RN with Epilepsy denied accommodations

[AMS14]

Hey everyone

So I was diagnosed with epilepsy at my current job so it's never been an issue with my managers in ambulatory surgery, but I've wondered what I should do for my next job as I am currently looking. I actually did accept a job in endoscopy at a medium-sized city hospital and was denied the accommodation of no night shifts. (These on call shifts would only be around 2 weekday nights every month and 1 weekend (24hrs) every 6 weeks. I wasn't told this position had on-call NIGHT requirements and it didn't appear to be a thing... start times are like 6,6:30,7. I never thought there would be night shift emergency endoscopy and so do other nurses LOL. But anyway, this manager has 45 nurses report to her, and you're telling me you cannot accommodate to one nurse not doing night shift and only days and evenings? I went through the whole thing with a case manager and HR and she still said no. My neurologist said I should report this to the state for discrimination. That would ruin my chances of ever working for that hospital/company again. I WANT to do surgical services like PACU/ endoscopy but I can't advance my career outside of ambulatory surgery. I would need to go to the hospital to get somewhere. What the heck do I do in the future? I may get denied every opportunity if I disclose that in every PACU job interview. 

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

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you're telling me you cannot accommodate to one nurse not doing night shift and only days and evenings?

Facilities are only required to provide reasonable accommodations. Requiring others to pick up extra work that another is not required to do may not be considered reasonable. We had a nurse who requested accommodation to not participate in elective termination of pregnancy. These cases are only done on day shift, and there are plenty of others willing to trade rooms. Reasonable and granted. Another nurse requested an accommodation to not have to work with pediatric patients due to mental health... we are a level one pediatric trauma center. Because this would mean inability to cover call shifts and thus add onto the workload of others, it was deemed not a reasonable accommodation and the nurse was given the option to resign or be terminated.

If you are unable to cover night shift call, which is an expected requirement in inpatient and some outpatient procedural and surgical areas, then you would be best served by seeking out facilities that do not have call requirements at all.

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I never thought there would be night shift emergency endoscopy

Food bolus, GI bleed, foreign object...

[AMS14]

Correct. Isn't it ridiculous? I found the literature of "undue hardship" on the employer from the state law. Tell me that's not undue hardship LOL. Totally unfair. Can't wait to deal with this for the rest of my career. 

[greener22, BSN, MSN, RN]

I am curious how having epilepsy makes you exempt from night call. I have worked with nurses who have an epilepsy and they never had any special accommodations. They just weren't allowed to drive. Former PACU are in with call expectations it would mean everyone else would have to take more call so that you wouldn't and that would create a lot of disgruntled unhappy workers. I don't think it would be fair to them.l to have to take more call regardless of the reason. I think you should buck it up and take the call. Maybe you can get other staff to take it with cash offers. 

[sleepwalker, MSN, NP]

greener22 said:

I am curious how having epilepsy makes you exempt from night call. 

I was wondering the same thing. Why would you need an accommodation for this diagnosis? This is an on-call requirement...certainly nothing that would result in sleep deprivation or a significant disruption in circadian rhythm that would lead to a resulting increase in seizures if your well controlled on medication.