.....is all it takes to find out personal information on a nurse in some states. Since the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut, both gun control and mental illness have been hot topics, both here and elsewhere. Unfortunately, the focus appears to be zeroing in on the restriction of rights for certain populations, and in the nursing world, our right to privacy is already in serious danger.
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As those who study the social habits of humans have observed, Internet forums are a reflection of society as a whole, no matter how exclusive the community. And as the spate of recent threads here on Allnurses indicates, the events at Sandy Hook Elementary School have spurred many a debate about the Second Amendment......and as an unfortunate by-product, the rights of citizens with mental illness.
Strangely, nowhere is the latter issue more divisive than in the healthcare professions. We have a reputation for being compassionate, non-judgmental, caring; yet within our ranks we are often merciless to those who suffer from diseases of the brain.
It starts early with nursing students, who are under immense pressure to begin with and who sometimes crumble under the weight of lengthy written assignments, skills labs, frequent tests, and clinical experiences. While the process of becoming a health professional is (and should be) challenging, sometimes students are winnowed out who could be excellent nurses, if only they were offered assistance with their mental health issues instead of condemnation.
If one is fortunate enough to make it through school and apply for licensure, however, her/his state Board of Nursing is ever ready to put a screeching halt to career plans. In many states, both the initial application and the renewal paperwork require the applicant to answer questions such as "Do you have a physical or mental condition which impairs, or may impair, your ability to practice nursing safely?" To answer this ambiguously-worded inquiry honestly means, at minimum, a delay in receiving clearance to practice and at worst, mandatory participation in a monitoring program that can subject one to restrictions on her/his license, frequent (and costly) urine drug screens, even daily reporting to a case manager or counselor.
And God help you if you should run into trouble during your career. An inpatient hospital admission will both cost you dearly and put your license at risk, especially if a 5150 (involuntary commitment) was necessary. But the worst scenario is the one that a fellow nurse shared with me recently: some states actually publish personal information about a nurse who has been sanctioned by the BON that anyone with two minutes and a computer can find easily.
That's right, folks. This nurse, who answered the mental-health question honestly, had restrictions placed on her license and was mandated to participate in a health professionals' monitoring program. The document supporting the nursing board's decision contains confidential information about her diagnosis and her psychiatrist's evaluation of her fitness to practice, yet her board order can be found with three mouse clicks.
Can we say HIPAA violation, anyone?
To say that this is outrageous only scrapes the tip of the iceberg; if this were an issue of a bad back or an incurable (but non-contagious) skin condition, we would not be having this conversation. Why, then, is it acceptable to share the intimate details of a nurse's psychiatric disorder on a public website that anyone who merely knows her name can access? Why is it necessary to make it harder for a nurse whose illness is well controlled, who sees her doctor regularly and complies with her treatment program, to find a job? And if the intention is to "assist" the "impaired" nurse, why is the focus on schizophrenia, bipolar, borderline personality etc. when the most prevalent mental disorder among nurses is depression?
Please share your experience of being a nurse with mental illness, especially if you've ever tangled with the BON or been discriminated against because of your disorder. There is strength in numbers, and if a significant segment of the nursing population stands up together to say ENOUGH, the powers that be will no longer be able to ignore us, or worse, strip us of our privacy in the name of "protecting the public".
