future nurse with epilepsy, please help me...

TazziRN, RN · Jun 29, 2006

You should not be discriminated against any more than any other nurse with a medical problem. That said, you may have to fight a little. However, if you are under treatment and your sz's are controlled, you should do fine. Something to keep in mind: you come under the protection of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

2ndChance · Jun 29, 2006

I have had epilepsy since age 10. I have had to fight in many areas of my life to get fair treatment, but nursing has not been one of them. Read up on the American's with Disabilities Act, and be sure to know your rights. That being said, it is always up to you whether or not to disclose. Sadly, this disease still carries a lot of social stigma. If your seizures are well-controlled I do not think you will have a problem at all.

chopin06 · Jun 29, 2006

Thank you so much for your reply's! You've made me feel a whole lot better!

Laura77598 · Jun 29, 2006

Hi Chopin,

I too am a future nursing student with epilepsy. I have had complex partial seizures since I was about 10. They started out from simple absence seizures and progressed to complex partial temporal lobe seizures. I struggled with lots of things in all areas of my life. I also had trouble with seizure control too. I got a degree in psychology when I was 23 and I got a job at TDMHMR (texas department of mental health and mental retardation) as a patient care technician. When I was about a month or two into my job, I had a seizure while I was at work. The management fired me that same week!!! Yeah, people talk a great deal about Americans with disabilities and so on, but when it came time to my situation, they fired me. That's o.k. I sued them. I got 25,000 settlement, because I didn't want to put my parents and husband through all the expense of a trial. I could have gotten more if I had gone to trial, but the headache and the lawyer's fees and all the rest of it did not seem worth it to me to ask my parents to keep paying a lawyer for money I may or may not see. I wish I would have taken my case to court now that I think about it, but I got 25,000 from the state, so I feel like I made my point. After a few years, my husband (married for a year) found a surgery on the internet that had been very successful for treating temporal lobe, complex partial seizures. He had just gotten an intern position at UT with Advanced Micro Devices. The pay wasn't that great, but the insurance benefits were phenomenal!!!!!!!!! We got Prudential insurance with full coverage for everything. Since I needed to see a neurologist to get more medication, I decided to ask about the surgery my husband told me about. The neurologist gave me the name of a friend and collegue of heis in the Houston- Baylor College of Medicine area, and I made an appointment to see him. I never saw the other neurologist again. I was evaluated by the neurologist, and they got me to see a neuro psychologist, and have some tests done to determine brain function and lateralization. After several MRIs and a seizure study where I stayed hooked up to an EEG machine, they determined that I was a candidate for surgery. I had the surgery in December of 1992 and am seizure free today. Believe me, if anyone can understand your apprehension, its me!!! First keep your seizures controled, THEN FIGHT LIKE HELL to get what you want from life! Dont let your seizures dictate your life. I never did. Check into all available therapys you can. If meds don't do it, ask about surgery, or surgically implanted pacemakers. There are many new and better anticonvulsants today. Check into them also. If your seizures are controlled, than just keep your mouth shut when interviewing (it's not a legal wquestion anyway) and go about your business. You have just as much right to earn as living as a nurse as anyone else.

Hope this helps.

Laura

rjflyn, ASN, RN · Jun 29, 2006

Forget about discrimination from the employer you first have to get by the board of nursing. For example on Florida's application there are the following four questions, along with the request for additional information. I would guess epilepsy could fall under question 2 or 3.

7. HEALTH HISTORY (Supporting documentation should be sent directly to the Board Office)

A. In the last 5 years, have you been enrolled in, required to enter into, or participated in any drug or alcohol recovery

program or impaired practitioner program? Yes No

B. In the last 5 years, have you been treated for or had a recurrence of a diagnosed mental disorder or impairment?

Yes No

C. In the last 5 years have you been treated for or had a recurrence of a diagnosed physical impairment?

Yes No

D. In the last 5 years, have you been treated for or had a recurrence of a diagnosed addictive disorder? Yes No

If I recall correctly one of the other states I have a license in asked to the effect do you have any medical conditions the could effect you ability to safely practice. So my adivce would be to contact your specific BON to be sure.

Best of Luck

RJ

banditrn · Jun 29, 2006

You should not be discriminated against any more than any other nurse with a medical problem. That said, you may have to fight a little. However, if you are under treatment and your sz's are controlled, you should do fine. Something to keep in mind: you come under the protection of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Trying to use the ADA is mostly a joke! While they may have to accomodate you, they can make life miserable for you. Been there, done that.

chopin06 · Jun 30, 2006

i've heard that about the ada. but now i'm worried about the ohio board of nursing. i guess i'll just continue on and hope for the best. i feel as though this is another hurdle on my track.

ak127 · Jun 30, 2006

Your employer does NOT have the right to know. If the BON asks if you have a condition that would affect your ability to safely work as a nurse, and your seizures are under control, say NO. I guess I'd put it this way, are they under control enough for you to drive? If your physician thinks you are safe to drive, I'd let you be my nurse. I mean, are we talking like a handful of seizures a year?

If I skip breakfast, my blood sugar is off all day. It makes me mean and forgetful and my hands shake, and I'm probably more dangerous that you!

chopin06 · Jun 30, 2006

Yes, my neurologist says there is absolutely no reason why i can't carry on as usual, driving, more children someday(i have 1 daughter),work, exercise,etc. my seizures are mild only being partial meaning they affect my senses, and i remain conscious and remember everything. now that i've just been diagnosed and now that i'm on topamax, perhaps everything will be more controlled now. i've been on topamax for 3 days now, i was diagnosed on wednesday, the 28th, before that i was having constant little muscle twitches everywhere and woke up with migraines everyday, but since this med i havn't had anything, it's been wonderful thus far! and i feel a lot calmer.

dotty08 · Aug 31, 2006

Hey, I have epilepsy as well. Mine are grandmol seizures, but are totally controlled by meds, I take Depakote, have been taking it since I was 16, before that I was on Tegretol.

I am not ashamed at all about it. Actually, I take it to my advantage, becasue I can relate to the patients that have seizures, called empathy.

I am still a student finish my RN in May 2007, but I am getting my LVN hopefully in a week (BNE test). Wish me luck.

Well, I don't tell during the interviews that I have epilepsy, they don't ask if you have other medical issues as well, as long as you can give 100% at work and have it controlled by medications, there is no need to know at the interview. Now I have told my supervisors afterwards after I establishe a trusting working relationship that I have a history (just in case) but that it is controlled. Nobody ever fired me!!!

I would like to hear more.

Always open to talk about it. I am glad that the society is looking better at these things because when I grew up (in Germany) and it all started when I was 11 yrs. old, I was ashamed of mentioning it and worried about the reactions. I had even lost some good friends because of my disorder, I guess they were maybe afraid, didn't know much about it? Hell, I didn't know anything about Epilepsy until I got it (still don't know if it was from a car-accident where I hit my head, or what). Can you imagine how hard it was telling a boyfriend ?

I have been married for 10yrs, happily (he has a sister w. epilepsy, so he undertood and wasn't afraid), 2 great and healthy kids.

Love my Life, and love becoming a NURSE!!!

lee1 · Aug 31, 2006

I think you may need to be very careful what type of nursing you do.

For example, I worked in a small community ER. I was one of 2 RNs. Guess what, the other RN had epilepsy and one evening had a grand mal seizure while I was working with a full ER. Believe me, I did not appreciate it when she told me after the fact that she had that problem and her last siezure had been 6 months before I was hired. The Doc oncall rotated also and although he knew her it was a very tough day.

Now, I do suppose that anyone, at any time, can have a major health issue while working but you feel as if you are on pins/needles all the time when you know someone has that kind of chronic condition and you are responsible for a acute area like a ER.