Hi, I’m Donna Carter, the Neurodiverse Nurse. I’m a registered mental health nurse with extensive experience in mental health care, and I also happen to have ADHD. My career within the NHS has spanned over 15 years, with experience in community and inpatient environments, forensic placements, perinatal mental health care, and crisis services.

I’m qualified in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy and a clinical nurse specialist in ADHD, having undertaken the gold standard of training in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD with Kings College London. I’m also an independent nurse prescriber, which means that should you be diagnosed with ADHD and wish to pursue titration on to ADHD medication, we can explore that together.

In my work in the NHS, I have seen many misdiagnoses and missed opportunities for diagnosis and help. Working in perinatal services, I’ve seen many people struggling with late-onset diagnosis and struggling to manage their acceptance of ADHD whilst trying to parent. Through my own lived experience, I understand that personalised care and post-diagnostic support can ensure that people can overcome the difficulties they have faced since childhood.

I received my diagnosis of ADHD in my early 30s and saw many significant changes and improvements in my life. It gave me a better sense of identity by helping me understand my previous difficulties and be more compassionate to myself. My diagnosis also led to a better understanding of my children, one of which was diagnosed with ADHD himself, and I became a more effective parent to him.

I’ve been able to look at systems and processes to support myself with strength-based adjustments. I no longer felt like I was living by trial and error; I had a pathway of support and guidance from peers. I was able to find my tribe and support other people, too. I set up the neurodiversity network within the NHS trust I work for and networked within the Royal College of Nursing regarding supporting nurses with ADHD.

Having a diagnosis myself allowed me to apply for access to work and be supported in the workplace. Subsequently, my career took off and thrived with these accommodations in place.

I hope that by launching Neurodiverse Nurse, I can help improve the lives of my clients in numerous ways by assisting them in better understanding themselves. If I feel that any other diagnosis may be more appropriate, I have a clinical background, which means we can explore this together. I can make onward referrals and signposts to other professionals.