Epilepsy

Welcome to this forum. Has your disability affected you on the job? Any tips for others in the same boat?

To a small extent. My ideas though to a difficult situation is to make myself notes and make list.

Hi folks. I have had a dx of epilepsy since I was 9. I have not had a seizure in 3 yrs. Do you think the NS will hold this against me when I apply? I just want to know before I continue with prereqs. I emailed the college with a general question about medical conditions they disallow but I wanted feedback from students as well.

I understand on the one hand it could be considered a liability and on the other with HIPAA and ADA, they cannot discriminate, etc.

Thanks in advance.

VAalex, I too have epilepsy which I have had since I was eight. I have rare tonic clonic seizures, the last was three years ago. (I have juvenile myoclonic epilepsy). I wish I could answer your question but as I live in Australia I dare say the law is different to the US. I have worked as a nurse for many years, and have always informed the staff I work with that I have this condition. It does not affect my work. Why should it make any difference? I have had a seizure once at work. I am still employed there; the senior staff were more concerned for me than wanting to get rid of me.

That is great. I hope it is the same! :)

I was recently diagnosed with epilepsy despite having it since I was about 18 months old....I'm 31 now. Yes it took that long. I have simple partial seizures.

The diagnosis came after I was in nursing school and I was started on Lamictal.

I did tell my school about it because they think they have a right to know about my medical conditions...I do not think they have the right to know. Since I knew they couldn't kick me out for it I told them so that they can't give me crap down the road if anything came up.

There are a lot of nurses out there with epilepsy. If your epilepsy is controlled they can't even begin to get on your case.

If you have any concern I would recommend contacting your state board of nursing and asking them. The reason I say to do this is just so that you can tell the school without a doubt...the state board of nursing says I can go to nursing school.

If they do not ask about medical conditions with the application...do not offer the information. If they ask after you are accepting it may be entirely up to you if you want to share. If you share and they react negatively...you will have the ability to fight back and show that any action taken against you was because of the diagnosis. If you offer it early on and you aren't accepted there is no way to know if they used the diagnosis against you...even if it is illegal.

I would contact your state board of nursing and get the proof (which I'm sure you can get because I'm positive they can't hold this against you) so that you are ready in case there is a battle...which there probably won't be.

You don't have to tell your NS and they SHOULD NOT keep you out because you have epilepsy. Once you are in though, I would make sure someone knows in the event that you have a seizure. Everyone on my unit knows, most knew before I was hired because I did my preceptorship there, and it really helped out a couple years ago when I had a MAJOR seizure walking down the hall on the unit.

BTW-In Alabama, The Dept of Rehab Services assists with school, job placement, and monitors graduates for 1 year after graduation to ensure that they are not have any problems / discrimination, etc. You may want to check for something like this where you live.

When I told my school I actually came right out and said to them...I don't think you have the right to know but I'm willing to share anyway just because it doesn't bother me...and then told them. They were fine about it. I was asked to tell my clinical instructor just in case...but I have simple partials so I know they are happening and can usually talk during them and I used to have them in front of people all the time and nobody knew.

My NS thinks they had a right to know...they didn't have a right. I shared knowing if they kicked me out I would be rich

Thanks for starting this forum; I glad I discovered it. I'm in my first year of nursing school and have just been diagnosed with epilepsy. I have been having simple partials for two years, although I didn't realize that's what they were until being interviewed by a neurologist following a complex partial that sent me to the ER a week ago. So I'm pretty new to all this, and am not really sure what to expect, but it's encouraging to find out that there are nurses out their practicing with epilepsy and I don't have to drop out of school!

Question for anyone out there: can your RN license be taken away if your seizures are not controlled? I kind of expect so, but I'm not familiar with all the legal implications yet.

Thanks!