times and somehow still made it into nursing program. I always had trouble in school on tests. Careless mistakes, etc,

I did well in nursing school but had to stop working just to get through and forced myself to study long and hard and it was such a challenge I became greatly depressed but made it through.

Now I have been a nurse for a year and a half and I love it so much but was always making careless mistakes...NOT with patients safety or medications, mostly with charting, being disorganized with simple tasks, not being able to establish a routine because I was all over the place and would jump from one thing to the next before finishing.! I became extremely scared that I would eventually make a serious mistake and put a pt safety at risk! I had been lucky that I hadn't already! My home life had also always been overwhelming and disorganized too, I seem to lack something.

I became very frustrated and depressed again and went to back to another psychiatrist. I was diagnosed again with ADD and put on stimulants. This is the first time I agreed to take them as an adult and I hate to say it but after some trial and error trying a few doses, different ones, I found one that works! But I hate having to take a controlled drug just to feel normal! Just to function at a "normal" level like other people! I feel stupid, not good enough, that I have to take a drug like this just to achieve what someone else can achieve without this! I have to take it every time I am working now or else my symptoms come back and it really stinks. Now I wonder will I need this forever? My doctor said most likely. I can take breaks from it and I don't take it all the time when I am off unless I have to get things done, but when I don't take it I am back to my normal ways and very fatigued, out of it, messy, anxious, etc.

I was always a little bit in denial about my ADHD but I was dx 3 times at 3 different phases of my life by 3 different docs, and now the meds are working. Im still in denial deep down I guess because I just want to be normal. Thanks for letting me vent.

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I've worked with nurses who had various types of ADD / ADHD. Some of these nurses were treated and others worked untreated. Still, the only difference I noticed in those with ADD is a lack of focus and a meticulous need to use techniques to stay focused.

Good luck to you!

Specializes in Transitional Nursing.
Can my employer not allow me to take meds? It's a scheduled drug. However without it I would be more impaired and have never given reason for them to think I an unsafe on the meds

It's none of their business, but No, they can't prevent you from taking them as long as you know whether or not they adversely affect you prior to going to work.

The meds shouldn't make you unsafe, they should make you more safe. (Provided you need them, thats between you and your doc)

It's not the same as a narcotic or a benzo, stimulants help people with ADHD to focus.

If I didn't take my meds there would be no question - I would not be safe to practice nursing. I can't think when people are talking around me without them, and I can't remember where I was when I'm interrupted. It would be bad, bad, bad.

The only thing you need to be aware of is that they are mostly all schedule II, and you'll need to provide your prescription printout anytime you are drug tested.

Keep in mind you're not required to submit the info to your employer, but to the medical review doctor who handles positive screens. What happens is it goes to him as positive for xyz, and once he sees you have a prescription it's reported as negative.

Some facilities request that employees provide a list of any meds they're on, it's up to you whether or not you want to disclose that information, if it were me I wouldn't, because I don't like to disclose my ADHD if I can help it. (To be fair though, it's pretty obvious).

I have severe ADD/ADHD. I have been a CNA, EMT, LVN, and just graduated for my RN. Whenever I have school or work I take a full dose of my Adderall XR. My days off I take a very low dose of regular Adderall.

You really shouldn't think of it as you have to take drugs to feel normal. If you had diabetes you wouldn't just not take insulin. If you had a severe pain you wouldn't just not take pain medications. If you had kidney failure you wouldn't just not do dialysis.

Your parents did you a huge disservice by taking you off meds and not trying to change them. They allowed you to continue suffering in school and struggling through remedial classes when you had a much higher potential. They neglected your health condition which caused you to have severe side effects such as depression. Depression affects you more than you think. They allowed you to emotionally suffer (which from what I read seems to given you a feeling of low self worth). You deserve better. You deserve to thrive and live every day to its fullest.

I know I wasn't raised how you were but I wasn't put on meds until I was an adult. Looking back it makes me so pissed off that I was not helped to given basic care for my condition to help me achieve everything I could and actually wanted in my educational years. I dropped out of high school and left home. Once I was on my own I found out I had ADD/ADHD (since my parents never told me) and I got treatment. I have thrived ever since.

It's a medication to help you. Yes it is a stimulant but you do realize that you aren't reacting to it the same as everyone else right? If My friend took my Adderall they would be bouncing off the walls compared to myself taking Adderall I am glued to a book.

Why NOT use your brain to its full potential?

FYI I wrote all of this without reading 52 comments because my meds haven't kicked in yet lol

Keep in mind you're not required to submit the info to your employer, but to the medical review doctor who handles positive screens. What happens is it goes to him as positive for xyz, and once he sees you have a prescription it's reported as negative.

Some facilities request that employees provide a list of any meds they're on, it's up to you whether or not you want to disclose that information, if it were me I wouldn't, because I don't like to disclose my ADHD if I can help it. (To be fair though, it's pretty obvious).

I disclose it before I am testing. I give the testing person a copy of my prescriptions (Adderall & Marinol) so it never pops up as a positive test.

I agree reed it is none of my employer's business but usually they already can tell. I've had a boss ask me "did you forget to take your meds today?" To which I told her I had to wait until after breakfast since I couldn't take my ADD meds with my Midodrine. In my case I am safe without my meds but there will be very little charting done and many of the little things won't be done like labeling with time/date/initial. I've never had any employers feel I am on drugs, just taking my medications

I was diagnosed with bipolar in 2000. I take my meds every day. I can't function at full capacity without them. I know I have a chronic medical condition. Its not any different from diabetes, heart dx, hypertension. You need to look at it as a disease instead of a mental illness. I lost friends, jobs, mates before starting my medications. I did not function normal before the meds. The question I have for you, do you like the way you are when not on meds? If you don't then stay on the meds not only for yourself but for everyone around you. You might not die from not taking your meds like other chronic medical condition but it does alter your capability to function normal. When you working with patients haven't you seen the deniel stage when diagnosed with a chronic disease. You are no different.

This is a touchy subject but I need to talk so if you are reading thanks for reading this.

i was diagnosed with ADHD when I was a little kid. I was put on stimulants and they worked well my grades improved but my parents took me off cuz of s/e (lost too much weight, couldn't sleep etc)

After being off Meds grades dropped and I was put back into special Ed classes, was always getting in trouble for stupid stuff all the time, notes sent home to my parents, parent teacher meetings etc. Grew depressed by 4th grade.

Was off medications until I was in my teens, got put into an entirely different school for kids with learning disabilities and behavioral problems. I was more and more depressed, had anxiety, was bright when it came to science and English but terrible with social/behavioral skills and math. Always was good at basic math in my everyday life but in school just terrible.

Went back to a psychiatrist when I was 16 and got diagnosed again with ADD. Was put on straterra but I don't think it did much so I eventually stopped taking it.

Went years without meds again. Entered college and did pre-reqs for nursing. I did really well with all my other prereqs but failed remedial math 3 times and somehow still made it into nursing program. I always had trouble in school on tests. Careless mistakes, etc,

I did well in nursing school but had to stop working just to get through and forced myself to study long and hard and it was such a challenge I became greatly depressed but made it through.

Now I have been a nurse for a year and a half and I love it so much but was always making careless mistakes...NOT with patients safety or medications, mostly with charting, being disorganized with simple tasks, not being able to establish a routine because I was all over the place and would jump from one thing to the next before finishing.! I became extremely scared that I would eventually make a serious mistake and put a pt safety at risk! I had been lucky that I hadn't already! My home life had also always been overwhelming and disorganized too, I seem to lack something.

I became very frustrated and depressed again and went to back to another psychiatrist. I was diagnosed again with ADD and put on stimulants. This is the first time I agreed to take them as an adult and I hate to say it but after some trial and error trying a few doses, different ones, I found one that works! But I hate having to take a controlled drug just to feel normal! Just to function at a "normal" level like other people! I feel stupid, not good enough, that I have to take a drug like this just to achieve what someone else can achieve without this! I have to take it every time I am working now or else my symptoms come back and it really stinks. Now I wonder will I need this forever? My doctor said most likely. I can take breaks from it and I don't take it all the time when I am off unless I have to get things done, but when I don't take it I am back to my normal ways and very fatigued, out of it, messy, anxious, etc.

I was always a little bit in denial about my ADHD but I was dx 3 times at 3 different phases of my life by 3 different docs, and now the meds are working. Im still in denial deep down I guess because I just want to be normal. Thanks for letting me vent.

You are normal. Normal for you. Just like everyone else is normal for them. ADD just means that you learn in a different way. Some people learn just by listening, others reading, and others by hands on. And some people need all three. OR have to repeat something over and over till it is learned. Nothing to be ashamed of or feel bad about. There are so many undiagnosed ADD adults it isn't funny. And there are many ways to deal with it. Work with a clipboard and keep notes for organization help. I don't have ADD but I always worked with a clipboard and made sure I listed my Iv's and off time meds, and anything else that was out of the norm routine. I even made a chart for report. Kept me well organized and on task. IF you feel like you are getting off track or overwhelmed, then go to a trusted co-worker or take a few moments alone, whichever works better, to relax and get back on track. As for your meds, it isn't a good idea to go on and off of them. It confuses your body and brain, and continues to cause you times of stress. You wouldn't tell a diabetic not to take their insulin. Same deal for you. I have a serotonin deficiency and have had to take zoloft for years now. Tried to go off, for six months, and no way was it gonna work. Had to go back on. I also have fibromyalgia. No one can see it. But I have it and live with pain daily. I don't sleep well and am always tired. But I still manage. You can too. Accept what biology and God gave you and keep moving forward. Join a support group. If you can make it through Nursing School, you can do anything.

I hope you can learn to accept who you are and that you're different. Not inferior, not broken, just different.

We are all different in our own way. You found your way and I'm sure you do a good job. I'm glad someone finally found out what you needed. You should be feeling great about yourself.

On a somewhat related topic, does anyone have NCLEX test-taking tips for an ADHD-er like myself? I'm not on medication and have been able to manage throughout nursing school just fine, but I'm concerned that I won't be able to sit and focus long enough to take the exam.

Note: I would have posted this question on the NCLEX forum, but I foresee it getting buried under all the "I PASSED" and "I FAILED" posts.

Can you take it orally? I've had students with ADD and worked on their tests with them like that. IT seemed to help them. Also, try a test taking strategy course. The "everything but" questions are the ones that get everyone, and especially if concentration is difficult. Treat those like true and false questions and you will pick the right answer. When in doubt, always pick the answer that is the safest for the patient. Just a couple tips. Good luck to you.

I was diagnosed with bipolar in 2000. I take my meds every day. I can't function at full capacity without them. I know I have a chronic medical condition. Its not any different from diabetes, heart dx, hypertension. You need to look at it as a disease instead of a mental illness. I lost friends, jobs, mates before starting my medications. I did not function normal before the meds. The question I have for you, do you like the way you are when not on meds? If you don't then stay on the meds not only for yourself but for everyone around you. You might not die from not taking your meds like other chronic medical condition but it does alter your capability to function normal. When you working with patients haven't you seen the deniel stage when diagnosed with a chronic disease. You are no different.

i do like how I am more organized and more focused on one thing at a time when I take my meds. I never get calls from work anymore when I leave because I "forgot to chart something again." Lol.

What I don't like is that im not as "funny" or "talented" or creative when I take them. It slows down my creativity but increases my focus, if that makes an sense.

I never had had issues focusing on art, music, creative writing. I could sit there and do things like that for hours without taking my focus off, but the rest of the world didn't exist when I was playing my guitar or writing a new song.

Now I can't seem to channel that unless I don't take my Meds. My doctor doesn't want me taking breaks from the meds right now since im still adjusting. So in time I'll take breaks from meds to channel my ADD and creativity on my days off, when my doc says it's okay.

Specializes in ICU, Postpartum, Onc, PACU.
You've only made ONE mistake at work in 9 years of nursing?

Lol I realize now that sounds odd, but yeah, I've (knock on wood) made one mistake that didn't hurt the patient, but I was written up for it. Now that I've said that, I'm probably set to make one tonight...:yawn:

xo

Specializes in ICU, Postpartum, Onc, PACU.

I like what the one poster said about how the ADD probably makes us good nurses cause that's why I feel like I like ICU (even though I am tiring of the actual unit nowadays). There's almost always, with the exception of the hospital I'm at now, something going on and even if your patients are fine, someone else needs help with something and that bodes well for someone like me.

xo

Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

What I don't like is that im not as "funny" or "talented" or creative when I take them. It slows down my creativity but increases my focus, if that makes an sense.

I never had had issues focusing on art, music, creative writing. I could sit there and do things like that for hours without taking my focus off, but the rest of the world didn't exist when I was playing my guitar or writing a new song.

Now I can't seem to channel that unless I don't take my Meds. My doctor doesn't want me taking breaks from the meds right now since im still adjusting. So in time I'll take breaks from meds to channel my ADD and creativity on my days off, when my doc says it's okay.

I think I read that Robin Williams felt that way, too. His meds seemed to slow him down too much. When he was "on", he was so full of energy and funny ...

Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but that was my impression.

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