I was diagnosed late last year with Bipolar2, after over a decade of misdiagnoses of unipolar major depression + GAD, postpartum depression, etc. BP2 makes so much sense now, and I feel some relief knowing what's wrong with me and that I'm not a broken person.
Since then, my pdoc has temporarily relieved me from duty twice due to mood instability, and I've been compliant with that. My workplace has respected the MD note, no questions asked. There was no mention of why I was on medical leave.
I've had a med change and am finally gaining some stability. I work PRN as a subacute med/tx nurse and that schedule works well. I feel like I can (and want to!) work more now than the minimum required of me.
There is an on-call charge nurse position open on my unit, and I'm interested in applying for it. I spoke to my manager about it and she cited my availability as the only reason she was hesitant in recommending me. She said there was no question of my ability to perform the job.
My question is, do I tell her what's going on and why I can be more available now? I don't work closely with her, since I'm not there full time, and have no idea what her attitude toward this kind of thing would be. She seems to be a sensible and respectful person - she never calls people out on their mistakes in front of others and I've never heard her gossiping - and manages the unit well. But that doesn't mean I know how she'll react. She may be more hesitant for recommending me for any position based on my issues.
Or do I leave it alone, be more available for my current position and wait until the next one comes around?
VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN
22 Articles; 9,996 Posts
Good to hear from you on this. I wish you the very best of luck and hope you'll thrive in the new job! =)