Future nursing student worried about minor psych history

[SheAintYourOrdinary]

I just joined tonight and I have been exploring the various sections of the forum.

I am 90% sure that I am going to do a second degree accelerated BSN as soon as I can get the prereqs knocked out while completing my BA. What is the standard for nurses with mental health histories in Kentucky?

I'm a little worried about my mental health history. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome when I was 18. I ended up in a really abusive first marriage and developed a problem with prescription pills that I quit cold turkey on my own 7 years ago and never looked back.

I am now 32 and my mental health history is actually pretty minor. Despite not having decent mental health care since 2008, I largely depended on GP's for my Lithium and Zyprexa until I moved to Kentucky this summer. I now have an awesome PMHNP who says I am VERY abnormal when it comes to mental health patients. I have never been hospitalized and I am 100% compliant with my meds.

I have had a Class A commercial driver's license (tractor trailer) since 2013 and I have hauled everything from tanker trailers of gasoline to school kids when I picked up a part time gig driving a school bus. I have a medical waiver for my psych meds on my DOT medical card but it has always been easy to renew.

I am also trained as a volunteer firefighter and I spent 2014 to 2016 living in a remote South Korean city when my second husband was stationed there. I actually got a job managing the banquet hall on the base despite having no previous food service experience and was quite successful. I am finishing the last of two college degrees, the first in accounting and the other in transportation and logistics management. I'm extremely smart and I'm also very responsible.

I see a therapist but its mainly because I have a really loony MIL who lives one county over and borderline harasses me because I don't meet her quite lofty expectations (long story). I also have some issues with self esteem and self confidence that I am still fighting with. My PMHNP thinks that my bipolar disorder might actually just be a serious case of PTSD due to a really traumatic childhood. My meds work really well. Bottom line is that I don't act like a mentally ill person even when I'm not doing well mentally. I usually act like a normal person who is just really stressed out when I'm at my lowest.

I have been talking about my plans after college with my PMHNP and she is really excited about the number of things that I can do. I was actually considering becoming an electrical lineman at one point (I'm an adventure nut) and she was very enthusiastic about it when I told her. I figure that if she is willing to give me clearance to manually climb power poles and handle high voltage electrical wires 30+ feet in the air, that she would give me clearance to get my RN.

Am I worrying about this too much?

[Wuzzie]

No need to disclose your history if you decide to go into nursing. In fact it's highly advisable that you don't...ever, to anybody.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I agree with Wuzzie. No good usually comes of disclosing mental illness at school or in the workplace. You seem really self-aware and that is what will save you when the inevitable happens and you have a mood episode. Nursing school is very stressful, but then so are your other degrees and you appear to be doing quite well. It's good that you're compliant with meds; a lot of people with bipolar, myself included, tend to mess with them because we delude ourselves into thinking we don't need them, or because we stop believing we even have the illness. Keep up the good work, and you should do just fine.

Wishing you the very best, and Welcome to Allnurses!

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

I agree with mostly everyone else, nope nope, and never. It gives them an out to not hire you, and what managers would not take advantage of that useful info?

[JerseyDevilsAdvocate, BSN, RN]

Don't disclose it. Even if employers aren't allowed to discriminate based on disability, you can't prove that they did fire you because of it if they do let you go. They may also treat you differently, and who knows what workplace bullying may come along.

You choose who can see your health information. I would never share my history with employers based on the fact that I may be discriminated against because the stigma against mental illness and neurodevelopmental disorders is still very prevalent. All they need to know is that you are competent and have your license.