RN-Attention Deficit Disorder-Nonhyperactive

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I'm a new nurse with AD/HD. I began working as an RN and judged harshly on my inablility to get the paperwork done quickly. If you have AD/HD what ways have you used to get your assessments charted, notes charted-before the end of your shift, still providing competent care to your patients?:innerconf

Thank you

Specializes in Certified Wound Care Nurse.

Firstly, "Silver", thanks for your posts... they provided encouragement to me during a very frustrating patch :-D

It's interesting how life works - just as I'd turned in my resignation - I spoke with a former co worker of mine. She said there were positions open there - on the same floor where I'd previously worked. She told me to call the nurse manager. When I spoke with the nurse manager, she said, "Girl, sounds like they didn't appreciate what they had in you. Why don't you come on 'back home'?"

So, I took some time off to think about it. I decided to give it another shot - one more try. I let the nurse mgr know of my plans for follow up treatment - concerning my ADD - although she says she didn't think it was as much a problem as it appeared to the people ER - she supported my decision in proceeding with a psychiatrist follow up for meds. So, what a gift. I am back on my former floor with a much greater knowledge base and a little more confidence - and glad to be back there.

I am hoping to be able to eventually "float" to the ER at my hospital while continuing to work on this floor.

Will keep everyone posted on my progress - RE: meds, etc.

Sometime wonder if I should contact ADA RE: the previous hospital and their handling of the situation - just for my own knowledge - for example - how to handle and even document meetings and their contents.

Take care and happy holidays, all.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

River, I am so glad to see you posting and that something came up and given you another shot. Sometimes it is small things like this that keeps us going even if only for a short while.

Happy holiday to you

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I find if I don't chart as I go I am not as thorough in my charting and often forget things. Keep a memo pad handy to jot things down on so that you don't forget. I would type up your own sheet that you can fill out in the mornings that you have a check list on and put what you need on it and keep it simple, write on the back of each sheet staple them together and check it off as you go and get a little highlighter to keep handy as well. You will find a routine soon, but it will take a while but stick with a routine and try to get used to it.

Hope it helps

Great tips! As a fellow ADDer I use these in my practice. (My boss is ADD also so we actually have great conversations......) One other tip. Stop in and visit with your boss regularly. If they are linear people thay may not understand your style and you can work together to keep the wheels on the bus.

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:D

it's not so much my charting, that i have trouble with.

it's everything else.

i am literally, driven to distraction.

i was on meds, but didn't like the feeling and took myself off.

the biggest thing w/me, is prioritizing and staying on track.

i personally don't chart until i'm done for the day-

but i work w/pts whose condition can spiral downward at any given moment.

you need to find what works for you.

it really is the creativity that we possess, that allows us to do it our way.

best of everything.

leslie

No wonder we groove together so well....:D

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Speakng as one with ADD, it's rare that my stuff ever gets done on time, I also have a non-verbal learning disablty.

What I do is I punch out at the end of the shift and go back and finish up. The powers that be know that I do it.

No one cares since they aren't paying me and I don't want to be paid, I just want to get the work done right and not hear any garbage. It's up to you

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Hi everyone

I'm new to allnurses.com. I'm writing from Canada.

I've only been diagnosed with ADD in the last year.

I'm working as a primary health care NP in a community clinic. I too throughout the 15 years of my nursing career have struggled with time management and charting.

What is has been any of your experiences with disclosing your ADD diagnosis to your supervisor and/or team and the outcome?

Under what circumstances did you do this (ie. job at risk vs. in a measure to help with work performance)?

Thank you.

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Specializes in CVICU.

I have AD/HD and I work in the ICU. I've also worked in the ER, and I hate the floors. I love high-paced, high-adrenaline assignments because I don't get bored easily if I don't have time to :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg., Agency Nursing, LTC., MDS..

Wow,this thread is a year old....

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Oops didn't realize that about the thread being a year old already. I only just found out about allnurses.com recently when I did a websearch about nurses with ADD. Hoped to get some discussion going about disclosure of an ADD diagnosis within one's workplace.

positivelyadd

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Oops didn't realize that about the thread being a year old already. I only just found out about allnurses.com recently when I did a websearch about nurses with ADD. Hoped to get some discussion going about disclosure of an ADD diagnosis within one's workplace.

positivelyadd

It all depends on your workplace. MY boss is fully aware of what goes on with me. I was considered ADHD my whole life but in the last 2 years had multiple practitioners show me that it was indeed Bipolar disorder.

Having her know what is going on has been a big help to me. Now, I don't tell EVERYONE but if someone asks I will.

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Thanks for sharing your input re your experience Stanley-RN2B.

A big part of me needs to feel authentic about who I am. It can be a big strain to pretend that all is well and that I can work the same way as everyone else.

I'm planning to discuss it with my supervisor, but in doing so I sorta feel like I am walking into a risky venture career wise-ie. will never be the same after.

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Specializes in IMCU.

My big problem with the brain is I don't remember to write stuff down and if I do, then I loose my brain sheet. I have tried to record big events directly into the computer as they happen, but can't always, so then I try to jot the times of calls to md etc. down on SBARR. I have learned if I get new orders I can always refer back to the time I got those for a general time frame on patient issues. I do have a good memory for events but not for time frames. On a bad night, I can't do major charting till maybe 1 am or even worse after report. I was on strattera for a while in school but I don't know how bad my ADD is, I just can't be in a noisey environment and chart or pay attention to details like computations if everything is wild around me. I am also a bit directionally impaired and find it helps to label lines at top and bottom after following them from the med to the pump to the patient.

I had to take strattera to get through chemistry class, but did okay without it for other stuff. I have a fantastic memory for events, but time and even sequence can be an issue. I also have a hard time with critical thinking at times because I am hung up on one issue like getting blood, where I should probably more focused on getting the new med as ordered.

Part of it is being new, part of it is that I am the most nonlinear thinker imaginable and I don't like seeing ADD as a disability. I see it as just another way of thinking but one that can cause me to stumble at times. Once I have experienced a situation, I generally review it, figure out what I should do the next time and then do it right the next time. Trouble is there is a never ending supply of new situations in our profession.

Mahage

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