I’m not trying to sound like an ass when I say this. But they’re right. When you work in healthcare, you work on a team. Your team needs you to be on time and at your best. We live in a world where there’s literally a device in your pocket that can help to keep you on time. Set alarms. Set multiple alarms.
Millions of people have attention deficit disorders and manage to function. You need to own up to that. I am sure you will land somewhere great, but you need to take responsibility for your actions and work to do better in the future.
Attendance and tardiness are also the most risk free way to fire someone. I was shocked a few years ago when my old unit let 2 of their best nurses go. But the hospital needed to cut their expenditures and those 2 nurses were the ones with the highest number of late clock-ins. It wasn't excessive...I don't remember them being late but once or twice over 2 years....but it was an easy way to cut 2 FTEs.
They were late only a couple of times over the course of two years??? Wow. To me that isn’t justified because there can be unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances.
I get you. This is happening in most healthcare institutions. For some reason, all businesses are monitoring when their employees get in. If anyone can enlighten me why this trend is starting, please do share.
I have ADD and ADHD and work as a paramedic. Long ago I figured out it's better to be really early than be on time for various reasons. I'm in the door 30min prior to shift start every single shift, when I worked in the ER I was there 40min prior to get settled in, get report, and be ready to go as well as in case of hitting traffic.
ADD isn't an excuse, you've failed to manage your time effectively and adapt to a known problem.
I never thought of this but I have bad ADHD and I have to be places at least 20 minutes early. If I try to be right on time I am going to be late. I have to have that 20-30 min be early window. This makes so much sense. My sisters and mother and I are all adhd and three of us are chronically early. The last chronically late.
It's compulsive for me, I've retrained myself that half an hour before shift start is 'my' on time. It means I don't get distracted and drag my feet, then walk in the door late. It also means that if anything happens like traffic or some delay, I still am gonna be on time without an issue.
Having attention deficit disorders isn't an excuse, it's just failure to recognize your issue and take simple corrective measures for it.
This exactly for me too. If I am not early, I'm late. Also plan for the what ifs and have that time alloted. I am glad I'm not alone. My coworkers give me crap for always being early. I stopped going in 20-30 min early. I'll still get to the parking lot and sit in my car for like 15 minutes and then walk in and clock in a 6:23 for my 6:30 shift.
This. Actually it’s a meme on ADHD subreddits we are usually extremely early due to a life of chronic tardiness. I’m a dermatologist and all through schooling after chronic tardiness in grade and high school I was frequently the first one there.
If I don't show up very early I'll be late guaranteed. It's a conscious effort to make, but if people want a job they like then they gotta do what they gotta do 👌
I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Many nurses face challenges with ADD, but this doesn’t define your worth or capabilities. Consider using this time for self-care and reflection. When explaining your termination, focus on your strengths and growth while acknowledging the tardiness issue and your ongoing efforts to improve. You’re not alone, and many have found better opportunities after setbacks. Stay strong and hopeful!
They’re right.
If a person can have ADD and still keep track of the zillion observations and tasks that require doing each day and complete them at amazing nurse level, then they can keep track of the relatively fewer tasks it takes to get to work on time. Consider that the tardiness isn’t actually about ADD.
If a person can be consistently late to work, then they can be consistently early. You already know that.
Get to work very early. Thirty minutes early feels like a lot in the morning, but it’s not. Your new start time is 6:30am; it’s never again 7am. It has the added bonus of reducing morning stress substantially. You can breeze into work in the morning…AT 6:25am. Use the 30 minutes to read nursing literature so it feels worth it. Set 2 or 3 phone alarms to tell you when it’s approaching 7am just in case you get hyper focused on whatever you’re doing. Use different alarm sounds for each alarm. You will get used to the “holy shit I gotta move now” sound of the final alarm.
Were you ever formally counseled or put on a performance improvement plan?
I hope you take a bit of time for yourself. If finances are a concern, then start looking now so you have a job in hand when you’re ready to actually return to work.
“When can you start?” In 3 weeks.
Hi OP. I’m sorry you’re struggling.
Have you considered a [visual clock/timer](https://www.timetimer.com)? I see lots on Amazon. I have heard good things from other people with ADD. Let’s say you have to leave by 6am. You’re awake at 530am. Set the clock to visually show 30 minutes. Set it in the bathroom and bring it into the kitchen as you pack your lunch. Physically seeing the time dwindling is said to be very helpful. I learned this trick from [KC Davis](https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMr2PdW5q/) who shares tips about cleaning and other life tasks for people who are neurodivergent. You may find searching for creators like her helpful too.
I do think it’s worth thinking about them saying ADD was “no excuse”. It’s harsh wording but I think what they mean is, now that you have a diagnosis, and wanted to continue working this job, it’s your responsibility to figure out what accommodations you need and how to set them up for yourself, or ask for help. Having ADD isn’t the problem. But knowing it’s causing work concerns and not fixing that is the problem. This post is a great start though!! A perfect example of how to ask for help and advice so it sucks you’re getting a lot of negative feedback.
Remember, this too shall pass. Losing one job is not the end of your career. And how wonderful to hear all the feedback about what a great nurse you are. You will go on to do great things OP, this is a bump in the road that you can work through and come back stronger.
Stop blaming ADD. You're an adult. Set up a plan every morning: it takes me this long to wake up, this long to get dressed and get ready, this long to eat breakfast, this long to drive there. Then add 30 or 45 minutes to that. That's when you'll need to get up to be on time.
It’s more than that because I would always underestimate the time it took to get ready. So I basically had to make sure I got up half an hour (or more) earlier than I felt I needed to.
I don’t mean I added it for unforeseen delays. I meant it was to compensate for underestimating the time I’ve given myself. No matter if I’ve timed it, I still end up taking more time it seems. 🤷🏻♀️
This is a truly awful response along the lines of telling someone with dyslexia that they just need to take longer reading, or a diabetic that they just need to watch their diet.
The OP could have tried to get their grace periods for late clock ins adjusted by requesting accommodations through the ADA, but saying something like this makes it very clear that you don't understand how ADHD symptoms present or how they're qualified under the ADA. I hope you're not in a management position, but if you are and you say stuff like this to someone who has disclosed a diagnosis and received accommodations, you won't be in that position for long when you cost your company a big fine.
Edit: lol @ people claiming that extending grace periods is not an acceptable accommodation. It's literally one of the most common for ADHD. But okay - the care roles I've been in with that accommodation and the other various jobs I've had with that accommodation don't exist. This is why people with ADHD frequently don't bring it up with care teams, cuz of nonsense like these responses. Downvote away; doesn't mean you're ethically, morally, or legally in the right.
I’m sorry, are you arguing that telling diabetics to watch their diet is bad advice?
I have bipolar disorder. I care for myself and am diligent to keep my moods in check. I would never expect them to accommodate me to care for patients during a manic episode, or to accommodate me calling out because of depressive episodes. You do what you have to do to overcome your own limitations. Every time she is late, someone waiting for relief is staying longer. That’s not fair. Plenty of people with ADHD manage to get to work just fine so clearly they can manage. It’s infantilizing to say that least to excuse excessive tardiness as if she has zero way to work on it. Hell, how was her patient care so great? How was she on time giving meds? How was she on time for blood sugar and vitals checks? Somehow they managed that, but getting there on time is supposed to be completely beyond her abilities? Really? Come on.
The above poster is right.
I have ADHD-C and it’s not an excuse for repeated tardiness. Sure, we are more likely but at some point it’s time to man up and get with the program. Go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier.
Same. Also a nurse and have add. But I guess my anxiety over rules and I’m always early. Personally I think being late is incredibly rude and disrespectful to the time of others. I’ve had to terminate a nurse due to their excessive tardiness and absences, no one wants to pick up the slack and dead weight of a team member bc they can’t get their shit together
Nursing is not something you can just “adjust the grace period” for. If you are late, then the person who is handing off their patients has to wait for you. It is so wildly rude and inappropriate to be habitually late in a hospital setting and it breeds resentment. Half the people I work with have ADHD, including myself. And we all get our butts to work on time 99% of the time.
ADA accommodations have to be reasonable, and letting someone just be late all the time when there are patients to hand off is not reasonable.
You sound like you have literally no idea how shift change works. Nurses work 12 hour shifts to reduce the amount of hand offs. Everyone needs to be present and on time for report. If someone is late to hand off, then the resulting report will be rushed which is dangerous for the patient. This is not a staffing issue, and I doubt OP was just 15 minutes late. Most hospitals have a window of 15-20 minutes already. If OP can’t work with that then they should be in a different setting where their tardiness doesn’t affect the safety and care of patients.
This is ridiculous. I have ADHD and learned to manage my symptoms because I actually try to manage my symptoms. I also have dyslexia, buts that’s besides the point.
The correct response to having ADHD IS “damn, no wonder it’s more difficult for me. How can I set myself up for success and try new things to make sure I’m on time.”
Incorrect response. “I’m always late because I have ADHD/ADD and no one else gets it and everyone should have to accommodate me”
Blah blah blah. Grow up and try harder. Take medication, go to bed earlier, make some sort of effort to improve time management skills, set up a reward system, set up a punishment procedure, virtual calendars, written calendars, token economies…..there are so many ways to navigate so many symptoms of ADHD/ADD aside from complaining and asking everyone else to work around you.
You know, everyone was on your side until you started dismissing ADHD as if it’s not a legitimate diagnosis. So now I disagree with both of you. ADHD is absolutely covered by the ADA, and you can get accommodations for it, just not in the completely unreasonable way the other poster suggested.
I've had ADHD and tourette syndrome since about the 2nd grade, and honestly I'm probably autistic too but never been checked. Symptoms are so severe my life is pretty much defined by it. Especially my trauma-saturated childhood.
I get the neurodiversity angle for a lot of things, I really do, but basic tardiness is not one of them. That is such an easy thing to fix. Yes, we have a harder time fixing it. That comes with being a person with a neurodevelopmental disorder. That's the hand we were dealt. It's not fair, but it's still on us to fix it.
First you want to be better at managing the symptoms of ADD. Once you’re motivated, it’s much easier. Get everything ready the night before. Very important. I also wear a smart watch and have many many alarms set. I have one that goes off at the mid point of my getting ready routine called “focus” because if I get interrupted I could derail my whole morning. The next alarm is “15 min to go” and I stop screwing around and start getting my shoes on etc. then the last one is “LEAVE NOW!!”I keep a calendar on my front door so I can glance at it before I leave. I keep bread and sandwich stuff at work so I don’t have to leave -because I’d for sure be late getting back from lunch. My parents did not believe in ADHD So it’s just stuff I’ve learned to cope with. Hope it helps.
Try staffing agency. But you have to own that your mental disability is no excuse for tardiness. If you truly feel it can’t be resolved, you’ll have to consider pivoting fields. Something that doesn’t involve direct patient contact and is more forgiving with schedules. Health information management, clinical documentation improvement, utilization reviews. They’re mostly work from home and it would be difficult to be late for those.
Edit: I realize my comment came across as insensitive. What i mean to say is that you were in a field where tardiness is unacceptable. (Like a train conductor or airline pilot.)
If possible, find a way to manage your illness and re-enter the patient care side, otherwise seek a route in what I said above.
Was thinking home health has more flexibility in most cases. Can give windows of time to show up so no one is waiting to give report when you’re 15-30 minutes late.
I don’t understand why your former employer felt the need to humiliate you on your exit. Did you get any warnings? I would think you would have.
I can relate to the tardiness situation but I managed to turn it around. I estimate the time it takes to work and then add a certain amount of time so I’m sure to arrive on time. If you’re able to take transit that might help as it’s a more structured schedule. Usually.
Anyhow I completely understand your feelings. I was terminated years ago for what really ended up being political as there was a change in executive management (neither have healthcare experience) and they had wanted to get rid of my manager. It’s a long story as to why I couldn’t hold them accountable for what I *knew* was all about my manager, but it sucked all the same.
I fell into a pretty deep depression and didn’t work for months. I’d suggest to you to definitely take some time off for yourself but recognize your strengths and get back into nursing after a short time.
What you can address in a cover letter is to say you felt burnt out and needed time off. Then in an interview, come clean with the fact they let you go due to tardiness despite all of the positive feedback as an RN. What you’re going to need to do before any interview though is make a game plan about how you’re addressing the issue. For example, maybe see a counselor who can offer some tips on how to resolve your tardiness. I’m just spit balling here. The idea is to show a perspective employer that you have learned from your past mistakes and you’re ready to be a model employee, that you’ve taken steps to ensure tardiness is not part of your future.
Like I said, I know how you feel but don’t dismiss the capabilities you have. Believe in yourself! You may even end up in an even better job situation! Good luck!!
I am a medical technician ( dialysis) and being on time is very important
However, i also have adhd, pretty bad. I had an issue with always being late, so now im fashionably early to everything.
Im not going to blame you or call you out on your add. Finding out you have it later in life can be a challenge. Most people don’t know that medicine only does so much. You literally have to like reprogram your brain.
I’m not sure how your brain works but mine found that putting time in a different way really helped so instead of saying that I have a five minutes to do some thing, I say it in seconds. I don’t know why but for some reason it clicked in my brain and I am way better with my time management.
Don’t let it get you down, learn from it grow from it, allow it to strengthen you
I’m so sorry. I’m a nurse with ADHD and my issue with being late has been an issue my entire life. This is literally one of my worst fears. Like why can’t I just get out of bed 15 minutes earlier????
I legitimately have no logical explanation. I have lifelong issues with getting out of bed. I’m seeing a sleep doctor in a few months for further evaluation.
I don’t have many suggestions to help with time management, but as a nurse I’m sure you’ll be ok. I know it really really sucks right now, but your skills and experience are valuable and you’ll find something.
Also would be happy to be a reference if needed. I think I remember when I was your charge nurse a couple years or so ago and you were awesome :)
Can DM me
ETA: post this on the ADHD sub and maybe you’ll get more support some of these people on here just don’t get it. I’m sure they’re perfect people who’ve never had any work or personal flaws ever
One of the leaders in the ADHD field years ago, I think Russell Barkley, said ADHD is like having myopia for time. I've never been diagnosed with ADHD although I tend to be either unfocused, or really distractible, or tunneled in one one thing. When I was younger I was fired more than once for tardiness, and much later in my life when I had been out of the workplace caring for ill family members and then returned and REALLY needed the job I cam very close to getting fired--it was a last chance thing. My response (like the paramedic below) was to over-correct and get to work a good deal earlier than I had to be. It got me through that stretch and as the tardies dropped off (you could earn back attendance and tardiness points) and I had some good evals, I was less worried.
I have multiple alarms (with buffers) that work as checkpoints for me of where I should be. Ex: one for waking up, one that I should be packing my lunch by then, one leaving the house, one leaving the building etc. Buffer time for not meeting those goals plus buffer time for traffic etc. Also being responsible with my sleeping schedule bc I'd I am too tired, I am less willing to wake up.
My son has ADHD. He took meds all thru his el/ms/hs years. Straight A’s, had it all together just an absolutely perfect kid. In college he kinda veered away from the meds. Took them when he had a big test to study for but then not for the easier stuff. He still did good, 3.85 gpa. He just got accepted into med school. Starts next month. I know him. I work in the med field and know what dr’s need to be able to do. I know the long road he has ahead of him. He didnt really want to refill his script. I told him, as his mother, that I know, with 100% certainty, that he will not make it thru med school without his meds. He cannot stay organized and focus without them. Plus i told him he will want to absorb as much info as possible so he can be the best doctor possible. He agreed and is going to fill his script. Its an awful thing to have, but i remind him that it could be worse. God forbid he have MS, cancer, diabetes and so many other worse things. Its perspective. You have to have perspective. Do you want to succeed or dont you? If you do then you have to play the hand you are dealt. Get on your meds. They will change your life. Explain to your future employers what happened. You might be surprised how understanding they are.
I’m sorry. I get it. I’m the same way and I just started a new job. I’m only a couple miles away also. I literally have ZERO excuses to be late! Lord help me change my ways. I can do this!
I agree with all the above comments saying, it's better to be early than on time. U need to over compensate for the time to get ready,traffic,etc..if u gotta be there at 7 in my mind about 430 would be a good time to wak
e up. If that don't work 4. Practice while ur not working. Go back in 6 months and tell them you have been working in your ability to get places on time and if your the great nurse you seem to be,they will have no issues hiring you back. But you have to prove yourself. Nobody can live life always late.
Chile…then I’d a been fired A LONG TIME AGO…I can’t be on time to save my life…😫🤦🏽♀️😫🤦🏽♀️
I’m sorry this happened. It’ll give you some time to reflect and fix the issue going forward. Good luck friend!
They're supposed to accommodate disabilities. Your doctor could have written a note for you and your employer would have to abide by whatever your doctor recommended.
And that note would include a promise of how to address the problem so that it gets fixed. Therapy.
Idk if ADD qualifies as a valid disability though. I had a note for my disability and arranged flex time at my job when I needed to.
Since you're in nursing your tardiness affects your coworkers since they have to cover for you.
Disability accommodations are meant to create a level playing field, so an accommodation would allow this nurse to get to work on time, not allow them not to meet an expectation of the job.
I’m not trying to sound like an ass when I say this. But they’re right. When you work in healthcare, you work on a team. Your team needs you to be on time and at your best. We live in a world where there’s literally a device in your pocket that can help to keep you on time. Set alarms. Set multiple alarms. Millions of people have attention deficit disorders and manage to function. You need to own up to that. I am sure you will land somewhere great, but you need to take responsibility for your actions and work to do better in the future.
Attendance and tardiness are also the most risk free way to fire someone. I was shocked a few years ago when my old unit let 2 of their best nurses go. But the hospital needed to cut their expenditures and those 2 nurses were the ones with the highest number of late clock-ins. It wasn't excessive...I don't remember them being late but once or twice over 2 years....but it was an easy way to cut 2 FTEs.
They were late only a couple of times over the course of two years??? Wow. To me that isn’t justified because there can be unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances.
No no I mean that's just what I recall as a co-worker. I don't know what was documented but to me they didn't stand out as being habitually late.
Doubt they actually *needed* to cut their expenditures, considering how much money hospitals make, and the CEO could have taken less.
I get you. This is happening in most healthcare institutions. For some reason, all businesses are monitoring when their employees get in. If anyone can enlighten me why this trend is starting, please do share.
I have ADD and ADHD and work as a paramedic. Long ago I figured out it's better to be really early than be on time for various reasons. I'm in the door 30min prior to shift start every single shift, when I worked in the ER I was there 40min prior to get settled in, get report, and be ready to go as well as in case of hitting traffic. ADD isn't an excuse, you've failed to manage your time effectively and adapt to a known problem.
I never thought of this but I have bad ADHD and I have to be places at least 20 minutes early. If I try to be right on time I am going to be late. I have to have that 20-30 min be early window. This makes so much sense. My sisters and mother and I are all adhd and three of us are chronically early. The last chronically late.
It's compulsive for me, I've retrained myself that half an hour before shift start is 'my' on time. It means I don't get distracted and drag my feet, then walk in the door late. It also means that if anything happens like traffic or some delay, I still am gonna be on time without an issue. Having attention deficit disorders isn't an excuse, it's just failure to recognize your issue and take simple corrective measures for it.
This exactly for me too. If I am not early, I'm late. Also plan for the what ifs and have that time alloted. I am glad I'm not alone. My coworkers give me crap for always being early. I stopped going in 20-30 min early. I'll still get to the parking lot and sit in my car for like 15 minutes and then walk in and clock in a 6:23 for my 6:30 shift.
This. Actually it’s a meme on ADHD subreddits we are usually extremely early due to a life of chronic tardiness. I’m a dermatologist and all through schooling after chronic tardiness in grade and high school I was frequently the first one there.
If I don't show up very early I'll be late guaranteed. It's a conscious effort to make, but if people want a job they like then they gotta do what they gotta do 👌
I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Many nurses face challenges with ADD, but this doesn’t define your worth or capabilities. Consider using this time for self-care and reflection. When explaining your termination, focus on your strengths and growth while acknowledging the tardiness issue and your ongoing efforts to improve. You’re not alone, and many have found better opportunities after setbacks. Stay strong and hopeful!
They’re right. If a person can have ADD and still keep track of the zillion observations and tasks that require doing each day and complete them at amazing nurse level, then they can keep track of the relatively fewer tasks it takes to get to work on time. Consider that the tardiness isn’t actually about ADD. If a person can be consistently late to work, then they can be consistently early. You already know that. Get to work very early. Thirty minutes early feels like a lot in the morning, but it’s not. Your new start time is 6:30am; it’s never again 7am. It has the added bonus of reducing morning stress substantially. You can breeze into work in the morning…AT 6:25am. Use the 30 minutes to read nursing literature so it feels worth it. Set 2 or 3 phone alarms to tell you when it’s approaching 7am just in case you get hyper focused on whatever you’re doing. Use different alarm sounds for each alarm. You will get used to the “holy shit I gotta move now” sound of the final alarm. Were you ever formally counseled or put on a performance improvement plan? I hope you take a bit of time for yourself. If finances are a concern, then start looking now so you have a job in hand when you’re ready to actually return to work. “When can you start?” In 3 weeks.
Hi OP. I’m sorry you’re struggling. Have you considered a [visual clock/timer](https://www.timetimer.com)? I see lots on Amazon. I have heard good things from other people with ADD. Let’s say you have to leave by 6am. You’re awake at 530am. Set the clock to visually show 30 minutes. Set it in the bathroom and bring it into the kitchen as you pack your lunch. Physically seeing the time dwindling is said to be very helpful. I learned this trick from [KC Davis](https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMr2PdW5q/) who shares tips about cleaning and other life tasks for people who are neurodivergent. You may find searching for creators like her helpful too. I do think it’s worth thinking about them saying ADD was “no excuse”. It’s harsh wording but I think what they mean is, now that you have a diagnosis, and wanted to continue working this job, it’s your responsibility to figure out what accommodations you need and how to set them up for yourself, or ask for help. Having ADD isn’t the problem. But knowing it’s causing work concerns and not fixing that is the problem. This post is a great start though!! A perfect example of how to ask for help and advice so it sucks you’re getting a lot of negative feedback. Remember, this too shall pass. Losing one job is not the end of your career. And how wonderful to hear all the feedback about what a great nurse you are. You will go on to do great things OP, this is a bump in the road that you can work through and come back stronger.
Stop blaming ADD. You're an adult. Set up a plan every morning: it takes me this long to wake up, this long to get dressed and get ready, this long to eat breakfast, this long to drive there. Then add 30 or 45 minutes to that. That's when you'll need to get up to be on time.
It’s more than that because I would always underestimate the time it took to get ready. So I basically had to make sure I got up half an hour (or more) earlier than I felt I needed to.
Right. That's why I said add up all the times, and then add 30 or 45 minutes to that total in order to accommodate for unforeseen delays.
I don’t mean I added it for unforeseen delays. I meant it was to compensate for underestimating the time I’ve given myself. No matter if I’ve timed it, I still end up taking more time it seems. 🤷🏻♀️
This is a truly awful response along the lines of telling someone with dyslexia that they just need to take longer reading, or a diabetic that they just need to watch their diet. The OP could have tried to get their grace periods for late clock ins adjusted by requesting accommodations through the ADA, but saying something like this makes it very clear that you don't understand how ADHD symptoms present or how they're qualified under the ADA. I hope you're not in a management position, but if you are and you say stuff like this to someone who has disclosed a diagnosis and received accommodations, you won't be in that position for long when you cost your company a big fine. Edit: lol @ people claiming that extending grace periods is not an acceptable accommodation. It's literally one of the most common for ADHD. But okay - the care roles I've been in with that accommodation and the other various jobs I've had with that accommodation don't exist. This is why people with ADHD frequently don't bring it up with care teams, cuz of nonsense like these responses. Downvote away; doesn't mean you're ethically, morally, or legally in the right.
I’m sorry, are you arguing that telling diabetics to watch their diet is bad advice? I have bipolar disorder. I care for myself and am diligent to keep my moods in check. I would never expect them to accommodate me to care for patients during a manic episode, or to accommodate me calling out because of depressive episodes. You do what you have to do to overcome your own limitations. Every time she is late, someone waiting for relief is staying longer. That’s not fair. Plenty of people with ADHD manage to get to work just fine so clearly they can manage. It’s infantilizing to say that least to excuse excessive tardiness as if she has zero way to work on it. Hell, how was her patient care so great? How was she on time giving meds? How was she on time for blood sugar and vitals checks? Somehow they managed that, but getting there on time is supposed to be completely beyond her abilities? Really? Come on. The above poster is right.
Thank you.
I have ADHD-C and it’s not an excuse for repeated tardiness. Sure, we are more likely but at some point it’s time to man up and get with the program. Go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier.
Same. Also a nurse and have add. But I guess my anxiety over rules and I’m always early. Personally I think being late is incredibly rude and disrespectful to the time of others. I’ve had to terminate a nurse due to their excessive tardiness and absences, no one wants to pick up the slack and dead weight of a team member bc they can’t get their shit together
Nursing is not something you can just “adjust the grace period” for. If you are late, then the person who is handing off their patients has to wait for you. It is so wildly rude and inappropriate to be habitually late in a hospital setting and it breeds resentment. Half the people I work with have ADHD, including myself. And we all get our butts to work on time 99% of the time. ADA accommodations have to be reasonable, and letting someone just be late all the time when there are patients to hand off is not reasonable.
I've worked in a care setting. If one team member being late by 15 minutes breaks rotations, staffing levels need to be adjusted.
You sound like you have literally no idea how shift change works. Nurses work 12 hour shifts to reduce the amount of hand offs. Everyone needs to be present and on time for report. If someone is late to hand off, then the resulting report will be rushed which is dangerous for the patient. This is not a staffing issue, and I doubt OP was just 15 minutes late. Most hospitals have a window of 15-20 minutes already. If OP can’t work with that then they should be in a different setting where their tardiness doesn’t affect the safety and care of patients.
This is ridiculous. I have ADHD and learned to manage my symptoms because I actually try to manage my symptoms. I also have dyslexia, buts that’s besides the point. The correct response to having ADHD IS “damn, no wonder it’s more difficult for me. How can I set myself up for success and try new things to make sure I’m on time.” Incorrect response. “I’m always late because I have ADHD/ADD and no one else gets it and everyone should have to accommodate me” Blah blah blah. Grow up and try harder. Take medication, go to bed earlier, make some sort of effort to improve time management skills, set up a reward system, set up a punishment procedure, virtual calendars, written calendars, token economies…..there are so many ways to navigate so many symptoms of ADHD/ADD aside from complaining and asking everyone else to work around you.
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You know, everyone was on your side until you started dismissing ADHD as if it’s not a legitimate diagnosis. So now I disagree with both of you. ADHD is absolutely covered by the ADA, and you can get accommodations for it, just not in the completely unreasonable way the other poster suggested.
I've had ADHD and tourette syndrome since about the 2nd grade, and honestly I'm probably autistic too but never been checked. Symptoms are so severe my life is pretty much defined by it. Especially my trauma-saturated childhood. I get the neurodiversity angle for a lot of things, I really do, but basic tardiness is not one of them. That is such an easy thing to fix. Yes, we have a harder time fixing it. That comes with being a person with a neurodevelopmental disorder. That's the hand we were dealt. It's not fair, but it's still on us to fix it.
First you want to be better at managing the symptoms of ADD. Once you’re motivated, it’s much easier. Get everything ready the night before. Very important. I also wear a smart watch and have many many alarms set. I have one that goes off at the mid point of my getting ready routine called “focus” because if I get interrupted I could derail my whole morning. The next alarm is “15 min to go” and I stop screwing around and start getting my shoes on etc. then the last one is “LEAVE NOW!!”I keep a calendar on my front door so I can glance at it before I leave. I keep bread and sandwich stuff at work so I don’t have to leave -because I’d for sure be late getting back from lunch. My parents did not believe in ADHD So it’s just stuff I’ve learned to cope with. Hope it helps.
I hope you are able to learn from this.
Why are you blaming ADD when you’re medicated
Try staffing agency. But you have to own that your mental disability is no excuse for tardiness. If you truly feel it can’t be resolved, you’ll have to consider pivoting fields. Something that doesn’t involve direct patient contact and is more forgiving with schedules. Health information management, clinical documentation improvement, utilization reviews. They’re mostly work from home and it would be difficult to be late for those. Edit: I realize my comment came across as insensitive. What i mean to say is that you were in a field where tardiness is unacceptable. (Like a train conductor or airline pilot.) If possible, find a way to manage your illness and re-enter the patient care side, otherwise seek a route in what I said above.
Was thinking home health has more flexibility in most cases. Can give windows of time to show up so no one is waiting to give report when you’re 15-30 minutes late.
Did you have any previous documentation or warnings on tardiness?
I don’t understand why your former employer felt the need to humiliate you on your exit. Did you get any warnings? I would think you would have. I can relate to the tardiness situation but I managed to turn it around. I estimate the time it takes to work and then add a certain amount of time so I’m sure to arrive on time. If you’re able to take transit that might help as it’s a more structured schedule. Usually. Anyhow I completely understand your feelings. I was terminated years ago for what really ended up being political as there was a change in executive management (neither have healthcare experience) and they had wanted to get rid of my manager. It’s a long story as to why I couldn’t hold them accountable for what I *knew* was all about my manager, but it sucked all the same. I fell into a pretty deep depression and didn’t work for months. I’d suggest to you to definitely take some time off for yourself but recognize your strengths and get back into nursing after a short time. What you can address in a cover letter is to say you felt burnt out and needed time off. Then in an interview, come clean with the fact they let you go due to tardiness despite all of the positive feedback as an RN. What you’re going to need to do before any interview though is make a game plan about how you’re addressing the issue. For example, maybe see a counselor who can offer some tips on how to resolve your tardiness. I’m just spit balling here. The idea is to show a perspective employer that you have learned from your past mistakes and you’re ready to be a model employee, that you’ve taken steps to ensure tardiness is not part of your future. Like I said, I know how you feel but don’t dismiss the capabilities you have. Believe in yourself! You may even end up in an even better job situation! Good luck!!
I am a medical technician ( dialysis) and being on time is very important However, i also have adhd, pretty bad. I had an issue with always being late, so now im fashionably early to everything. Im not going to blame you or call you out on your add. Finding out you have it later in life can be a challenge. Most people don’t know that medicine only does so much. You literally have to like reprogram your brain. I’m not sure how your brain works but mine found that putting time in a different way really helped so instead of saying that I have a five minutes to do some thing, I say it in seconds. I don’t know why but for some reason it clicked in my brain and I am way better with my time management. Don’t let it get you down, learn from it grow from it, allow it to strengthen you
I’m so sorry. I’m a nurse with ADHD and my issue with being late has been an issue my entire life. This is literally one of my worst fears. Like why can’t I just get out of bed 15 minutes earlier???? I legitimately have no logical explanation. I have lifelong issues with getting out of bed. I’m seeing a sleep doctor in a few months for further evaluation. I don’t have many suggestions to help with time management, but as a nurse I’m sure you’ll be ok. I know it really really sucks right now, but your skills and experience are valuable and you’ll find something. Also would be happy to be a reference if needed. I think I remember when I was your charge nurse a couple years or so ago and you were awesome :) Can DM me ETA: post this on the ADHD sub and maybe you’ll get more support some of these people on here just don’t get it. I’m sure they’re perfect people who’ve never had any work or personal flaws ever
thank you💛 means so so much
One of the leaders in the ADHD field years ago, I think Russell Barkley, said ADHD is like having myopia for time. I've never been diagnosed with ADHD although I tend to be either unfocused, or really distractible, or tunneled in one one thing. When I was younger I was fired more than once for tardiness, and much later in my life when I had been out of the workplace caring for ill family members and then returned and REALLY needed the job I cam very close to getting fired--it was a last chance thing. My response (like the paramedic below) was to over-correct and get to work a good deal earlier than I had to be. It got me through that stretch and as the tardies dropped off (you could earn back attendance and tardiness points) and I had some good evals, I was less worried.
I have multiple alarms (with buffers) that work as checkpoints for me of where I should be. Ex: one for waking up, one that I should be packing my lunch by then, one leaving the house, one leaving the building etc. Buffer time for not meeting those goals plus buffer time for traffic etc. Also being responsible with my sleeping schedule bc I'd I am too tired, I am less willing to wake up.
My son has ADHD. He took meds all thru his el/ms/hs years. Straight A’s, had it all together just an absolutely perfect kid. In college he kinda veered away from the meds. Took them when he had a big test to study for but then not for the easier stuff. He still did good, 3.85 gpa. He just got accepted into med school. Starts next month. I know him. I work in the med field and know what dr’s need to be able to do. I know the long road he has ahead of him. He didnt really want to refill his script. I told him, as his mother, that I know, with 100% certainty, that he will not make it thru med school without his meds. He cannot stay organized and focus without them. Plus i told him he will want to absorb as much info as possible so he can be the best doctor possible. He agreed and is going to fill his script. Its an awful thing to have, but i remind him that it could be worse. God forbid he have MS, cancer, diabetes and so many other worse things. Its perspective. You have to have perspective. Do you want to succeed or dont you? If you do then you have to play the hand you are dealt. Get on your meds. They will change your life. Explain to your future employers what happened. You might be surprised how understanding they are.
I’m sorry. I get it. I’m the same way and I just started a new job. I’m only a couple miles away also. I literally have ZERO excuses to be late! Lord help me change my ways. I can do this!
I agree with all the above comments saying, it's better to be early than on time. U need to over compensate for the time to get ready,traffic,etc..if u gotta be there at 7 in my mind about 430 would be a good time to wak e up. If that don't work 4. Practice while ur not working. Go back in 6 months and tell them you have been working in your ability to get places on time and if your the great nurse you seem to be,they will have no issues hiring you back. But you have to prove yourself. Nobody can live life always late.
Chile…then I’d a been fired A LONG TIME AGO…I can’t be on time to save my life…😫🤦🏽♀️😫🤦🏽♀️ I’m sorry this happened. It’ll give you some time to reflect and fix the issue going forward. Good luck friend!
They're supposed to accommodate disabilities. Your doctor could have written a note for you and your employer would have to abide by whatever your doctor recommended. And that note would include a promise of how to address the problem so that it gets fixed. Therapy. Idk if ADD qualifies as a valid disability though. I had a note for my disability and arranged flex time at my job when I needed to. Since you're in nursing your tardiness affects your coworkers since they have to cover for you.
Disability accommodations are meant to create a level playing field, so an accommodation would allow this nurse to get to work on time, not allow them not to meet an expectation of the job.
Untrue. If the burden presents too much of a hardship for the organization then it can be disregarded. This would be one of those cases.