Feeling like an untapped resource. Experiences of working life among nurses with ADHD and/or autism: An interview study

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Hedlund, Å. & Jordal, M. (2024). Feeling like an untapped resource. Experiences of working life among nurses with ADHD and/or autism: An interview study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 158, 104857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2024.104857

Publication date: 6 Jul 2024 Added to AutiHub: 22 Aug 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
2
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 2 (50.0%)
  1. Åsa Hedlund *
  2. Malin Jordal

Abstract

BACKGROUND: ADHD and autism are common and increasing neurodevelopmental disorders in the world and also occur among nurses. However, almost nothing is known about nurses with these diagnoses. To promote high-quality care provision and well-being in the nursing workforce, it is important to discover more about these nurses. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to describe how nurses with ADHD and/or autism experience their working life. METHODS: The study was descriptive in design. Nurses were invited via Swedish Facebook groups targeting nurses. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 17 nurses with ADHD and/or autism, online or by telephone. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: One overarching theme and seven subthemes emerged from the analysis. The theme "feeling like an untapped resource" reflected the subthemes: 1) Being passionate about one's job, 2) having strengths and talents to use in working life, 3) a stressful and disturbing work environment inhibits personal strengths, 4) managers show goodwill but lack knowledge and resources, 5) feeling appreciated but socially different among colleagues, 6) using a variety of strategies to facilitate working life and 7) toward an uncertain future. CONCLUSION: Nurses with ADHD and/or autism experience having abilities and talents that are useful in the nursing profession. However, they feel that the physical and organizational working conditions and lack of managerial support entail challenges that prevent them from making optimal use of their strengths.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 12 Sep 2026 17:55.

Cited references
41
With a DOI
32
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
9
5 / 41 (12.2%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
7 / 41 (17.1%)
References with detected author names
40 / 41 (97.6%)
Without detected author names
1
Without a structured title
6
Without a stable identifier
8
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
174
From DOI or external metadata
174
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
34 / 174 (19.5%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 140 / 174 (80.5%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
9 / 174 (5.2%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 9 / 34 (26.5%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 9 / 174 (5.2%).
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