DUIs and Schizophrenia Disclosure

[Elliebeanlovesmisterbubbles]

Hi, can I get your advice?

I need a letter of explanation to send the Boards of Nursing with why I obtained 2 DUIs. Can you give me your opinion on my outline listed below? (Will I have problems if I tell them that I was using alcohol to cope because I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia/Psychosis?)

Here's my rough draft outline

Letter of explanation to State

•Death in my family in nursing school

•Developed psychosis in nursing school last term

•Developed schizophrenia

•Had delusion that pharmaceutical companies were trying to kill me & refused medication because of delusion

•Undertreated for 4 years

•Coping with alcohol

•DUI 2016, 2018

•Stable now

•Sees therapist every other week and psychiatrist 1 time a month

•Taking Risperdal

•Going to AA meetings

•Going to rehab

•Dreams to be a forensic psychiatric nurse

•Dreams to help someone with schizophrenia.

•Volunteers as a Sunday school teacher now

•Part of church’s first aid team

•Part of church’s medical mobile team

•Strong support system, my family and friends

•Writing e-devotionals now for my church to share my testimony of surviving schizophrenia

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

You haven't been sober for a year, looks like. I'd expect they might put some restrictions on your license, just for that. You are going in the right direction though. If you get bad news from the board, I see no reason to give up. More time means more stability. If you have a friend or partner that sees you at least every other day, and would pick up on subtle signs of illness, that would be a plus. If you live alone it's possible to isolate and nosedive quickly. Are you on long acting antipsychotics, as opposed to daily meds? They might consider that a plus.

I wonder if you could schedule a face to face meeting before you send your application in. Let them meet you at your best, and ask about what makes an application like yours successful? They might have strict criteria you don't meet, but you could easily fix, and save yourself that painful rejection. Remember that some of their criteria has nothing to do with you personally, just jump through the hoops and stay positive.

[beekee]

Honestly, I’d get a lawyer. It’s wonderful that your psychiatric issues are now being adequately treated. As long as you are stable, you should not have a problem being a wonderful nurse. However, the stigma is real.

Disclosing schizophrenia may open up even more worms for the BON, if they don’t already know about it. If you are legally required to disclose, of course you should. That’s where an attorney well versed in licensing issue could be a huge asset to you.

Best wishes.