Why did this happen to me?

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Feb 8, 2014

I am so sorry.....this situation stinks on ice :down: I know you said something in another thread about this as well; what I don't understand is why you have to give up your license entirely because you were hospitalized for a mental health problem. If the BON did that to every nurse with psych issues, there wouldn't be enough nurses left to take care of the patients!

I've known nurses who were hospitalized, even a couple whose admissions were involuntary, but they still had nursing licenses when they came out (although they had to go through one of those ridiculous monitoring programs which treat everyone like criminals). Why ever would your state take away your license for seeking and obtaining health care for a mental problem? It doesn't make sense....

Retired APRN, MSN, RN, APRN · Feb 8, 2014

I am so sorry this happened, Sarit. {{{{{Hugs}}}}}

sarit · Feb 8, 2014

Yes, I am surprised the BON moved like this! Over hospitalizations? I am not accused of patient harm, etc. No history of addiction. I'm so worried how this will affect me in my attempt at a new career, public health. I am in grad school for this. The lawyer said its better to let the license go particularly since, I had volunteered myself in the monitoring program after the second hospitalization and the monitoring program has caused nothing but grief for me. They wanted to monitor my public health practicum and I just can't have a new career killed before it starts. I did have the option to go to an informal hearing and fight for my license, but the best case scenario would be they would publish even more stigmatizing information and order me into the monitoring program.

I miss nursing. I was a good nurse. I have the option for reinstatement, and don't have to do it in my state. I want to move on in public health though. I am very scared it won't happen, I won't get employed.

sarit · Feb 8, 2014

Viva, thank you for your kind words. You know it differs from state to state. In my state, I was investigated for a VOLUNTARY hospitalization. Depressive episode, no psychosis, no suicidality. That was my first hospitalization. This is wrong! It discourages health professionals from getting inpatient treatment when they needed it.

Obviously anyone with a controlled psych issue, no matter what it is, can be a good nurse. I also met a number of nurses disciplined for addiction and this state comes down way too hard on them as well. I would so much like to move up to Maryland because as of last year they weren't investigating like this, but my grad school is in Virginia and that will affect tuition rates.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Feb 8, 2014

From what I've heard, in some states psychiatrists MUST report hospitalizations of healthcare professionals to their licensing board, whether the admission is voluntary or involuntary. IMHO it's a recipe for disaster because it discourages people from getting help when they need it.

And again, I wonder why it is that no one would even think of reporting a healthcare professional's hospital stay for heart failure or DKA, but it's always open season on the mentally ill. :facepalm:

Selfie · Feb 9, 2014

This seems so extreme and archaic. I'm sorry this has happened to you, and i'm glad you have a back up plan. I agree with Viva, if the board did this to everyone with psych issues, there would be no one left to take care of patients. I hope you can appeal once you have your other career in hand.

sarit · Feb 14, 2014

I went to nursing school to be able to support my family. Now, at square one, just because I was hospitalized, we are impoverished, living only because my father supports us financially.

I hear everyone saying here, if they did this to every nurse then there wouldn't be many nurses. Well, please do not think I am lying. I have never had any complaints about my practice. It is only because I was hospitalized.

So much for the American Dream. People with psychiatric diagnoses need not apply for that…we're not wanted by society.

Sam J. · Feb 14, 2014

From what I've heard, in some states psychiatrists MUST report hospitalizations of healthcare professionals to their licensing board, whether the admission is voluntary or involuntary. IMHO it's a recipe for disaster because it discourages people from getting help when they need it.
And again, I wonder why it is that no one would even think of reporting a healthcare professional's hospital stay for heart failure or DKA, but it's always open season on the mentally ill.

I was going to ask how the BON knew about the hospital stays, then here came the answer. And as far as so much for the American Dream, so much also for disability acts. This is another situation in which anyone that seeks, and receives treatment for either a mental or physical issue in punished. Can't do much to encourage people not to hide in the closet and avoid treatment for fear of being 'outed'. Sad.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Feb 14, 2014

I was going to ask how the BON knew about the hospital stays, then here came the answer. And as far as so much for the American Dream, so much also for disability acts. This is another situation in which anyone that seeks, and receives treatment for either a mental or physical issue in punished. Can't do much to encourage people not to hide in the closet and avoid treatment for fear of being 'outed'. Sad.

The ADA does not protect you if you lose your job because of mental illness. All an employer has to do is decide that the accommodations you request for your illness pose an "undue hardship" to the company, and if you can't do the job without those accommodations, you are out of luck. This happened to me last spring; I had to go out on medical leave of absence for 3 weeks due to anxiety and mania, in lieu of hospitalization for same.

Unfortunately, I sort of bullied my psychiatrist into letting me go back to work too soon because I was getting stressed about money, and promptly fell apart again two hours into the first day back. I was sent home, then fired three days later because Corporate's office full of lawyers figured out an easy way around the ADA. The only accommodations my doctor requested were a 4-day work week, two hours per day of uninterrupted work time, and a short period where the higher-stress confrontations could be given to other staff to handle until I was better able to take them on.

The latter was the deal-breaker......they wouldn't even grant me that minor (and temporary) request. Although I'm better off now that I don't work for that company, I spent the next few months in a tailspin......the only upside to it was that I have a psychiatrist who doesn't like to hospitalize people, because I am scared to death of the hospital and will do anything I can to avoid it. I've been threatened with it a couple of times but never gone inpatient, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Anyway, I learned from this experience to keep my illness to myself when it comes to the workplace, especially in my current situation where I hold a job of considerable responsibility. That means faking it when I'm sick and doing the proactive things I can do to wrestle the beast back into submission. I keep my psych visits a secret and only tell my bosses I have a medical appointment.....they don't need to know why I have to see a doctor every month.

TerpGal02, ASN · Feb 18, 2014

In my state the BON is only notified if you are committed psychiatrically and to commit someone takes a whole lotta red tape (meaning, 2 doctors certify you and an administrative law judge says you must be confined and they can do it up to 6 mos which invariably leads to a lengthy stay at a state hospital). If not for that Id be SOL. I have had 2 hospitalizations for SI with a plan since my licensure.

RNlove17 · Feb 28, 2014

wow! It's unbelievable the stigma that exists when it comes to mental health. So much so that you lose your license over it. If you had had 3 heart attacks (im exaggerating here), no one would look twice. Mental health IS health! I am so sorry that you have to go through this