GNSA Bulletin: January 2026

This Month's Highlight: Seeing and Supporting Differences in Others

"Neurodiversity may be every bit as crucial for the human race as biodiversity is for life in general." – Steve Silberman

Neurodiversity is a term that you may have noticed being talked about more in recent years, and it’s something that can apply to our patients, ourselves, and our fellow nurses!

What exactly does neurodivergence mean? Very simply put, neurodivergence is a nonmedical term that describes individuals whose brains develop or work differently, meaning some individuals have different strengths and challenges from those whose brains develop or work more typically (Cleveland Clinic, 2026). Neurodivergence truly describes the idea that individuals experience and interact with the world around them in many ways with there being no one "right" way of thinking, learning, and behaving (National Library of Medicine, 2026). Differences are not deficits, and referring to someone as neurodiverse or neurodivergent is a way to focus on the positive aspects of their differences and what that can bring to the group setting. It is important to remember that while some who are neurodivergent have medical conditions, it also occurs in those where a medical condition or diagnosis hasn’t been identified.

Considering this, for some, neurodivergence might be a disability – meaning that one’s activities of daily living are greatly impacted. However, this isn’t always the case. Like many disabilities, it genuinely depends on how significantly a condition impacts one’s major life activities (with disability essentially being about the functional limitations some particular condition imposes). Being neurodivergent doesn’t mean that you can’t do something, it just means that one thinks about and processes things differently.

Prior to learning about this term, I honestly had no idea that I was neurodivergent. For example, although it’s always taken me longer to complete assignments in school and tasks at work as I often get very hyper focused, I always just more-or-less thought that was due to my challenges with anxiety and OCD. I also learned later in life how much I truly experience executive dysfunction, something that I didn’t understand for many years and caused struggles in not only school and work environments, but also in my daily life. Once I began to understand what neurodivergence meant, I realized that I truly was neurodivergent and began to embrace the label. Along with this understanding and acceptance, I began to see these characteristics in patients I worked with, as well as in my nurse colleagues and friends. I realized that something like neurodivergence is a lot more common than I’d originally thought. I’ve also seen how having such differences adds to the richness of one’s community, and how important it is for us to not just see and note these differences in others, but to genuinely embrace them and support those who may be different from ourselves.

I hope that with a little more understanding of this topic, you can begin to see more neurodivergence all around you and gain an even greater understanding and appreciation of this relatively common quality that characterizes so many. I’d also like to share that the GNSA has created a work group supporting neurodivergence in our graduate student population, so please be on the lookout for more information to come in future months!

I – along with the entire GNSA Leadership Council, wish you the best as you start a new year and new semester – you’ve got this!

Cleveland Clinic (2026, January 1). Neurodivergent. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/23154-neurodivergent

National Library of Medicine (2026, January 1). Neurodiversity. https://www.nnlm.gov/reading-club/topic/331

Alexa A. Uygur Andersen, MA, BSN, RN
PhD Student
Edson College of Nursing, Michigan State University
GNSA Leadership Council Vice-Chair