Bipolar-Should I ask for ADA accomodations?

Nurses General Nursing

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I have Bipolar I and work NOC. No problems there, I have adjusted well and am slepping during the day without problems. However, our shifts are very erratic. It's maybe one day on, two days off then two days on, two days off, three days on, one day off, one day on, four days off, two days on, etc. I seem to always be recovering from working or preparing for working. I'd also like to join a support group but never know when I'm working. I've asked my supervisor who makes the schedule what three days, any three days, she can pick them, I could work every week, so I can have the same schedule. She never got back to me and in report there was an announcement that there is "no set schedule and the needs of the department come first." I also asked specifically not to work on Sundays if at all possible, as it's my son's only day off and our family day. Guess what? I work almost every Sunday now. I love my unit (except management) and get along great with my co-workers. My unit is one of the lowest-stress in the hospital. My therapist has told me that I should ask for a set schedule; it would be very beneficial as far as my illness and getting more stable. I have had two manic episodes recently, assumedly due to stress. I am on intermitent FMLA for my bipolar, have been hospitalized twice in the past three years and desperately want to stay out of the hospital forever. Nobody knows of my diagnosis and I don't want them to know. I know I have rights under the ADA but am scared that if I ask for this and if management is forced to give it to me, they will undermine me and find a way to get rid of me. I know the way things are supposed to work and the way things can bite you in the butt. I also think that nobody wants to get in trouble with an ADA violation so I'm really torn. I'm a new nurse with little experience (8 months) and if I lose this job, I don't know if I can find another. I'm a strong nurse, am on a committee, have never had any type of disiplinary problems and recently got a merit raise. Thanks for any input.

If this is one of the lowest stress jobs in the hospital but you are still having problems keeping yourself stable, I would think it might be time to think about looking for a job that is 8-5 M-F, such as a clinic position. You will take a big cut in pay, but it may be well worth it.

I totally agree with the poster who said that strict routine is very, very important in managing your illness. Unless your bipolar is quite mild, you just can't get away with changes in routine. What is inconvenient to the rest of the population has major consequences to your health and well-being.

Your employer has made it quite clear that they are not able and/or willing to provide a set schedule for you, so that's that. This is not a matter for ADA, in my opinion. If you do look for another job, it would be a good idea to iron out what is acceptable for you before taking the position. It's not fair to you or to the employer for you to take a position and then want to change the rules.

Best wishes to you. I know many fine nurses with bipolar and you can be one of them. Just choose your opportunities wisely.

Wow! First, I commend you for what a challenge nursing must be to someone with bipolar. I have a 22 yr old son who is bipolar and he can't work, let alone a job like nursing! Good for you! Our experience with "being honest" with an employer resulted in eventual firing from his job. I'm sorry to say that the ADA doesn't feel very realistic. I'm wondering if it's possible for you to look for another job (I know you said your unit is one of the lowest stress) that would allow a more routine schedule. I would think that is paramount to your own mental health. Does the lack of planning seem to apply to all nurses or are you just getting left overs because you're new? Maybe there's hope if you stay? If you don't think so, I seriously think I'd look for something else where you can manage your own health. Best of luck to you. You are an encouragement to what a bipolar person can accomplish!

You know, I think that everyone here has tried to be very politically correct, and no one has told you how they REALLY feel.

There are thousands of nurses who have depression, eating disorders, childcare problems and marital issues; and yet NONE of them would THINK of classifying themselves under ADA certification. ADA is for people who can't get around normally, or can't go to school or work because of unequal access. It is NOT a n excuse for someone who wants to join a mainstream profession but doesn't find it's requirements precisely to her liking.

If you don't want to work weekends, holidays and some days that you DO want off for the next 30 years, go work somewhere else. I am not prepared to be your co-worker and cover you demands.

You are way off the mark here. Apparently you don't understand bipolar illness or what this person was trying to ask. You have clearly misunderstood.

Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
You are way off the mark here. Apparently you don't understand bipolar illness or what this person was trying to ask. You have clearly misunderstood.

I don't think so.

What he's saying is that, many people have many problems. Where does it end?

Start with one and then someone else has another and another and another.

Childcare issues are a big deal to a lot of people. You see it here all over the forum. Yet, I know at my job...it doesn't fly,

Everyone has kids and everyone has problems. What should I tell my co-worker who has Fibromyalgia? That her issue's not as important as someone with Bipolar? That's a real health issue too--that no one but the person who has it understands. Or the boss who is depressive? What about him? Should his issues affect our work too? Nope. He deals because he has to for himself and his family...

So the world continues and if they are not able to do the job, they know they have to go somewhere else.

Don't make YOUR issue everyone else's.

What he's saying is that, many people have many problems. Where does it end?

Well, I think *medical conditions that are disabling* is a pretty clear place to draw the line. Are people really so unclear with the ADA that they think folks can start using it for child care issues? Maybe people need to brush up on what exactly bipolar disorder is as well as the ADA (which, JoPACURN, would also cover fibromyalgia and depression if the conditions were severe enough to qualify).

Personally, I wouldn't mind working for an employer that tried to provide a better work-life balance for all employees, including those with children, but that is another topic.

I assume you had to have a pre-employment physical and had to answer questions about your health. Did you answer the question honestly about having a physical disability that you needed to request a reasonable accommodation for? If you stated that you did not have a disability and did not need accommodations and are now mentioning it for the first time their could be a falsification of an affidavit issue. If your mental illness is not stable and interferes with your ability to take care of patients, you could be reported to the nursing boards. If your mental illness is interfering with your ability to work then you should talk to your mental health provider about what can be done to stabilize your condition.

News flash: Mental illness CAN be very disabling in the ADA sense.....For those of you who have never had to witness or experience the devastation it can cause, thank your lucky stars. Lots of folks sounding pretty self-righteous and 'selfish' themselves here, and not just the OP....

That being said, OP should find another job that will fit her needs, not because it's 'unfair' to her coworkers, but because the job she has is not good for her health. A job is just a job. If it interferes with home and your life outside of work, then it's time to find a new one.

Specializes in Med Surg Tele.

Thanks for all the positive feedback. All the negative feedback just shows why people with mental illness choose to keep things in the dark. I was told when I took the position it was "self-scheduling". I came from another department with self-scheduling and they pretty much gave us what we asked for. I'm not asking for weekends or holidays off. I never said that in my post. I'm not asking any co-workers to "pick up my slack." Why would it affect them at all if I worked the same three days in a row every week? When I developed this illness about three years ago I was devastated; all I thought was "oh my God, am I going to be able to be a nurse? Am I going to be able to work?" I was reassured that as long as I take my meds, watch my stress, know my triggers, chances are good that I will be able to lead a normal functioning life. My thoughts are that the way things are going I may need to find a job that is more M-F 9-5, such as an outpatient clinic (Dr. office, outpatient endo, something along those lines.) Anyhow, all the judgemental and hurtful comments have actually helped confirm that having a mental illness is still something to be ashamed of and I better not say anything.

I believe that mental illness is a disability.

I have back problems which depending how flared up I am it can be disabling. However there is no way I could ask to have all patients who weigh under 150 pounds or have only patients who require minimum assistance. I might ask to not work 3 days in a row but I would understand if it couldn't be done. Where I work if you there is no light duty. If my back gets back enough and I can handle it I will look elsewhere. It's a given if you can't do the job you gotta leave and find something you can do.

I can understand having one set day off a week to attend a support group but not necessarily a true set schedule.

Wow! First, I commend you for what a challenge nursing must be to someone with bipolar. I have a 22 yr old son who is bipolar and he can't work, let alone a job like nursing! Good for you! Our experience with "being honest" with an employer resulted in eventual firing from his job. I'm sorry to say that the ADA doesn't feel very realistic. I'm wondering if it's possible for you to look for another job (I know you said your unit is one of the lowest stress) that would allow a more routine schedule. I would think that is paramount to your own mental health. Does the lack of planning seem to apply to all nurses or are you just getting left overs because you're new? Maybe there's hope if you stay? If you don't think so, I seriously think I'd look for something else where you can manage your own health. Best of luck to you. You are an encouragement to what a bipolar person can accomplish!

Exactly. My sister-in-law had bipolar disorder and there is NO WAY she could work. Good for you for being proactive with your condition and taking such good care of yourself! Now it looks like you have to take another step on the path to self-care - is there someone that you can talk to that is higher up than your supervisor regarding scheduling? But I would leave the ADA out of it - like you said, you can see the response you will likely get.

I commend you for being so good at taking care of your illness and I am sad to see so many unsupportive replies.

Anyhow, all the judgemental and hurtful comments have actually helped confirm that having a mental illness is still something to be ashamed of and I better not say anything.

i'm really sorry you're perceiving it that way.

when i read your post, i saw it as a poster with well-controlled bipolar, who 'seemed' to be (subconsciously?) exploiting her mental illness to get a set schedule, with sundays off.

as has been stated, very few nurses enjoy rotating schedules and enjoy working weekends even less.

if i read you wrong, i apologize.

that said, i've been on these boards long enough to know that overall, an's is a very compassionate audience.

we've had sev'l posters with mental illness, that have had situations that warranted a tremendous outpouring of support.

you certainly shouldn't feel ashamed, but all of us, need to sometimes reconsider how we come across to others.

you know yourself better than anyone else.

it sounds like a set schedule would benefit you, but to ask for the ada to advocate for you...

i just didn't see it as a critical accommodation, where it's something you could handle yourself.

if you cannot find anything with a set schedule, then maybe i'd consider getting the ada involved...

but not until i tried all avenues, first.

hoping it all works out for you.

you may want to try posting in the disabilities forum, and get feedback from folks that share your disability.:)

leslie

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

OP, I'm curious about a couple of things. You said that you're a new nurse with only 8 months of experience, yet you mention having utilized intermittent FMLA. FMLA requires the employee to have been an employee at least one year - did you work for the same employer in some other capacity before becoming a nurse?

Also, in your unit, does no one have class, work another job, or have some other set commitment that prevents them from working, say, Tuesday nights, though they are available all other days/times? That has been typical where I have worked, and if there is that precedent I probably would push for a certain day/time off so that you can attend your support group.

I suppose there are units where the atmosphere is punitive enough that any request is denied under the guise of "who does she think she is?" These not places where I would want to work. I once heard a manager (not mine) describe her philosophy of scheduling, and that was that when the schedule was published, "if no one is happy then I've done my job." It was her twisted notion of avoiding favoritism. Again -- not somewhere I would choose to work.

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