Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello, I have just been diagnosed with Aspergers (I do personally prefer this term).. long story about how I finally arrived here, but for now I need to ask; I am a registered nurse..should I tell the NMC? Would this help me or would they call my practice into question/would there be negative consequences for me? Any advice would be much appreciated.
I would certainly recommend telling the NMC because, as someone else on here has mentioned, if you feel you require adjustments at work at a later date these will be easier / quicker to accommodate if they already have all of the information they need. I would ask at your Union appointment what the guidelines are too as you may, in your position as a nurse, have an obligation to declare your diagnosis to the NMC.
As for telling ANYONE else, It is of course entirely up to you but I wouldn't recommend it at this very early stage.
It would serve no purpose to tell work colleagues all of your personal business from any other area of your life and this one (your health) is no different. Additionally, I would definitely recommend (from my own personal experience) allowing yourself time to adjust to and accommodate this new diagnosis. It's worth taking the time to let the information settle in your own head before having to deal with other people's opinions, suggestions, or biases on such a personal issue. Once you feel comfortable and used to the diagnosis, perhaps learn more about how it affects you as an individual, then you could revisit the question of who to share the information with.
Thank you all for the advice. I have a week's holiday now post diagnosis to think about it all. I will talk to my line manager, read the relevant policies and see a union rep. I will make a list of all my particular difficulties and what specific areas of work I struggle with and ask for adjustements. Now I will no longer feel isolated and backed into corners at work; I should now be able to ask for clarity and specifics when I don't fully understand what is being asked of me, rather than fearing people will think I am stupid or pedantic..and hopefully I will feel able to be honest if I need to ask them to back off and allow me some time and space at times when I am given more work than I can cope with, without people thinking I am lazy or not up to the job. I have so far been masking a lot and they don't know the half of it.