We have a long way to go as health care providers

Nurses Relations

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Hi,

I, initially, was going to post this in Nurses/Recovery but I wanted to say something to everyone.

The past couple of days has been bittersweet for me. Yesterday, I took NCLEX and according to the PVT, I passed. My license isn't posted yet but NCLEX scores transmitted, so it should be soon. I was also in the process of licensing my pharmacy technician certification because I wanted a part time job eventually as a pharmacy technician for a little something on the side of nursing and to hone my skills/ knowledge of medications in order to improve care of my future patients. Well, today, I received a letter that I have been denied a pharmacy technician license due to mental illness. I can and will appeal it at an informal conference. I think it wasn't the denial that hurt as much as the decision being based on me having a mental illness.

I have never worked as a pharmacy technician, so there's no poor work performance to say that I could be a danger in a pharmacy. I am in treatment and in a monitoring program.

The reason I posted this here is because I often find threads talking about how nurses generally dislike taking care of mentally ill patients (and unfortunately, I have witnessed first hand nurses saying vile things about mentally ill patients). We are not bad people; we are ill and some of us are trying really hard to get better. It's a blow when we try and seek help and better our lives through trying to get decent careers and helping others and we are met with people who think we are nothing more than crazy and a danger to society.

I think we can all agree that our health care service for the mentally ill have a lot to be desired; but please do not contribute to the problem. Keep this in mind and please be kind and show compassion (this goes for all people; sane or mentally ill).

" Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle". -- Plato

I have good news to report. My letter was presented to the committee and I received an email back from the executive deputy director saying that I will be issued a registration/license and I have to stay in compliance with my monitoring contract.

I am so happy!!! Just goes to show that if you are willing to go after something, then you just might get it! Don't give up!

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Just saw your update.......CONGRATULATIONS!!!! :up:

Thanks, Viva! I love these moments when I overcome obstacles. I am still waiting on my consent order but it will take a while. I am just so excited that I have the possibility of making all my dreams come true now!

I have plenty to keep me busy until I get the consent order though. :)

"Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you'll land among the stars."-- Les Brown

Just because someone is mentally ill, doesn't make them not intelligent, or capable. I work with mostly mentally ill patients. The things that people with mental illness need to do to effectively cope would make someone without mental illness want to curl up in the fetal position. I have so much respect for mentally ill people's abilities. Which are numerous. And what most non mentally ill people can not even fathom. So much respect and good for you in participating in and passing nursing and pharmacy tech!!

Because the state of Virginia can deny licesnses based on mental illness, they have some sort of monitoring program in place? What does that entail? That you are in counseling and treatment and report to them? For how long? My thoughts are if you are mentally ill and have a history of self medicating with illegal drugs or alcohol, then it has to do with self medicating as opposed to being mentally ill. If you treat your mental illness with benzos, then this is the issue as opposed to the mental illness itself. I would bring this issue to your physciatrist and explore all of your options. Could you be maintained on a regimin that doesn't entail a medication that could impair your functioning? (and I am not suggesting you are impaired, just that some medications carry that potential) I would be very clear about getting information on if you can re-apply, what the conditions of the monitoring are, the length of time it will take to be considered, all of that. You do not want to go to the ends of the earth to find out that there's some glitch in the process and you find yourself back at square one.

Best of luck to you!!

remember, anytime you see a doc, your med list will come up! You could be seeing an ortho for a broken foot, and he/she will see what psych meds you are on. there is very little confidentiality any more!

Good luck. THere is still a large stigma with mental illness. Not even the "lesser known ones" but even things as common as anxiety or depression. I think many people do not seek treatment because of it, and legitimate fears that such treatment many not be as confidential as one thinks. Good luck.
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