Elanthil

My NP and the shrink have been pressuring me to do something like this for 2 years now, so I think I can count on their support :) My main concern is how to juggle school, shrink appts and Dr. appts without harming my GPA, but I'm sure some accomodation can be made. Thanks for the advice, I'm going to contact a few nursing colleges and possibly the legal aid society in my area to get the fine details, but it's nice to have the affirmation from nurses that someone 'like me' is acceptable :)

I believe I misspoke and perhaps put too much emphasis on the sexual orientation thing, but it is a pet peeve of mine. I believe that people ASSUMING someone is gay based on their choice of profession is as unfair as, say, a gay person being ASSUMED to live a perverted lifestyle. Neither opinion bears any merit, but the mere fact that many people still hold....and act upon...these unenlightened opinions bothers me. This stigma naturally is something I would have to take into consideration and be prepared for dealing with in a calm and caring manner. That's really all I meant, and to call it part of an uphill battle was perhaps disingenuous of me and possibly insulting to persons of alternate lifestyles, so you have my apologies on that side of things. That aside, however, lets get to the real meat of why I posted: As to my stability:. I am on a single medication these days, after years of the medication rollercoaster, and it provides the balance I need to function properly. In fact I would venture to say that I face lifes uncertainties with more aplomb and grace than many of you so-called 'normals' do, thanks to my medication regimen and some changes in lifestyle, diet and what I permit myself to 'get away with' thinking about. So: Short answer: Yes. I'm stable enough and 'normal' enough to give medical care to others. As to working, I have NOT worked in almost six years, but this is due to the physical problems I was left with after my car accident, rather than my so-called 'mental disorder'. At the time of this writing, I am looking forward to (anxiously) no less than 4 to 6 surgeries ranging from my skull to my spine that the doctors have assured me will return me to the kind of physical condition one would expect of the average middle aged man, although I will never be the kind of bruiser I was in my kick boxing days, of course. What I really care about is the legality and the ethics of a Bipolar person being a nurse. I cannot afford to waste tens of thousands of dollars on training only to be booted from classes after paying for them, or worse, refused a license or a job because some half-wit believes that anyone with emotional challenges is automatically some kind of threat, so I was hoping someone could provide some specific insight into the laws governing who may and who may NOT practice in the medical field. I am so certain of my calling in this field that I would be willing to agree to almost any kind of stipulation, regardless of how dim-witted or unfair in order to pursue nursing. Don't get me wrong...I'm not 'obsessive' about it. I'm just willing to go the extra mile (even two) if that's what it takes. If the law unfairly and unjustly says I cannot pursue my dream well then, I suppose there is nothing I can do about it and will just have to put it down to how unenlightened our 'civilization' still is about 'mental illness', and go off and pursue something else I am passionate about.

I am 40 years old. I have a measured I.Q. of roughly 140+, but very little 'common sense' :) I have a fairly rare sort of crossbreed diagnosis of Bipolar disorder, major depression, and borderline personality disorder. I am also ADHD, have been since I was a child, and, was treated with the typical drugs used in the 70s and 80s, which my Doctors believe may have contributed to my current emotional disorders (I refuse to call myself mentally ill. I may be distracted, and have a low self image sometimes, but my mind is sharper, and smarter, than any other three people put together!). I also have a neck that has been fused and had implants installed ('scaffolding'), spinal stenosis, mild leg neuropathy and slight drop foot. For getting around long distances, I use a cane and do fine, although I am definately not a speed demon. I am also a former heavyweight kick-boxer, and despite my structural abnormalities and the pain I have learned to accept as being my 'buddy' for the rest of my life (its constant and untreatable), I am strong enough to do...well...anything that needs done. I can, when called upon, take a 300 pound man over my shoulder and carry him...although I hope I would never have to Now that you have some background facts, here is the deal: I have always aspired to nursing, for two reasons: First of all, I cannot see myself devoting the time, money, and hardship to becoming a full on Doctor, furthermore I have learned over the years it is really the NURSES who make a difference in a patients care and recovery...the Doctor's are often little more than a diagnostic tool, in my opinion, and, because of the nature of their job tend to become emotionless automatons...and that is just not me! I know as both a 'mentally ill' person, a 'disabled' person, and a heterosexual male, I have a steep uphill challenge not just to complete my training, but to secure a job, keep that job, and be taken seriously in the workplace, but I think Im stubborn and cantankerous enough to suceed....if I'm allowed. And that, dear nurses, is my question: Am I, a crippled, half-crazy gimp of a middle aged man ALLOWED, by law, and by ethics, to become a nurse? I feel that I would never be a danger to a patient, that I can provide high quality care within reasonable working accomodations, and I desperately want to take up what has, for so many years, felt like my 'calling'. Any information, advice, or links to legal information regarding my circumstances and my chances of suceeding as a nurse would be most helpful. -Anxiously yours, Elanthil.