Bipolar and Depression

Audreyfay · Sep 5, 2004

Why not? As long as the condition is being supervised/controlled by the physician. I think it would be shocking to find out how many nurses are in those shoes, or similar ones.

fluffwad · Sep 6, 2004

Can a person work as a nurse if they have bipolar/depression?

I know several bipolar nurses. As long as their judgement / job performance / attendance is not impaired and the mood swings are controlled...................

But my former office-mate was bipolar, and tended to make some politically incorrect / personally stupid moves when she got into the manic phase which ultimately motivated the administration to remove her from her position.

Dinith88 · Sep 6, 2004

Isn't bipolar/depression a pre-requisite for nurses??? Seems the longer you nurse, the more likely you'll acquire a psych issue... :)

Ross1 · Sep 6, 2004

Just a quick word on appropriate terminology. It is called "bi-polar disorder" not bi-polar/depression. Prior to the newer use of the term "bipolar disorder" the condition used to be known as manic-depressive illness. Also, one should never refer to a nurse or patient as a "bipolar person." This is a very negative label that defines a client solely based on his/her illness. With proper treatment, this illness can be well managed and some people may never have a second manic episode or depressive episode ever again.

LolaRN · Sep 6, 2004

I think that they can. I know bi polar nurses and they are very effective. I also know that almost every nurse that I work with, including myself, has some psych issue-OCD, depression, phobia, anxiety, etc. I think that this makes most of them more compassionate to the multiple patients we get that have psych issues.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2004

I think that they can. I know bi polar nurses and they are very effective. I also know that almost every nurse that I work with, including myself, has some psych issue-OCD, depression, phobia, anxiety, etc. I think that this makes most of them more compassionate to the multiple patients we get that have psych issues.

You are absolutely right

I have a phobia of schizophrenic nurses, bipolar nurses, OCD nurses, Depressed nurses, anxious nurses, and thats only a few of my phobias, I have lots of phobias and I admit to them including arachnophobia, homophobia, outofwork phobia, mywife phobia, and the Beat goes on

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

explorer · Sep 6, 2004

First of all I would like to start off, making it know that Bi-Polor's aren't raving manics. There are degree's of Bi-Polar Disorder just like there are varing degrees of Psychotics, genius, stupidty or anything else. If a person is willing and determined to remain on their medicine, they don't have to live a life of welfare and very few are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, I know I wasn't. You would be very sprised about how many go to their doctors appointment and take their medicine as scheduled. Bi-Polor disorder isn't a debitating disease.

:balloons:

Fly4Life12 · Sep 7, 2004

I've been recently diagnosed with type I bipolar disorder and I seem to work just fine when controlled with meds. I dont know what I would do if i stopped taking them.

NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2004

I think that it may ba a pre-req for being a nursing instructor. :chuckle Seriously, though, several of the nursing instructors at my school are bipolar. They are also some of the best ones to have for clinical. You learn the most in their groups. They are also the most nerve-wracking.

Ross1 · Sep 7, 2004

I get the impression that there are several posters on this forum that don't have a full understanding of bipolar disorder. It really is a serious disorder but one that can be managed and one that has varying degrees of severity ranging from folks that have a one time only episode to people who have ongoing relapses of either mania, hypomania (milder and much safer form of mania), and depression.

It is not a laughing matter nor should the term bipolar be thrown around casually to describe nursing instructors. Finally, as I said before, you have a patient who suffers from bipolar, NOT a bipolar patient. To use such language to define a patient who is a "whole" and define him/her solely by a psychiatric diagnosis is highly unprofessional. I sincerely hope that you do not engage in this type of conduct while at work or at nursing school.

I am a licensed Master's degree mental health professional and embarrassed by this discussion thread.

NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2004

I was only half joking about the clinical instructors. There are several at my school who have a bi-polar dx. I feel somewhat comfortable half joking about their dx's and behavior b/c they are able to do so as well. All five of them have self-depracating senses of humor and can tell when they are straying from their even keel that they strive so hard for. I was not trying to insinuate that just b/c an instructor was nerve wracking that he must be bi-polar. I was simply making an observation that these five instructors in particular are five of the best that the school have to offer. You learn a lot in their clinicals and they have very high expectations. They are also the first to be on your case. (That's not necessarily a bad thing. However, dealing with someone on your case week in and week out is nervewracking.)

Also, the other point that I was trying to make is that these above mentioned people were not only able to work as nurses. They excelled. They went on to grad school and are now some of the best instructors and nurses that I have ever seen.

The OP was not asking for a rundown on mental health. He/she wanted to know if someone who is bipolar/has bipolar disorder can work as a nurse.

We all understand that bipolar disorder is a serious condition, but PLEASE we're not at work here and nobody is trying to denigrate any medical dx. This profession is very demanding: physically, emotionally and mentally. A way to ease some of the stress is to kid around a bit and try not to take anything TOO seriously.