Rehab? Asking for a future nurse

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Hi everyone,

I am a male who is looking to get into nursing. My question concerns the fact that I went to rehab for alcohol addiction. Is this something that I have to disclose when I take the NCLEX? Is this something I have to disclose to a nursing board so that I can become licensed? Please let me know!!! My main concern is that it could impede me from becoming a nurse.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Yes, most nursing boards will typically ask if you have been formally diagnosed with a substance use disorder

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Ok, but I was never Formally diagnosed with alcoholism despite getting treated for it. Is this something that could haunt me later on?

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

Check out the nurses/Recovery forum on the site. It is a wealth of information.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
19 hours ago, HiddenShadow20 said:

Ok, but I was never Formally diagnosed with alcoholism despite getting treated for it. Is this something that could haunt me later on?

Having been treated for Alcoholism, alcohol use disorder etc.... will not in itself keep you from taking your NCLX or becoming g a nurse. Most applications for licensure will ask if you have been treated for substance abuse or mental illness with psychotic features. Some will ask if it has been in the last 10 years. If you are outside that 10 year mark you need not answer. If however you received treatment within the specified time period you must answer honestly. BONs have a way of finding these things out especially if your drinking caused you any type of legal problems which would show up on a back-ground check.

Likely you will begin your career in some type of monitoring program. It's best to have some kind of side gig to put as much cash in the bank as you can. These programs are very expensive and frustrating but it's the way of things for nuses in recovery.

Hope this helps

Hppy

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
19 hours ago, HiddenShadow20 said:

Ok, but I was never Formally diagnosed with alcoholism despite getting treated for it. Is this something that could haunt me later on?

You sure you were not formally diagnosed with alcohol use disorder by the physician/psychiatrist in the rehab facility? How did they code your documentation for billing purposes?

As Happygrateful mentioned, the verbiage might say "diagnosed or treated"

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Women's Health, LTC.
On 1/2/2020 at 7:04 PM, HiddenShadow20 said:

Hi everyone,

I am a male who is looking to get into nursing. My question concerns the fact that I went to rehab for alcohol addiction. Is this something that I have to disclose when I take the NCLEX? Is this something I have to disclose to a nursing board so that I can become licensed? Please let me know!!! My main concern is that it could impede me from becoming a nurse.

Please CONSULT an attorney. My advise, if you are healthy and looking after your sobriety, DO NOT SAY A THING. Look at the recovery forum. It will cost you thousands of dollars to complete the monitoring, and will take longer for you to sit for NCLEX and obtain your license.

Just my 2 cents. Congratulations on your health and sobriety and on becoming a nurse!

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Specializes in Oceanfront Living.
2 hours ago, rn1965 said:

Please CONSULT an attorney. My advise, if you are healthy and looking after your sobriety, DO NOT SAY A THING. Look at the recovery forum. It will cost you thousands of dollars to complete the monitoring, and will take longer for you to sit for NCLEX and obtain your license.

Just my 2 cents. Congratulations on your health and sobriety and on becoming a nurse!

If you are truly living a sober life, then it is nobodies business what you went through before you became a nurse. Unless, you have criminal charges such as a DUI. then I would proceed as you desire making certain to keep a sober path.

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As others have mentioned, if you have no criminal history, nor have been admitted involuntarily for psych treatment, your medical history is protected private information and you would do well to keep it that way. I know several folks with similar stories who did not disclose their history and are registered now.

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Thanks for everyone's responses. Unfortunately I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and definitely had some psychotic features at one time and was admitted to a hospital where I agreed to a voluntary temporary detention order. With this new information, should I expect to receive additional monitoring? Do I need to disclose this as well??

Thanks!

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Your health information is private for a reason. You are under no obligation to disclose your private health information. If you have a criminal record related to this that is another thing entirely.

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I really really really advise you to speak with an RN Attorney in your state. They will have an RN and also a JD (Juris Doctorate).

You can find one here: https://taana.org/

Do not disclose a word to anybody on your board of nursing, at your nursing school, or at your clinical sites about your history with this matter. Listen to what the attorney says because they will be qualified to do a background check on you and see what the BON will find out and therefore what you ought to disclose to the BON to sit for your NCLEX.

Do NOT listen to people who make you feel like you have a moral obligation to disclose. You do not, and should not.

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