Hospital Nursing and ADHD

[CompleteChaos]

My ADHD affects my job performance. Lately my peers have been asking me, "Did you take your meds today?" I am a registered nurse. Needless to say, my medication needs to be adjusted. I am responsible for 4 patients on my shift. If I don't write EVERYTHING down on my paper (I call them my brains) I don't remember it. When a doctor asks me a question, I frequently can't remember without looking at my "brains." Things I have learned in nursing school seem to have vanished out of my memory. I do understand the concept "if you don't use it, you lose it" It seems to be extreme in my case. I look up medications in my drug book every day. Even ones that I have given my patients for the last 5 years. It is SOOOOOO embarrasing and frustrating. I love being a nurse, my patients like me, my managers tell me I do a great job. I just don't always feel it. It is stressful to have peoples lives depend on me yet it is very rewarding. I don't like to be scatter brained. I think part of it has to do with my lack of self confidence. I have not figured out how to get it yet. I just want to be all I can be!!
Any other nurses or medical professionals out there???

[meadd823]

There are some active nurses running around here some where. I was in nursing for 24 years. I left the medical profession to run a recycling business with my husband but I still maintain my license.

[dyingInside]

I'm not in nursing but I know what you mean about having to write stuff down and trying to stay on top of things. I have just started an entry level job in my new field after leaving computer work. If I don't take my meds I will make stupid mistakes that irritate my co-workers or worse. I don't plan on telling them about my conditions, to me that's professional suicide, although having these issues (bipolar as well) makes me a lot better at what I do (finally!). One thing I can tell you is try to get some heavy exercise breaks (sprinting, jumprope, pushups, etc.) during your work day and stay hydrated. That seems to bring me back to Earth a little.

[Liadan]

I'm a nurse aide in a hospital, and am planning on going back to school in the fall to become an RN. As an aide, I understand what you mean, I have to write everything down and am constantly forgetting to document I&O's, and forgetting that I told patients that I would bring them a glass of water, or whatever. Since I'm not giving out meds, these things are much less of a life or death situation, though! I'm a total wreck on days when I don't take my ritalin. I'm sure, however, that you do an awesome job as a nurse-people would tell you if you didn't. And just because you have to look meds up-this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it means you care enough to do a good job and really check things out.

[CompleteChaos]

Thanks and good luck with nursing school. You can do it! It took me 13 years for a 2 year associates degree.

It is a very stressful job. The staff to patient ratio is only 1:4 on my unit, but sometimes I feel like it is 1:20 I love being a nurse and most days it is very trying and stressful.

It is so worth every minute when I hear, "Thank you, You have made a difference, You are a great nurse, That back rub was the best thing about being in the hospital, Thank you I had no idea what smoking really was doing to me, Thank you for taking my pain away. "

I do worry about how my job is affected by my medication not working at the moment. I carry around my paper brains and god forbid if they get lost. I just do the best I can do, treat people the way I want to be treated and know that even though the doctors can be #$%*@ sometimes but I am my patients advocate always. (Not all doctors are like that.

[Blissfully Unaware]

Hi CompleteChaos!

I'm a nurse too! I work in cardiac... and could have written YOUR post. I feel the same frustrations... having to write EVERYTHING down... forgetting things. And, when someone asks me a question about my patients, I have to refer to my "brain sheet". I too get GREAT reviews and my patients are always complementing me on my care. BUT, my brain goes 90 mph and I'm always thinking of 50 things at once! I tend to get stressed VERY easily. Taking Ritalin has helped me tremendously. I am also seeing an ADD Specialist (counselor) that is giving me ways to organize my work/life better. It has given me some confidence back. Having ADD is NOT a weakness... ADDers think "outside the box" and we have a TON of strengths! Hang in there... sounds like your patients LOVE the care they receive! Feel free to write!

P.S. I just noticed that we are the same age! When were you diagnosed? What meds do you take?

[QueensU_girl]

I spent 3.5 yrs in a 4 yr nursing school program. My Mom was an ADD RN too.

In some ways, it sounds impossible as a career option, but in other ways, you can make it work.

It seems to be all about the Setting and the Skill Set (for coping) that one develops.

[QueensU_girl]

[quote=CompleteChaos;582090]My ADHD affects my job performance. Lately my peers have been asking me, "Did you take your meds today?"


1. What "behavioural" feedback are they giving you?

e.g. Are they seeing your: spaciness; impulsivity; you seem frazzled; talk too fast, etc?

2. Some Nursing jobs are very multitasking and memory/coordination oriented. These are called Executive Function skills. (ADDers tend to be poor in them.)

Here is an article that explains it. (ADD is so much more than hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity!)

http://www.schoolbehavior.com/condit...dfoverview.htm

NB sorry if the article is r/t school; if you keep reading you can see how it relates to jobs too.

[wifeandmom]

CompleteChaos and Lauren, Thank You for double checking medications and referring to your written notes. I wish everyone in the chain of care did. My poor mother was subjected to incorrect meds several times in her final years. Usually caused by someone NOT reading her chart or NOT noting the allergies listed on her hospital-issued bracelet.

[Mincan]

Is nursing a good subject for ADHDers, because if everything goes as planned, Ill be taking a pre-med class this fall for preperation next year to start a 4 year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

[Minicooper]

Originally Posted by CompleteChaos

My ADHD affects my job performance. Lately my peers have been asking me, "Did you take your meds today?" I am a registered nurse. Needless to say, my medication needs to be adjusted. I am responsible for 4 patients on my shift. If I don't write EVERYTHING down on my paper (I call them my brains) I don't remember it. When a doctor asks me a question, I frequently can't remember without looking at my "brains." Things I have learned in nursing school seem to have vanished out of my memory. I do understand the concept "if you don't use it, you lose it" It seems to be extreme in my case. I look up medications in my drug book every day. Even ones that I have given my patients for the last 5 years. It is SOOOOOO embarrasing and frustrating. I love being a nurse, my patients like me, my managers tell me I do a great job. I just don't always feel it. It is stressful to have peoples lives depend on me yet it is very rewarding. I don't like to be scatter brained. I think part of it has to do with my lack of self confidence. I have not figured out how to get it yet. I just want to be all I can be!!
Any other nurses or medical professionals out there???

I just want to say that I admire you and you have my utmost respect. There are things I simply won't undertake because I know I will fail, and your profession is one of them. For what its worth, I thank you for having the strength and courage to take on this most giving of tasks. I would say to you if you are meticulous in writing things down, don't give a second thought to the need to refer to your notes when called upon. I know I prefer a waitperson to write down my order when dining out, and I sure as HECK would prefer a health professional to write things down rather than commit them to memory! If you are getting positive feedback from your patients and your superiors, sweetie, you're fine! Personally, I think your co-workers are the ones who should be feeling inadequate for not taking that extra measure of assurance that you take by recording everything in writing - but then I don't know anything about nursing. I just wanted to let you know that as a patient, I would be happy to have a caring, conscientious caregiver such as you.

[CompleteChaos]

WOW, What great feedback. Thanks to all of you! I absolutely LOVE being a nurse. I don't know if it is a good job for someone who has ADD/ADHD. It is all I know.
Lauren I take Concerta 54 every AM and Wellbutrin 150 every AM. Friday I see my Dr. and I am requesting something different. I started showing sx of both ADHD/ADD as a child. I finally had an actual diagnosis and started taking meds when I went to college. I "got a clue" when the people that sat next to me during lecture would yell at me to "SIT STILL" I would shake the entire table with my fidgeting.
I don't remember what kind of testing I had done. I have been to "therapy" off and on since I was a child. I have had many different tests.
I work on the Stroke/Tele unit. We are just about to expand and start taking ICU patients. I'm a little nervous about that.
I believe people with ADD/ADHD can do anything or have any career that they are able to do. I seriously lack self confidence though. Hopefully as time goes on I will get better. I haven't figured out how to use the quote when I post a reply (a little bit technical for me)
My co-workers are seeing all of the above, spaciness, interrupting, frazzled, lack of self confidence, never caught up, fidgeting, my brain and my body go 1000 miles an hour, sometimes I have to ask a Dr. to repeat his order a couple times before I get it right. I have both types of ADD. Some days are OK and other days I ramble on and on like now.
Thanks for listening!

[CompleteChaos]

Thanks to QueensU girl (hope I got the name right) Can I reply to just one person? Or do I just reply like I am doing now? Sorry, I'll get the hang of it eventually.

Anyway, I went to the website you suggested. I had never heard of that before. It is interesting. I could see myself in it as well as my son. I think I will do a little more research on the subject.

[Mincan]

No Im serious, do people here think Nursing is a good occupation choice for a severe ADHD combined? Because I am really planning on getting a 4 year degree in this field...

[QueensU_girl]

1. re: job
I think it depends on how well you can learn to KNOW and control the symptoms. (self-awareness AND skills for self-management)

2. re: Getting the degree done ('first things first')

My [verbal] impulsivity got me in trouble in Nursing School. (re: My Dementia man who kept falling out of bed. "Why is he in restraints? People can get strangled in restraints."
Needless to say, while I did pass the year in April-- I was failing at Xmas, after that comment.)

3. re: choose schools carefully
I think the school program you do is also a factor... Some schools (and jobsites) are more accommodating [and less hostile to people with LDs, than others.)

e.g. Traditional Schools like McGill, Queen's U, UofT, UWO, etc, tend to look down on LD students.
(My one Prof actually said "why would you come to nursing school if you have a disabiity?". She also asked me why I was becoming a nurse at age 27. "Aren't you kind of old to be starting a nursing degree?" Seriously crummy.)
=:O

Schools like Ryerson, George Brown (BSN Collaborative), McMaster, etc. from what I hear/read, seem to bend over backward to accommodate differences.


4. Where are you thinking of doing your BSN, MINCAN? Is U Windsor the closest?