Can't work 3rd shift due to Seroquel @ night

[PennyB71]

Hi, I'm new to posting anything online. Hopefully, I'm doing this correctly, so someone will see and respond with helpful suggestions. So here goes...

I'm currently enrolled as a nursing student (starting August 24th). My concern is and always has been, how would I tell my future employer that I can't work 3rd shift due to my bipolar without telling them that I'm bipolar? Reason for this question is that you hear about the rookie nurse coming in, so she/he gets the crappy hours or whatever. It has taken awhile to get the right cocktail mix and I don't want to change that at All!! I don't want anyone to know that I have bipolar-schizoaffective, depression and generalized anxiety disorder. I'm ashamed to have a mental illness...it has given me nothing but grief (even though it is well-managed). This is a curse. I don't want to disclose too much of my issues just yet to you all, because I'm not sure of what type of responses I 'll receive and that I'm already putting myself out there like that. I don't know what to do...I'm already starting to cry from just typing this bit of info. So, see what I mean? I take Seroquel every night, Lamictal and Wellbutrin XL every morning. I have to take Seroquel at night...I can't take it any other time...tried other times and I felt like a zombie. This cocktail has worked for me so far (knock on wood). Any suggestions, would be very, very helpful. Thank You.

[RN1263]

I, respectfully, disagree. The OP found a regimen that works for her and allows her to function. To flip-flop her medication schedule could be detrimental to her and to the patients in her care while her body adjusts. She may not respond well, have to resume the previous schedule, and go through all of that again.

I disagree as well..... I have Bipolar II and I was not able to work night shift, I tried nights for a week and it was disastrous.... I had to quit that job just to get out of working nights since they refused to change my shift.

Now I have a similar problem....I am a home health nurse I manage to be able to be "on-call" for one week, every 5 weeks, by not taking all of my klonopin dose while on-call. But, today was informed that one of our patients will be getting visits at 6a, 12p, 6p and 12a-midnight daily on a regular basis until further notice.

I'm very worried about the 12p-midnight and 6a visits that I will have to rotate with the other nurses. I feel I might deteriorate mentally over time d/t lack of sleep and meds at different times then usual. I don't know yet what I will do?

[ONRADAR124]

It's a major tranquilizer that can be used to knock you out for any shift. It doesn't matter at all when you take it.