thepsychtech

How would I explain gaps in my employment and schooling due to a chronic illness that requires major surgery intermittently? This illness - that I've lived with my entire life - is the reason I want to pursue nursing.

I have Cerebral Palsy that affects my right side. I'm also wondering if I am "fit for duty" pursuing nursing with CP.

I have a degree in Psychology and have worked in inpatient and emergency psychiatry for years now. Psychiatry is not the right fit for me due to the sometimes high propensity for violence. I was hit in the head and had my shunt broken on the unit in 2014. I haven't worked in a hospital setting since. I really miss patient care, though. I have right-sided Hemiparesis but it's only noticeable if I'm tired. Am I kidding myself to try to get into a nursing program with my memory and fine-motor difficulties?

OP here. Thank you everyone for your advice. First of all, let me set a few things straight: I am not. My patient was female and so am I. Many of you asked how I got her contact information. When she found out she was being discharged, she asked me, “If I write you a note, will you read it?” I replied, “Sure" She gave me her note but I only had time to read it after she left. The note had her phone number on it asking me to go out with her. I thought about this very hard and realize it would be extremely unethical to even contact her. Someone mentioned about her coming back to the facility in which I work – that is a very good point. If she and I were dating, I wouldn’t be able to legally care for her. If she and I had dated and broken up, I wouldn’t be able to care for her as well as being a detriment to her progress. I want the best for all the patients for whom I care. I realize that dating her would not be in her best interest and would be selfish on my part. It would be a huge ethical breach to go out with her as well as putting my job at risk. Thank you again for helping me come to this conclusion.

First off, I work as a psychiatric technician - I am not a nurse. Can I legally date a patient after she has been discharged from the psychiatric hospital in which I work? I cared for each of the patients under my care equally - she and I seemed to hit it off instantly, though. Would I be breaching confidentiality laws or the code of ethics by seeing her outside of the hospital now that she has been discharged?