MS affects everyone differently. Symptoms may include fatigue, muscle weakness, sensory changes, visual disturbances, pain, cognitive changes, and mobility challenges. These can fluctuate day‑to‑day, and relapses may require temporary adjustments or time away from work.

Nursing staff often prioritise patient care over their own needs, but MS requires consistent self‑management — including medication routines, pacing, rest, and attending specialist appointments. Workplaces must recognise this and create environments where staff can safely and confidently manage their condition.

Member Voices

Many nursing staff living with MS describe:

• The challenge of balancing fluctuating symptoms with shift work and physically demanding roles.
• The emotional impact of navigating a long‑term condition while supporting others with theirs.
• The importance of understanding managers who recognise the variability of MS and avoid assumptions based on visible or invisible symptoms.
• The value of peer support — connecting with colleagues who understand fatigue, relapses, and the complexities of MS treatments.

This is why it is vital that nursing staff living with MS feel comfortable to share experiences, discuss adjustments, and reduce isolation in the workplace.

Supporting Nursing Staff Living with MS

Employers and managers play a crucial role in ensuring staff with MS can thrive at work. Key considerations include:

• Reasonable adjustments that reflect fluctuating symptoms, such as flexible scheduling, reduced manual handling, or protected rest breaks.
• Access to specialist appointments, including neurology, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy.
• Supportive conversations that acknowledge fatigue, cognitive load, and the impact of MS medications.
• Safe working environments, including ergonomic equipment, mobility aids, and reduced exposure to tasks that worsen symptoms.

MS, Fatigue, and Shift Patterns

Fatigue is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of MS. Nursing staff may benefit from:

• Predictable shift patterns and reduced rotation between nights and days.
• Opportunities for restorative breaks during long shifts.
• Adjustments to physically demanding tasks, especially during relapses/exacerbation of symptoms.
• Clear communication with managers about energy levels and pacing strategies.

RCN Peer Support Service and Health Ability Passport resources

Providing high quality care starts with ensuring that nursing staff themselves take care of their conditions, and therefore employers need to ensure that the adequate support is in the workplace to help ensure health and happiness is achieved. Whilst it may not always go to plan, having open honest discussions can help ensure you receive the support you may need. Take a look at our Health Ability Passport guidance and the tailored template we've developed with MS-UK.

Our Health Ability Passport guidance has been developed with members with lived experience of disability, neurodivergence and long-term conditions. 

With Callum Metcalfe-O'Shea, (RCN professional lead for long-term conditions), we have reviewed the guidance to make sure it supports members with a long-term condition diagnosis.

Use the guidance along with our MS specific passport template developed with MS-UK to ensure you have helpful conversations with your line manager that:

• Consider your specialist team reviews to ensure adjustments remain effective and appropriate
• Look at the impacts of medications and treatments and make adjustments around this
• Acknowledge fluctuating symptoms and plan for flare ups. 

The passport template can be downloaded via the link on the right as a fillable pdf or, you can use it and the health ability passport guidance to inform completion of your employer's passport document, if they have one.  

Have you used our guidance to get yourself or someone else reasonable adjustments at work? Please let us know how it went by completing our short survey.

Sue lives with MS and was diagnosed around 1997 whilst working as a Practice Nurse. Here she shares her experiences of working with MS.

Some key points:
2.49 telling the employer
5.26 fatigue at work
10.30 MS-UK
13.20 RCN & MS-UK Health Ability Passport