NCLEX application. Bipolar ?

[cardiac~lover]

Hi everyone. Next Thursday is my pinning ceremony!!!! I've finally done it. I've graduated from a practical nursing program. Herein lies the problem. I printed off the NCLEX-PN application to send to boards and one of the questions is to check yes or no if you have been diagnosed with a mental illness, ie, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and various others. I need to check yes. I live in Ohio. Has anyone ever had to check yes? Or did you check no....knowing you shouldn't have? Will my doctor have to sign something.... will I get denied after all I've done? HELP!!!!!! By the way I have been under the care of a doctor and on controlled medication for some time now and my doc has always known I've been in nursing school and would give me his seal of approval as far as safe practice goes.... Am I the only nurse/nurse-to-be out there that has ever had issues?

[mom35]

1) [ ] no [ ] yes for any criminal offense, including those pending appeal, have you:

a. been convicted of a misdemeanor?

b. been convicted of a felony?

c. pled nolo contendere, no contest, or guilty?

d. received deferred adjudication?

e. been placed on community supervision or court-ordered probation, whether or not adjudicated guilty?

f. been sentenced to serve jail or prison time? court-ordered confinement?

g. been granted pre-trial diversion?

h. been arrested or have any pending criminal charges?

i. been cited or charged with any violation of the law?

j. been subject of a court-martial; article 15 violation; or received any form of military judgment/

punishment/action?

(you may only exclude class c misdemeanor traffic violations.)

note: expunged and sealed offenses: while expunged or sealed offenses, arrests, tickets, or citations need not be disclosed, it is

your responsibility to ensure the offense, arrest, ticket or citation has, in fact, been expunged or sealed. it is recommended that you

submit a copy of the court order expunging or sealing the record in question to our office with your application. failure to reveal an

offense, arrest, ticket, or citation that is not in fact expunged or sealed, will at a minimum, subject your license to a disciplinary fine. nondisclosure

of relevant offenses raises questions related to truthfulness and character.

note: orders of non-disclosure: pursuant to tex. gov’t code 552.142(b), if you have criminal matters that are the subject of an

order of non-disclosure you are not required to reveal those criminal matters on this form. however, a criminal matter that is the subject

of an order of non-disclosure may become a character and fitness issue. pursuant to other sections of the gov’t code chapter 411, the

texas nursing board is entitled to access criminal history record information that is the subject of an order of non-disclosure. if the board

discovers a criminal matter that is the subject of an order of non-disclosure, even if you properly did not reveal that matter, the board may

require you to provide information about any conduct that raises issues of character.

2) [ ] no [ ] yes are you currently the target or subject of a grand jury or governmental agency investigation?

3) [ ] no [ ] yes has any licensing authority refused to issue you a license or ever revoked, annulled, cancelled, accepted

surrender of, suspended, placed on probation, refused to renew a professional license, certificate or multi-state

privilege held by you now or previously, or ever fined, censured, reprimanded or otherwise disciplined you?

4) [ ] no [ ] yes within the past five (5) years have you been addicted to and/or treated for the use of alcohol or any other drug?*

5) [ ] no [ ] yes within the past five (5) years have you been diagnosed with, treated, or hospitalized for schizophrenia and/or

psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, paranoid personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, or borderline

personality disorder?

if “yes” indicate the condition: [ ] schizophrenia and/or psychotic disorders, [ ] bipolar disorder,

[ ] paranoid personality disorder, [ ] antisocial personality disorder, [ ] borderline personality disorder

if you answered “yes” to any of the questions listed above, attach a letter of explanation that is dated and signed indicating the circumstance(s)

you are reporting to the board.

* if you are licensed as an lvn in the state of texas and are currently participating in the texas peer assistance program for nurses you may

answer “no” to questions #4 and #5.

section e: attestation

i, the nclex ® candidate whose name appears within this application, acknowledge this document is a legal document and i attest that i

understand & meet all the requirements for the type of licensure requested, as listed in sections 301.252, 301.253, 301.452, 301.453, 301.454

and 304.001 of the nursing practice act; 22 tac 213.27, 213.28, 213.29, 213.30; 22 tac 217.11 and 217.12.

further, i understand that it is a violation of the 22 tac 217.12 (6)(i) and the penal code, sec 37.10, to submit a false statement to a government

agency; and

i consent to release of confidential information to the texas board of nursing and further authorize the board to use and to release said information

as needed for the evaluation and disposition of my application.

i understand that if i have any questions regarding this affidavit i should contact an attorney or the appropriate professional health provider.

i will immediately notify the board if at any time after signing this affidavit i no longer meet the eligibility requirements.

applicant’s signature: date: / /

texas board of nursing application by nclex-rn® exam for registered nurses - (rev 09/2008) page 2 of 2

texas board of nursing

333 guadalupe, ste. 3-460, austin, tx 78701-3944

phone: [phone] -- web site: www.bon.state.tx.us

office use only

rcd date:

affidavit of graduation for graduates in the usa and us territories (rn candidates)

this portion of the application must be completed by the dean/director of the nursing program only. the signature of other

persons such as associate deans, program coordinators, or faculty members will not be accepted unless the board has received

official notification from the governing institution’s administration that another registered nurse on the faculty has been given the

authority to sign for the dean/director, the length of time that the signature authority is valid, and a sample of the authorized

person’s signature.

this affidavit verifies that the applicant named below successfully completed all requirements for completion of graduation from

an approved professional nursing program. please note, this portion of the application cannot be signed prior to the date

of completion or graduation date.

i hereby verify_______________________________________________________________________________________

first name middle name/maiden name last name

social security number:_______-______-________entered the _______________________________________________

name of school of nursing

located in____________________________________________________ on the date of _______/______/__________

city state enrollment date (month/day/year)

and has completed requirements for graduation on the date of ________/_________/_________.

month day year

program code: ______ - ___________

was

i am in texas and this is what it asks us. i am diagnosed with major deprssive disorder which is not on the list, so i guess i can check "no". however i am worried because it looks like they want you to disclose any tickets.

[aaspender]

I am familiar with this topic having been in the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses a few times (3x) and also being married to a bi-polar nurse. What the BON is interested is that you if have been diagnosed and treated for the condition you are fit to practice. They recognize that if they refused licensing for a nurse diagnosed with a psychiatric/ addiction condition that a huge number of persons would be disqualified. Full disclosure is the best option, trust me, I have been through the wringer and am still a Registered Nurse who can practice. My husband checked that box and all he got was a renewal approval. He didn't have to provide any details but would have if they asked. You want to be friends with the BON, give them grief and they push back hard. Good luck with your NCLEX.

[nurseforlife]

I know this may sound like a stupid question but, I just wonder why you wouldn't want them to know. First of all I don't think they could deny you a license or the right to Nclex. Also, if you happenned to relaps, and get into trouble, or be disciplined for whatever reason, wouldn't you want to be able to use this to your defence? It wouldn't be a good idea to avoid discosure. I may be wrong, but it could happen right?

[cardiac~lover]

I'm not afraid of them denying my licensure at all. I know too many nurses that are on medication for a mental health reason. My thing is that I don't want to do anything to make this whole process longer than it has to be. Providing documentation, letters in the slow poke mail....I need to take my NCLEX asap and don't want any interference. That may all sound silly. But that's why I ask. As for using it as a defense..... it's a disorder, not an excuse for bad behavior or wrong decisions. I am stabe on medication and before I was on medication I was not 'textbook bipolar'. It's mild and manifested by periods of depression throughout years. I don't have mood swings on a daily basis on or off my meds. I know this diagnosis will not affect my being able to be a great nurse.

[nurseforlife]

I do understand what you are saying, and agree it is a disorder and not an excuse for bad behaviors. I am sorry that you got that impression from my posting. Regardless of how stable you are now, I still believe that nursing can be a very stressful profession. To take the precautions necessary to remain stable, and be able to function is the responsible thing to do. It's your decision, but If I was filling out the application I would be honest. Your reasons for not disclosing this is not really as important as taking the precautions necessary in the future if your illness did lead to an unexpected event. Even nurses who have no mental illness do make mistakes, or get disciplined. I really think better to be safe than sorry.

[PaulW]

I've been thinking about this for a few hours now. It is interesting that they ask this question and I understand why they do, but why only mental illness? Why not ask if your diabetic? What if you have an uncontrolled diabetic working on a floor who suddenly goes has hypoglycemic episode and his/her decision making ability is impaired? How about nurses who just lost a loved one, a child, etc and are not grieving properly? I know those examples may sound silly but as a person who takes statistics as his gospel, I would like to see a study and report of incidents of negligence, malpractice, etc... both before and after the mental illness question was implemented.

[cardiac~lover]

I see your point PaulW. Whether it's stereotype or statistic, they require this information. I am curious as to how many nurses in this country have ever dealt with Bipolar disorder or depression, or other mood disorders..... I bet those numbers would scare the pants off of todays healthcare consumers....

[NotANut]

I'm considering starting nursing school in Ohio and have the same problem -- a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. In my case, this mainly means recurrent depression, not mania (at least not for the last 4 or 5 years), stable on meds, etc.

Called the BON to ask, and they said they are concerned about impairment and patient safety. The only three conditions listed on the licensure application are: bipolar, schizophrenia, paranoia (specifying psychosis). They also ask about a history of psychiatric hospitalization during the past 5 years. They don't ask about depression or anxiety.

According to the person I spoke with, they will need letters from everyone who has treated you for your disorder during the five-year time period, listing your diagnosis and prognosis and affirming you are able to work and emotionally stable. They will evaluate the application in light of this information before they let you sit for the board. This rule was instituted in 2004, and is apparently legal.

Congratulations on completing your program, and good luck with the BON. If you learn anything else, please post the information, as the rule effects me, too. Thanks. :)

[WoofyMutt80]

They cannot deny you because of your Hx of mental illness. If I were you I would refer to the ADA Act of 1990 and the HIPPA laws

[Atheos]

They can if you pose a danger to society.

[azhiker96, BSN, RN]

I doubt they'd deny you for a hx, especially since you're controlled and safe. They can deny you for lying on an application. Some people have suggested that there would be no legal way for the BON to find out your mental health hx. That may be true but would you really want a lie on the application hanging over you during your practice? I'd suggest answering truthfully. There have been several posts here that show it would not prevent you from getting your license. I know you were worried about a delay but even if it cost an extra couple of weeks now, that's better than years of worrying about it being found out. Good luck in your nursing career!