Why did this happen to me?

Nurses Disabilities

Published

I am so upset. After struggling to gain stability, I have been asked to surrender my license because of mental health disorder. I was hospitalized a couple of times since being licensed, a couple of times too many for the BON. I surrendered it. I am very upset. I see a lot of people with diagnoses just as serious and even more so than mine but I have to surrender the license.

I went to nursing school to be able to support my family. Now, at square one, just because I was hospitalized, we are impoverished, living only because my father supports us financially.

I hear everyone saying here, if they did this to every nurse then there wouldn't be many nurses. Well, please do not think I am lying. I have never had any complaints about my practice. It is only because I was hospitalized.

So much for the American Dream. People with psychiatric diagnoses need not apply for that...we're not wanted by society.

It is my personal belief that everyone has "psych issues." Just like everyone has a state of physical health, everyone has a state of mental health too. Some people have more medical problems than others, and some have more mental problems than others. I just don't understand the stigma that still exists, even among healthcare "professionals"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
It is my personal belief that everyone has "psych issues." Just like everyone has a state of physical health, everyone has a state of mental health too. Some people have more medical problems than others, and some have more mental problems than others. I just don't understand the stigma that still exists, even among healthcare "professionals"

THANK YOU.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The way it is, they might as well just tattoo CRAZY on your forehead when you get your diagnosis. It would save a lot of people the time of "monitoring" you, talking behind your back, and making up reasons to fire you or take your license away. It would save us a lot of time too. We'd already know why we were being avoided instead of having to figure out that they stopped wanting to talk to you as soon as the words "mental illness" came out of your mouth.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am so sorry you have to experience this. Situations such as this are why I believe all nurses should be involved in some type of social justice and/or advocacy issue, even if it's just contributing to a letter writing campaign or giving donations to advocacy organizations. We keep reading that nursing is the largest healthcare profession and with that comes power and influence if we come together behind various causes. Addressing mental health issues is a cause I am 100% behind because 1) I had my first major depressive episode in my early 20s although I never sought treatment until I was well into my 40s; 2) I have volunteered working with teens for over 20 years and many struggle with behavioral, mental, and emotional issues; 3) and my last job before going on disability for OA was on an adolescent psychiatric unit.

There are organizations such as NAMI, Childmind.org, and the National Disability Rights Network as well as various nursing organizations such as the American Psychiatric Nursing Association to which we can add our voices and help make the changes we would like to see made.

The history of nursing has shown that as a profession we can make a difference in health care policies and we can continue that same ability to affect change into the future.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

That's a nice thought, but trying to get nurses to come together on a particular social issue is like herding cats. We are not a monolith, nor do we agree on how best to approach a problem....just take a look at the US Politics forum.

That being said, I'm with you on the cause of mental health. This is Mental Health Awareness Month, which is a great time to advocate for improving access to services and funding them adequately. So few people realize that if an individual doesn't have good mental health, everything else in life is out of reach. I heartily endorse getting involved with actor Glenn Close's organization Bring Change 2 Mind, as well as DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance) and NAMI.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment