CommanderZ

CommanderZ specializes in Interested in ER, OR & informatics.

CommanderZ's Latest Activity

1. 

   Would a voluntary inpatient stay preclude me from becoming an RN?

   CommanderZ replied to CommanderZ's topic in Psychiatric

   Thanks, dolcebellaluna (what a beautiful name!). I'm new here and can't PM you, but I'll IM your AIM account. I'd love to hear about your experience. Thanks for the offer.
2. 

   Would a voluntary inpatient stay preclude me from becoming an RN?

   CommanderZ replied to CommanderZ's topic in Psychiatric

   Thanks, Kobri. I understand your point. And it's correct. And the input here has left me feeling better about whatever course I choose.
3. 

   Would a voluntary inpatient stay preclude me from becoming an RN?

   CommanderZ replied to CommanderZ's topic in Psychiatric

   That Maslow - he's always right. Thanks for your suggestions, Miranda. When I first encountered trouble finding a doc, I did contact my former doc in LA, but she did not have any contacts in SC. I'm hoping that some of my professors here can help with names and/or pulling strings to get me an appointment. They are a pretty well-connected bunch, and I formed good relationships with several of them. > I know many medical folks who have a history of mental illness who are functioning well without any restrictions. You're so right - Kay Redfield Jamison is a hero of mine, and though I am not nearly as brilliant as she, her experience gives me hope. Just posting here tonight was a big step for me - I've been mulling it over for weeks. The responses have rekindled some hope, and I haven't felt that in a long time. By the way, I love your username. You are two things I aspire to be - a nurse and a writer. All best to you.
4. 

   Would a voluntary inpatient stay preclude me from becoming an RN?

   CommanderZ replied to CommanderZ's topic in Psychiatric

   >Sorry for rambling, and this is the first post I've ever responded to, so hopefully I've not broken any rules. We are firsties together! And you're not rambling; I very much appreciate your willingness to share. One of the worst side effects of isolation is forgetting that other people have endured pain and come out on the other side. >feeling "forced" to look at in-patient care Very succinct - forced is exactly how I feel. I didn't know how good I had it Los Angeles; I honestly never expected this kind of difficulty find a doc. It's admirable that you feel drawn to psych nursing - especially in a rural area - based on your experience with "the system." I feel strongly that my experience with illness enhances my ability to empathize with my (future) patients, although I don't think I'm cut out for psych nursing. But I'm still early my education, so maybe that will change. >I actually was TRYING at that point to be admitted to the psych unit That's gone through my mind as well. It would seriously suck to sort of throw myself on their mercy, only to be told that I'm not "sick enough" to warrant immediate care. >Just found this via extensive Google searching This is excellent - I was buried in legalese on the SC Code of Laws page, linked from the SC Board of Nursing page. Your synopsis is much clearer. It reads to me like the Board expects self-disclosure of hospitalization. I'll check with them for details. Thanks also for mentioning "attention deficit related to depression" - I need to investigate this. I wasn't diagnosed with ADD until '06 (at age 32), and I never went through any extensive testing, just a few diagnostics my doc administered. Concentration is one of the first things to go for me when things get bad. Adderall was like a miracle drug for me, because in addition to making me able to read, work, study and string a sentence together, it also alleviated the fatigue and lethargy that are doing me in right now. It sounds as though your situation is improved and hopefully well-managed. And good on you for volunteering on a psych unit. I'm feeling a bit more optimistic about at least exploring my options, and for that, I thank you. Best of luck to you - you strike me as someone who'll be credit to the profession.
5. 

   Would a voluntary inpatient stay preclude me from becoming an RN?

   CommanderZ replied to CommanderZ's topic in Psychiatric

   I had a feeling that licensure issues vary by state. I am planning to talk things over with a former professor of mine and will make inquiries about state board requirements in SC. I hope your friend gets her situation sorted. >It isn't clear from your post why outpatient therapy isn't working for you. Sorry - I get wordy and was aiming to keep my post to a manageable length. When I came back to SC, no pdocs on my insurance were taking new patients. I finally paid out-of-pocket to see someone, but after the 75-min intake, her appointments were limited to 15-min med management sessions. That was quite an adjustment after what I was accustomed to, and on top of that, we didn't see eye-to-eye as to my plan of care. After my father had a stroke, I fell into a serious depression (but nothing close to what I'm going through now) and rather than adjust dosages or meds, she suggested that I check myself into the psych ward, which I thought was completely unwarranted. I ultimately sought care as a last resort through the county mental health department. I continued to see pdocs there for about a year but found it hard to adjust to only having pdoc appointments every 2 months, especially when I didn't find the therapist I was assigned to very helpful. I understand they are horribly overworked and understaffed but also felt like I wasn't necessarily the population their services best cater to. When I enrolled at university in fall '08, I switched my care to the student psych center, only to find that their fear of drug-seeking 18-year-olds meant their policy was not to prescribe stimulants (which I had been on for some time) without a battery of psychological tests to "prove" my ADD diagnosis (despite it having been made by my Los Angeles pdoc and taken as writ since then). Mid-semester I developed a serious case of pneumonia, stumbled through to the end of the semester, and things essentially fell apart after that. My depression is marked by lethargy and apathy, and I haven't had it in me to start another round of trying to find a pdoc in a city that has precious few of them. >I think for inpatient settings, the big question is if you're a danger to yourself or others--you may or may not decide that you need inpatient care This is really the crux of the matter. If I felt like I could pick up the phone and find a pdoc, I'd never even consider inpatient care. I'm certainly not (and never have been) a threat to others, but suicidal ideation (never attempted) has always been present in my depressive episodes. >I really feel bad that you'd have to consider future licensing when trying to decide how best to care for yourself. I appreciate that. It does add a level of complication I could do without. Thanks for all your thoughts, manchmal. Writing about this has allowed me to empty my head a bit. If it's considered overshare/inappropriate to the board, my apologies.
6. 

   Would a voluntary inpatient stay preclude me from becoming an RN?

   CommanderZ posted a topic in Psychiatric

   I'm a nursing student and am considering a voluntary inpatient psych stay for major bipolar depression. Other than lack of insurance, my primary obstacle to making this decision is whether having a hospitalization "on my record" would preclude RN licensure or employment. I'm 36, have a BA in a non-nursing field and have been working toward a BSN off and on since '04. At that time, I lived in Los Angeles, had a great job, took pre-req classes at night (and carried a 4.0 GPA) and - mostly importantly - had an excellent psychiatrist who did both med management and talk therapy. I saw her for 60-minute sessions as often as needed, and she was quick to adjust dosages or meds as my situation warranted. In late '06, I left Los Angeles and returned to my hometown of Columbia, SC, to assist my aging parents with their mounting health issues. For a variety of reasons, I've been unable to secure consistent psych care here, and I now find myself heading into month 13 of the most crippling depression I've ever experienced (I've had DSM diagnoses since age 21). I haven't worked in about 14 months and am in no shape to attend school. I have, quite literally, been in bed since last January. I've never spent a day in a hospital as a patient for any reason, but I'm coming to believe that inpatient treatment may be my only hope to stabilize my mind and restart my life. My diagnoses are BP II, OCD and ADD (inattentive), but when I am properly medicated and working with a simpatico pdoc, I'm pretty formidable. So, I have questions. I'm not looking for diagnostic info specific to my situation (I understand that is not the purpose of this board), but rather for insight. I don't have a clear grasp of what inpatient treatment involves; what does it look like in your professional experience? I'm scared of being treated like a criminal, of not being taken seriously, of giving up any agency I have over my life, and most especially, of making a decision that will prevent me from entering into what I firmly believe will be a rewarding career path. Thank you for reading this, and any feedback you can provide is most appreciated.