Anyone with a seizure disorder ?

caliotter3 · Nov 25, 2007

My daughter went through nursing school with someone who had a seizure disorder and was on medication for it. She successfully completed nursing school as one of the top students but unfortunately was not able to get her nursing license due to legal issues in her past. You have to make certain that you do your best to get and keep your seizures under control. This can be difficult with the stress of nursing school. Your doctor should be able to help you by making certain your meds are appropriate. Good luck.

IrishIzCPNP, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Nov 26, 2007

I have epilepsy. I'm on 400 of Lamictal (that may go up...I started birth control pills and the seizures are okay but were better controlled). I'm set to graduate in July.

bulletproofbarb · Nov 28, 2007

Hi,

I have epilepsy and didn't have a problem going through nursing school but I think that was because it was when we changed from Hospital to University education and I was in the first intake at Uni and it was very disorganised. We never had medicals or anything.

I had to declare it when I registered and it wasn't a problem. On the whole, I am okay.

This year has been so bad. I have almost lost my job because of the epilepsy and was feeling really down about it and just the ongoing tablet swaps ect and so ended up on anti depressants as well...just lovely.

Initally my employer was very supportive but recently they just cracked and said I could no longer have time off for doctors appointments, work an extra shift if I had been sick and was told this was because "then we end up overstaffed" which is rubbish otherwise I wouldn't see agency nurses in the hospital. I had been on sickness benefits and by law had to use all my sick leave and annual leave before I got them and then work told me I had too much sick leave....I don't make the bloomin laws for the country. It really made me angry. Plus some other rubbish they threw back at me as well.

The thing is, back in July I approached my manager and asked if it was a problem with me having time off for doctors appointmenst and when I had seizures and she insisted it wasn't. I asked a few times and she said I was being cynical. I had contemplated going onto the casual staff/agency so I could work when it suited me but they convinced me it wasn't necessary.

So, I plugged along and just as the epielpsy sorted itself out they had a go at me. I was just starting to feel better and now I feel awful.

I HATE my manager, I have no respect for her now. I did all the right things as per my doctor but she didn't like his plan, she wanted to do things differently when I returned to work.

It is fine when you are well, but if things go wrong, then you are seen as a liability. The thing is, in all the time I was sick this year, I never made any clinical errors so they really had nothing to go on that was substantial so spun me the overstaffed saga, then the me being off sick makes us understaffed, I react poorly to stress because I sent the manager an email about an incident on the ward. I told her (and in the email) I had sent it because it was the main body and I hadn't had time to finish it at work so did it at hopme and asked her to copy and paste it into the incident reporting system...which she gladly did. I told them I did it straight away whilst it was fresh in my memory as I had been taught this.

I also said I did the shifts extra when I was well because I felt their should be some give and take.

There were other things but nothing that was substantial to warrant any harm to a patient, my co-workers or myself.

Bottom line is I wouldn't put my nursing registration in jepodary, so if I was drowsy from drugs when they were being adjusted then I wouldn't work.

I understand that the hospital has to make sure that the staff are well to take care of the patients and that no impact is made on the other staff. It was the way they went about it with all the stuff I mentioned above that has angered me. I can't be civil to the manager when I talk to her. I am short and sharp. I don't TRUST her anymore either.

I think epilepsy and nursing are fine, as long as you don't get sick...well this is my experience, it started in March this year.

I'm okay now though, just really upset and angry at the way it was handled...all this was a few weeks ago. Why wait all year then take a pop at me...that is what makes me angry as well.

sharona97, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2007

Would a doctor's note excusing you from work for x amount of time have presidence over your nasty supervisor? How about your HR department or occupational nurse. Hopefully there is someone in your hospital system that can help you through this rather than nurse ratched. Good Luck. Epilepsy takes time and as you know many drug adjustments. Hang in there. There still are good people in this world.

yellowgal · Dec 10, 2007

I have had complex partial seizures for about 7 years. I graduated from nursing school with my BSN last May. It wasnt easy though. All I can give as advice is to keep going strong and don't take "no" for an answer! There were times that instructors questioned if I should be a nurse at the hospital if my seizures werent always under control. I had to do a lot of teaching to let them know what my specific needs were and to let them know that I was willing to work hard to graduate dispite my troubles. It is definitely a struggle with school and dealing with seizures, but if I can do it, anyone can. Much luck to you!

kt_b · Dec 17, 2007

I don't have a seizure disorder...I have dysautonomia, which can cause seizures. At one point, I was having up to three seizures a day. I'm in nursing school right now and in clinicals. I'm doing okay with keeping them under control and as long as I don't have a seizure, I will be cleared to get my lisence. If I do have problems with me health, my doctor will have to sign papers saying I'm okay to practice.

Good luck with school!

lafingeyes · Dec 29, 2007

I have epilepsy. I'm on 400 of Lamictal (that may go up...I started birth control pills and the seizures are okay but were better controlled). I'm set to graduate in July.

:balloons:Hey congrats. I to suffer from epilepsy but I have it under controll with Kepra. I have not had a seizure for more than 6years. I now have my drivers licens and I am so glad to see I am not alone in the world out there. Did you have to tell your instructors that you have epilepsy? I noticed that a couple of my instructors treated me different after I had to inform them so I stoped telling them. :nono: :uhoh3:

lafingeyes · Dec 29, 2007

I have had seizures most of my life. I was placed on disablity to cover the meds and the brain surgery (which didn't help). I am now in nursing school and I find it difficult to cope with others biase against me wanting to be a nurse. I have always enjoyed helping others and it is my goal to help take care of others the way I was cared for. I am very scarred to start work again because it seems like a different world. I do not have a good work history due to the fact of loosing jobs because of missing work due to having seizures. I am afraid of being judged by my disability and not my preformance as a nurse. How does one go about getting there work history cleaned up and going on with there life afterwards. I have been seizure free for 6 years now but still feel judged.

Can anyone help me git over this??????

sharona97, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2007

I have had seizures most of my life. I was placed on disablity to cover the meds and the brain surgery (which didn't help). I am now in nursing school and I find it difficult to cope with others biase against me wanting to be a nurse. I have always enjoyed helping others and it is my goal to help take care of others the way I was cared for. I am very scarred to start work again because it seems like a different world. I do not have a good work history due to the fact of loosing jobs because of missing work due to having seizures. I am afraid of being judged by my disability and not my preformance as a nurse. How does one go about getting there work history cleaned up and going on with there life afterwards. I have been seizure free for 6 years now but still feel judged.
Can anyone help me git over this??????

Beleive inyourself! I gave myself so many self talks and said so many prayers while driving to work erveryday. I only asked that I would be given the opportunities to show my stuff and to do it well for the patients. I still do it even today :idea: though I am disabled. One day at a tme.:balloons:

IrishIzCPNP, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Dec 31, 2007

:balloons:Hey congrats. I to suffer from epilepsy but I have it under controll with Kepra. I have not had a seizure for more than 6years. I now have my drivers licens and I am so glad to see I am not alone in the world out there. Did you have to tell your instructors that you have epilepsy? I noticed that a couple of my instructors treated me different after I had to inform them so I stoped telling them.

Our school asks for all health issues to be documented in the nurse's office. I wasn't diagnosed until after school started. My neuro told me it was up to me if I wanted them to know. I decided to tell them. I started with my advisor (one of my instructors) and then I told the school nurse. She asked me to inform my clinical instructors as I go through the program.

Nobody seems to care. If anything they are shocked that I went so long without a diagnosis. They are also sometimes interested in the fact that I don't have your typical seizure...I have simple partials.

So no negative remarks...in fact I think they forget after the initial conversation.

naide88 · May 15, 2008

Wow, very interesting topic. I used to have seizures too.