Pre-nursing student with depression

[tayloramaRN2be]

Hello all, I am finishing up my Pre-reqs to apply to nursing school. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the Maryland BON in respects to getting licensed with a mental illness. I had been dx with depression and anxiety at age 11 d/t my father dying. I was on anti depressants for awhile, but it never really worked, pretty much tried them all. I stopped taking them when I was a teen. I still have boughts of depression nothing as severe as it was. In 2010, I swallowed a bunch of pills, and shortly threw them up after, I didn't want to throw them up, but my body did. After my daughter was born I took Paxil for about 6 months for post partum depression. My question is, I have searched all around the World Wide Web, but found nothing pertaining to mi and the MBON. does anyone have any experience or a place where I could search for answers. Thanks in advance!

[deadrn]

I doubt there would be any restrictions on getting a nursing license unless you were very unstable and unable to function. I don't think the board of nursing or your employer have any buisness knowing about it as long as you are able to do your job. You probably only need to disclose the information perhaps when applying for insurance, life insurance, that kind of stuff. I live with depression, my employer doesn't know, no reason to know, the only impact it has on my job is maybe 1-2 sick days a year. The diagnosis does cause me to have to pay a little bit more for the extra life insurance I get outside of work.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

It never once occurred to me to EVER tell the BON or any of my employers that I struggled with depression as a teenager. It's none of anyone's business.

[EMSnut45, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

There are no questions regarding mental health when applying for or renewing a nursing license in Maryland. I've been a nurse for 4 years and a CNA for 3 years prior to that, and the MD BON does not have any information regarding my mental or physical health.

Best of luck in nursing school!

[HappyPepper]

It never once occurred to me to EVER tell the BON or any of my employers that I struggled with depression as a teenager. It's none of anyone's business.

Same here. I went through vocational nursing school while still being moderately depressed. Never disclosed my diagnosis nor suicide attempts a few years prior when applying for the license. I performed fine at school and work. As the years went by, depression lifted eventually, and no one knows about it other than my husband.

Although this was in California, I don't imagine nursing boards being widely different from state to state. They're more concerned about criminal history.

If you're on meds, you might have to disclose that on job applications, but you don't have to worry about that now. Good luck!

[tayloramaRN2be]

Thank you all so much for the replies. I was concerned because I had seen a previous post about someone needing to be in a monitoring program because she had BiPolar disorder, it wasn't in my state, but PA is close to MD LOL. Thank you again everyone!