ADHD Nurses-what area do you specialize in?

Nurses Disabilities

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I would very much like to hear from other nurses with ADHD/ADD!

What area of nursing do you work in? What do you love about it?

I appreciate all who take the time to answer :)

Thanks

I hope you don't mind a CMA butting in with the cool kids, but I have a question. When I was young, the label they used was hyperactive, and the school wanted to put me on Ritalin; my mother thought I was just lazy and wouldn't hear it, so I'm used to failing all my classes. Somethings like grammar and spelling I still struggle with today because of the poor education I received.

Anyway, thank goodness for good EMRs and just having to check boxes. I am now 48 and learned I have ADHD did great in school, to my own amazement. How do you handle learning new things?

I start a new job, and my biggest worry is learning the new system and getting the rooming down to 5 minutes without mistakes. It takes me longer to learn new things, but once I catch on, I'm a flying wiz.

One thing I found is in the system, some of the patients are practice patients. I don't know how much time I'll have to practice at work, but I can take screenshots of the fake patients at home and study them. They have a ton more questions they like to ask patients than I'm used to, but if others can do it, it can be done. I just need the time and practice.

Any other tricks you've found to learn new things? I wish I could bring the EMR home with me, but that's not a logical option.

As a nurse with ADD/ADHD, I think besides the proper medication/alternative therapies to help control ADD tendencies, I think it's imperative to self-examine (not to beat yourself up but to learn) your distractions at work. I have become a faithful click-timer girl - from getting ready and out the door in time for work to charting, and I find setting the alarm helps me avoid distractions. It's unrealistic for me to think that I will chart for the next thirty minutes as I get distracted, but 10-15 mins of highly focused charting every hour (ideal situation - most achievable on nights) is much more realistic. Also, adding an IR stimulant as a PRN has helped, as there are times that all the coping mechanisms I learned just are not doing it, and an IR (low dose) certainly has helped me. Plenty of sleep. Lots of fluids. I work mostly 12 hrs nights but do a handful of 12 days - and I definitely notice that I'm much more distracted during days as with all the commotion on the floor and at the nurse's station with doctors, LSW, care planning, and just more people how could you not be. Also, I find it especially important to utilize breaks and make a point to leave the floor whenever I can on breaks!

I am a nurse with combined type ADHD. I got my RN about seven months ago. I'm currently working in home care because that's the job I got, but it's way too boring for me. At this point, I'm going nuts, and I need a hospital job.

Specializes in Geriatrics.

I'm not sure what my type would be but probably combined. I had trouble in nursing school paying attention to lectures and in clinical (e.g., during my first medical surgical placement, the nurses complained behind my back for being loud/ excessively, talking out loud while reading charting, and looking 'lost'). After that point, I went on medication.

Now I work in long-term care and do anything from med pass to 40 residents on the floor to being charge nurse of the 8-floor building to my current task of implementing a clinical research project. My learned ability of organization/ attention to detail has even come across as a positive to my supervisors. I print out a sheet of my residents and write down everything I have to do/ anything to mention on the report/ everything I need to chart. I also constantly write 'to-do' lists to reinforce what I need to do/ prioritize. I'm able to maintain my focus if I'm on top of my nutrition/ hydration and sleep.

I'm fortunate to have found a place that provides enough stimulus to pique my interest and opportunities for learning/ growth!

I've found a big part of managing inattention symptoms is creating organizational systems for yourself and getting acclimated to the environment. Once you get enough experience, you figure out what's important to make a note of (like how a resident takes meds), and it makes adapting to new environments easier ?

Help to study when your ADHD.

When you read a paragraph, if you read a word wrong or having trouble with a word, in paragraph! Go back to the beginning of the paragraph! Read it without making any mistakes!

People with ADHD can only remember the words in a paragraph they had trouble with!

Suppose you keep starting over until you can read it with no mistakes! You will have a full understanding of what you read!

How to slow down when you feel like going a hundred miles an hour! Eat turkey meat! That will slow you down; healthy choice!

Specializes in Emergency, LTC.

Emergency nursing! Ironically, I'm thorough but get restless if things get repetitive or I stay idle for too long. There's always something changing/happening, and every shift is a wild card, so it keeps you on your toes.

This is an awesome post!! I'm a student with ADHD completing my nursing prereqs (hoping to get in the Jan 17 semester). I have often wondered if I would even make a good nurse because of the "disorder." I have an extremely hard time focusing in school and find myself wanting to give up every single day and go for an easier degree (like social work). I know I'm not necessarily answering your question, but it was nice to know that there are others out there like me, that I'm not alone. Although I'm not quite there yet, I thought that mental health would be very interesting (enough to keep my attention anyway) because I would be helping others who have the same issues I have ?

I went through the denial phase. I graduated high school(barely), dropped out of college twice, and completed a semester of Pre Health Science 3 years ago but failed math, so I was told to re-apply. In horrible relationships, the majority of friends tend to come and go. I was diagnosed with ADHD Combined type in 2013 when I was 21. I'm now rounding 26, and I tried three different meds in the first year before I decided I didn't actually have it. But I do. I see it everywhere. I notice it all the time, and it makes sense now.

I actually talked to my manager today about this. I have never been diagnosed, but anyone who knows me knows I have it. I work in the ICU department. I exercise regularly, have a good diet, and handle stress pretty well, but at work, I get very overwhelmed when I can't just finish one thing. I'm always the last one to leave since charting is hard to focus on. I've been a nurse for 13 years but have never been able to cope well with chaos, but apparently, it's not how other people view me. Inside I'm dying from anxiety but look calm on the outside. I get very stressed out on a busy day and feel like I have absolutely let my patients down, although they think I'm great. I feel my charting sucks, and I'm always behind. I literally cannot stay on task for more than 30 seconds! This is chronic and getting worse.

Firstly, how did your manager react to the fact that you have ADHD?

And why don't you start meds? Adderall was the best thing I ever did in my life, and I can only say that now because I see a huge difference. Of course, each person needs their medication regimen, but if you're struggling, then give it a try.

I have it. I had it so bad as a child and was in special ED. I graduated from LPN school with over a 3.0 without meds, but now I'm in the clinic, and I need something... I am like all over the place LOL, haha. I am going back to school to get my BSN, so I'll go on something after I finish breastfeeding my eight mo old.

I am primarily inattentive with ADHD, and I currently work in L&D. Lots of action, but only one patient to keep track of.

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