Which unit would be good for a RN with ADHD-inattentive to work on?

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These are the units of thought of:

Pediatrics (I volunteered in a children's hospital for 4 years in high school & enjoyed it)

Cardiac (I love learning about the heart)

Emergency Room

**I'll be graduating this coming May (2015)

I have ADHD inattentive type, uncontrolled. (Gasp! I know.) I have worked post-surgical, various ICUs, and med-surg. I honestly think it doesn't matter which unit you start on. I would suggest picking the one you're most excited about. As long as you have that initial interest, you are going to be great at whatever unit you start with. Just don't beat yourself up when you want to switch. It usually happens to me fairly quickly, in 6 months to a year.

The unit that I've worked on with the most ADHDers (obviously ADHD at least, I didn't do a poll), was on a trauma unit. Next most was Med-Surg. However, almost all of the ADHD people had started or had worked in the ER and most ended up as floating Resource or Float Pool. I also have several friends with ADHD who started on cardiac tele and loved it. So, take from that what you will.

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Specializes in CVICU.

If you don't have problems with ADHD as you claim, then why do you feel the need to specify that you have it when asking where you should work?

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Specializes in RN, CHPN.
All my question was asking is which unit do nurses with ADHD usually excel in..

it's a known fact that ADHD nurses do great in ER's for instance....

I was a nurse with ADHD. I didn't know it at the time, but I wish I did. As the OP said, there are different types of ADHD, and the important thing is to know yourself and choose a situation that's right for you.

With my ADHD, I did best as a hospice nurse. I worked with one patient at a time, in their home. It was quiet. I could concentrate. Nothing was beeping and there was no chaos. And I loved the work. But the mere thought of working in a ER -- for me -- feels like a disaster. That doesn't mean it's not right for you, though.

The BEST information I've found on ADHD comes from Dr. Russel Barkley. This guy really gets it. And this is what he has to say about choosing work:

"There's no right-every-time ADHD-compatible career, but there is a career that matches your strengths, interests and passions."

There is a lot of bad info circulating about ADHD. It is not a "gift," as we hear so often. It's a disorder that needs treatment:

The Impact of Untreated ADHD on Adult Lives

Functional and Psychological Impairment

ADHD has a wide-ranging impact on adult lives, manifesting as educational, interpersonal, physical, emotional, and work-related difficulties. Controlled studies1,20 demonstrate that adults with untreated ADHD have poorer educational performance and attainment, significantly more marriages, greater likelihood of problems making friends, and a higher incidence of interpersonal problems than those without ADHD. Adults with ADHD are also reported to have more symptoms of psychological distress, including hostility, depression, and anxiety, than non-ADHD controls.1

In the workplace, adults with ADHD are more likely to be fired from or quit a job impulsively, hold a single job for less time, have more job changes in a 10-year period, receive a lower salary, and have poorer work performance scores than their non-ADHD peers.1,19-21 In a 2003 national survey of 500 adults with ADHD (mean age=32 years) and 501 sex- and age-matched controls, significantly more psychosocial, educational, and occupational impairments were seen in those with ADHD. They had higher rates of divorce/separation and arrests and were less likely to be optimistic about their futures than non-ADHD controls; 72% felt that ADHD had a lifelong detrimental impact.

Assessment and Diagnosis of Adult ADHD: Clinical Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Patient Care « Primary Psychiatry

Here's a link to Dr. Brantley's fact sheets on ADHD:

Dr. Russell A. Barkley - Dedicated to Education and Research on ADHD

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If you don't have problems with ADHD as you claim, then why do you feel the need to specify that you have it when asking where you should work?

ADHD is a fact our lives. It is one of the factors we have to consider, like the commute or the hours. Why does that deserve berating? It shouldn't.

I factor my ADHD into every life decision I make. In my career, I ask myself "Will this job affect my mental status to the point where I will be a less effective nurse?" If the answer is yes, then I don't take that job. I have been offered positions in units, such as inpatient detox, where I feel like my deficiencies will not let me help patients fully, so I have turned those units down. It's not a big deal, it's just a factor. I have turned down jobs with more than a 30-minute one-way drive, too. Nobody yelled about that.

And for all of you cherry-picking the words from the OP and choosing to focus on the mental illness instead of the question, please stop.

It is hurtful, and unnecessary. We don't pick on the disabled, the overweight, the ugly, or whoever, and we would appreciate the same treatment.

Here is an example: Say I am a breast-feeding mother. I want to pick a unit that is supportive of that. Not all nurses breastfeed. Some hospitals have "pump" rooms, some have breastfeeding rooms where family can bring an infant in. Some are anti-breast and you have to sneak away during the day when you have ten minutes to relieve your aching breasts. I would probably not choose the last type of unit. And there is nothing wrong with that.

With ADHD, depending on what your particular symptoms are, the choice of unit can help you manage your symptoms. I need a busy, but not chaotic, unit. Med-Surg, so far, is the best for me.

Some ADHDers need constant stimulation to stay focused. The ER or a trauma unit would help them tremendously.

Some need quiet, low distraction environments. Home health or hospice may be the best for those nurses.

"Problems with ADHD" is none of anyone's business except the OP's and their doctor's.

I can't believe that nurses still stigmatize mental illness this way. I am so disappointed. After some of the posts in the last weeks, I had thought the attitude here was changing.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Wow - this appears to be a polarizing issue.

I think we're all coming from the same place.... wanting to ensure patient safety and high quality care. Based on my own experience, I have noticed that whenever nurses are discussing an issue that "could" have an impact on patient care, we naturally jump into a mental model..... "Great, that means I have to step in with more effort to make sure that our patients aren't affected by her/his issue.... Just what I need, more work"

Nursing is a team sport. If anything affects a co-worker's performance, it has an effect on mine also. So it's very difficult to be completely objective about an issue that we all take very personally.

We're all coming from the same place. Concern for our patients will trump everything else - even objectivity.

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The fact that you are focused on your ADHD suggests to me that you have not managed to get it under control or have not learned to adequately adapt.

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The fact that you are focused on your ADHD suggests to me that you have not managed to get it under control or have not learned to adequately adapt.

The OP is not "focused" on the ADHD. The OP wants to know what unit would be a good fit. It is everyone else who has "focused" on the ADHD. The OP is merely defending him/herself against what could be perceived as attacks. ADHDers have a lower tolerance threshold for criticism. What is intended in the nicest way can seem like all-out-war to us. Although I know you have the best of intentions with this, to my mind it feels like you are taking a bat to the OP and striking him/her repeatedly.

I get that many nurses on this forum don't approve of ADHDers. I get that some think we are dangerous. It hurts me unimaginably to be perceived this way.

I feel the OPs original intention was to use the ADHD as a qualifier. More along the lines of "Since I have ADHD, I am trying to figure out what units can best fit my particular quirks." To my mind, it is the same as asking what unit has the best ratio, what shift is better, etc.

I am having a hard time understanding why the responders are focusing on the ADHD. Very few have offered useful insight as to what unit may be a good fit.

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Specializes in critical care.

A previous poster said they found the ICU over-stimulating. Personally the combination of routine and adrenaline in the ICU has been perfect for me. But, a couple years into my career, I'm starting to have more issues with inattention. Now that I'm more comfortable, I'm starting to go on auto-pilot for certain tasks, and my mind begins to wander. I do silly things like empty a foley or urinal, and 3 seconds later, I couldn't tell you how much I emptied, even though I "looked" at the measurement before I emptied it (looked, but didn't process, obviously!) That is just one example of the problems I'm starting to have that weren't an issue previously. I do have an appointment with my doc, hoping to get back on a stimulant of some sort.

In short, I do believe that ADHD nurses thrive in certain types of work environments, with the most important factor probably being your interest in the area. But, I also agree with previous posters who stated the importance of symptom control.

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Wow - this appears to be a polarizing issue.

I think we're all coming from the same place.... wanting to ensure patient safety and high quality care. Based on my own experience, I have noticed that whenever nurses are discussing an issue that "could" have an impact on patient care, we naturally jump into a mental model..... "Great, that means I have to step in with more effort to make sure that our patients aren't affected by her/his issue.... Just what I need, more work"

Nursing is a team sport. If anything affects a co-worker's performance, it has an effect on mine also. So it's very difficult to be completely objective about an issue that we all take very personally.

We're all coming from the same place. Concern for our patients will trump everything else - even objectivity.

Thank you for this. It helps me see it from a non-ADHD point of view (which is hard!). I understand the concern that it can make teamwork harder, if you focus on the deficits. I wish that the focus could be on the positives.

In my case, I often need help when I have too many things to do at once. However, everyone comes to me when they have a problem to solve. I fix the printer. I fix the tube system. I diagnose and fix the NG tube that isn't working. I figure out where the ectopy and the low sats are coming from and suggest the appropriate interventions and orders to ask for. Although it may take me twice as long to chart it.

I figure out why Grandma is loopy today (restarted Lyrica without checking with the PCP). I figure out why the left leg is red now and wasn't 10 minutes ago (family member was helping by putting a warm blanket on cold feet).

I feel this is a good trade-off. Yes, I may need extra help to get things done in a timely manner, but I am a great resource and generally help the unit function better as a whole.

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A good fit is any unit where the employee has made themselves capable of performing their duties. It might not make for a successful hiring experience to bring up problems that would put the job seeker in a less than competitive position. If this condition were under control, there would be no need to bring it up with the hiring manager at all. People are just trying to show the OP that she needs to take steps to be careful about what she discloses to the prospective employer. If she were ok with her condition, she would have no need of addressing this. We have no idea what she is capable of, or not. With the job market out there, she may need to reevaluate her choices to be more inclusive. This takes thought and actions on her part.

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From the OP:

Never did I say I have problems with ADHD..................

All my question was asking is which unit do nurses with ADHD usually excel in..

it's a known fact that ADHD nurses do great in ER's for instance....

enuf_already:

Im not going to decide where Id like to work based off the fact that I have ADHD..

I'd like to know if there is a tendency for ADHD nurses to work in particular units..I know Emergency Room is one that's often spoken of..just curious!

I know nobody has intentions to be offensive, but I don't think its polite to suggest someone to seek treatment if you have no knowledge of their background..also suggesting such is not relevant to my question..

From the responders:

A good fit is any unit where the employee has made themselves capable of performing their duties. It might not make for a successful hiring experience to bring up problems that would put the job seeker in a less than competitive position. If this condition were under control, there would be no need to bring it up with the hiring manager at all. People are just trying to show the OP that she needs to take steps to be careful about what she discloses to the prospective employer. If she were ok with her condition, she would have no need of addressing this. We have no idea what she is capable of, or not. With the job market out there, she may need to reevaluate her choices to be more inclusive. This takes thought and actions on her part.

If you don't have problems with ADHD as you claim, then why do you feel the need to specify that you have it when asking where you should work?

The fact that you are focused on your ADHD suggests to me that you have not managed to get it under control or have not learned to adequately adapt.

I say this with all due respect, but IMO you should get your ADHD under control. All of those specialties--actually, any nursing specialty--needs a nurse running at the top of their game and not struggling with symptoms.

If you're not already seeking treatment, I would make an appointment with a psychiatrist to address your condition.

Best of luck.

You are being defensive. I was saying that would be my advice as a nurse. Whether you have problems or not, if you are not able to concentrate and stay on task, nursing will be a tough row to hoe. Period. Remember, I said I have it, so it's not like it can't be done. But it's tough. I know.

Nowhere has the OP said she has problems with ADHD. She just has it.

She has actually stated that she is doing WELL with symptom management.

She hasn't said anything about disclosing to a manager or prospective employer. Insinuating that just because she is forthright and is addressing it means that her condition is out of control and will cause harm to prospective patients or possibly be a burden to a prospective team is just infuriating.

All she is doing is asking for advice on what unit would be a good fit, just like any other new grad does.

The first reply made a very judgmental assumption that her symptoms are not under control and even stated that "actually, any nursing specialty--needs a nurse running at the top of their game and not struggling with symptoms."

When she very appropriately stated that she felt that commenting on her condition and suggesting treatment was inappropriate, she was accused of being hypersensitive and defensive.

Nowhere has the OP been hypersensitive or defensive, but the responders have been judgmental. I am probably more hypersensitive and defensive on her behalf.

It just makes me so mad when people make up reasons to put people with ADHD down or make them feel inferior.

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Actually, I have lost my objectivity and ability to be polite on this thread, so I shall bow out now.

OP, good luck to you. Please don't be driven away by what has been posted here. I hope you come back and tell us how you do on your first unit.

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