at sea

KJStarling, Yes, I am VERY interested in clinical documentation via the EMR, although cannot find any promising leads on landing a position here in Dallas. What are your thoughts?

Well, no replies after 4 days. Why should I even give a **** anymore?

Hi All! Hoping someone can help me find some realistic resources for work with nurses who suffer from depression and anxiety. I've been a nurse for 20 years, mostly in perioperative nursing but have done case management, which seems to ALWAYS require certification, which I don't have, legal nurse consulting, workers comp and disability CM. I've just come to a point where I can no longer work in a clinical setting. I can't deal with the people, not the patient's but the co-workers, bosses, physicians and the disrespect and verbal abuse is astounding!!! I can't seem to keep jobs either because I have days of depression and anxiety that are not severe enough to keep me from working but severe enough to make me feel like I just can't handle anymore crap, and not being able to go "into" work because I just can't handle the people. I know I can do anything I set my mind to but I'm at a loss of what I may be able to do from home in an administrative role. My depression is just too unpredictable for a normal nursing job. If there is any good resources that will allow me to continue to work and go back to school, because I'm really interested in becoming a clinical documentation specialist and would like to get involved in that while in school so that I could become an entrapenuer consultant later in a couple of years. I just have to do SOEMTHING ELSE in the meantime. Please???? Any suggestions or resource referrals would be very much appreciated!!!

I have been a nurse for 20 years and have dealt with depression and anxiety through it all, even before that. But it has gotten worse over the years and I can't handle it anymore! I have either been let go or been forced to resign because of either absenteeism or knowledge that I have a mental illness. I have had 7-10 jobs in the last 7 years; yeah, BAD!!! I just accepted a job because I had to, not because I wanted it. I hated it from day one. I can no longer handle all the people, personalities and bad attitudes. And I know that my patients can see my sadness although I do everything I can to hide it. When it comes to work, I'm almost agoraphobic. Does anyone know of some resources I may tap into for work from home jobs? I have explored transcription and telehealth and most case manager and UR jobs are in house. Any other suggestions? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE? At Sea

I can't believe it but the ***** finally fired me, with many BS accusations but I know it was because of the depression and anxiety! I will be filing with the EEOC and the state board of nurses. (It surprises me how long it takes the board to do anything about complaints! You would think they would want people like that suspended, outta there)! Anyhow, I'm really depressed now. All of it has just tired me out so much! It's not just about being fired either, without cause. My reputation is on the line, and I think that makes it so much worse!! Is there anything else I can do?

That just sucks!

zoeboboey, Thanks for your encouragement! It means A LOT!!! With the way things are out there right now, I don't know if I'd EVER want to get back out there if I were so lucky to get out of it myself! If you don't mind me asking, what is your story? Also, it sounds like you have some knowledge about discrimination. Again, if you don't mind, tell me more! Peace to you! P.S. You can always tell me your story confidentially through direct email! :typing

So, I understand where your coming from. Peace Yeah, my secret is OUT Thanks Babs! I feel I have found the one person in the world that understands what I'm going through!! Unfortunately, I can't let it rest today. This getting called into the office again yesterday has floored me and it's ruining my weekend! I too, try to be and AM happy and cheerful every day at work, whether I am or not. It's part of my responsibility, right? And the vague complaints you mentioned are exactly what I'm getting from my boss. When I asked her if she had had any specific complaints from anyone else or if she felt that she had made a mistake in hiring me, I received a "NO". But then I also received the remarks about looking tired, having a flat affect, and being paranoid. Now I ask this question only because it relates to the disease process, but what if I had decided to go on home and do myself in? These comments came from my boss who said that she "understood" depression. She takes antidepressants herself!! Why would anyone who understood depression make crappy, undeserving comments to someone with depression? I mean they don't know where "one" stands within their disease process, right? As far as your coworkers knowing about your illness with the saline order, that was really wrong! They shouldn't know about it at in the first place. She could have just said, "hey, remember for next time that we just changed to the 1000 cc bags". Period! I'll say it again, it's a HIPPA violation against you. And I don't feel very good about my co workers knowing about my business either. My boss questioned me about why I questioned a charge nurse knowing about it while she was on vacation. She informed me that she needed to know for staffing purposes in case I couldn't be there, even after I told her specifically, before she left on vacation that I WOULD be there. She didn't need to know the specifics! Like Stanley mentioned in an earlier post - if they don't understand, well their just STUPID! And he's right that it shouldn't bother us, but how can it not? I can't get this out of my head! I'm tired and overwhelmed about the whole thing! On the two days of the week I should be relaxing and resting, I'm emotionally distraght over this bulls*#!:crying2:

nurseexec, i have to disagree with "depression" being accepted. at least it hasn't been accepted anywhere i've ever been. but why do you think there is "poor acceptance"? i mean you are part of a management team, yes? in this day and age? in our profession?? even the general public, i have to say that if they don't know the statistics, which is very difficult for me to believe, (as they are among the many affected) how could they too, have a poor acceptance? in your opinion, of course!

Hey Babs! It's funny, (strange) you ask this. I don't talk about this with anyone at work. For one, it's none of their business! That is confidential information, however, I just discovered this week that my boss disclosed "my" information to another. (I believe that is a HIPPA violation among others) And I was "spoken" to AGAIN about whether I was really being a team player and what was going on with me, specifically... and about my medication and that I might be a liability if I was on meds because I looked tired (at the end of a long week) and that my "affect" was flat at the end of today. I am not being treated like the professional that I trained to be and AM and I swear I am SO being harrassed!!!

No worries! You have it up there, and you will get re-introduced over and over!! Keep up the good work!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Good response! I feel horrible for that girl! And I wouldn't put up with it! I have my own issues to put up with. Which brings me to my question. Your husband is an Occupational Psychologist? That is really cool! Can you tell me about that, if you don't mind?! I'm a nurse, desperately hanging on by a thread because I've never done anything else. (I'm usually posted in the "nurses with mental illness" threads). So, I was wondering what you, and he think about all these nurses - and apparently there are a lot of them - putting up with managers, co-workers, prying into your business and adding additional pressures to nurses who suffer with depression/anxiety/bipolar disorder, etc. It seems to me that there MUST be an answer (solution) for this type of behavior; harrassment when all of us nurses are professionals being treated far less than! What do you think?

Thanks Debbie! I know there are ways for people to weave around the real issue. I'm not sure why my boss was pressing me so hard about it. I didn't disclose it, but she had me against the wall! Now she knows, and although it was stated that it would be confidential, with the close knit of the unit, I find it hard to believe that at least half of them know about it now. It would seem a bit harder to blame something else AFTER I've been working there without any other problems??

I feel you!! And thanks to my physician, we're working things out! The trust level you mentioned, decreasing with co-workers knowledge of it, how ****** is that?!?!

thanks for your reply! i agree this could be the case. however, i am currently awaiting on my academy award for hiding this, and hiding it well! i swear, i have gotten so good over the years "faking it" as if i was normal, whatever that it! (and it really shouldn't be like this, should it?) i think what it is, is just some things can just set me off sometimes, in an instant. i can see then where my attitude may suddenly change or my body language may show "it". but for the most part, i'm a completely different person on the outside then who i am on the inside. what got me this time was a co-worker, nurse, who told on me to the boss for asking a question, instead of just answering it, i got sent to the office. i lost it at that point, missed 2 days of work and a trip to the doc's office to get me back to "level". i wanted to kick her ass after that but i've let it go since it was the most stupid occurrence in the world. i have never been diagnosed with bipolar, but severe, treatment resistant depression, gad and social anxiety disorder. how is it possible in this day and age that there is such a stigma with this? current statistics run over 60 million affected in the us alone! it's beyond me! and in the profession of nursing, with high burn out rates r/t stress, jerk off doctors and some jerky patients, how can this be? curious? you, or anyone else on this forum, ever think about taking action against the stigma and discrimination?

Hi! I just joined a few days ago. But I have read alot of your posts dating way back. I need some advice, encouragement, I'm not really sure. I suffer from depression/anxiety and (unfortunately, it seems to be getting worse the older I get) I have had the absolute worst time when it comes to jobs, i.e. understanding from other people. Not that it's really any of their business...I just can't seem to hide it. In my most recent experience, in a new position mind you, my boss is asking me specific information about my illness and I believe the words, "job in jeapardy" came up. Is it just me, or is this a bit intrusive? Maybe a little harrassing and threatening? I honestly don't know how to deal with it anymore especially when I'm a very hard working and honest nurse just trying to get by and mind my own business. What do you think?

I'm going to have to agree with everyone who has replied to your post! Screw them! A few phrases come to mind after reading your post: Creating a hostile work environment; Harrassment; Defamation of Character; Lawsuit - against THEM! Just the first few that came to mind!

Hang in there Nursing Twin! I've been in the OR for 16 years. I'm still learning! I learn something new just about everyday! And listen, the OR is highly technical. I mean seriously!! There is SO MUCH to learn. You can't possibly learn it all in the internship!! And don't forget ALL the surgeons and ALL their little preferences. I mean my GOD! Seriously, when I started, I was put with a different Circulator every day and learned like 20 different ways to prep the abdomen. Come on, right? Pick up the best from everyone you work with, and I mean everyone! Take all the good stuff that you like and agree with and soon you will have your super style of doing things and getting the job done! Just remember that's it's all about patient safety first! Preferences are a distant second! It sounds like you are dead set on perfection and that is going to make you a great OR nurse!

Wouldn't that be considered discrimination?