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Question for any nurses out there, please give your oppinion

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Posted 9/23/2013 12:39 AM (GMT 0)
On my state's RN renewal form it asks if you know of any reason / have any condition which could prevent you from taking appropriate care of your patients (not sure how it's exactly worded).  I've really been thinking hard about this.  I would not have wanted me as a nurse last month when I wasn't thinking clearly (luckily I was not in direct care of patients but rather light duty due to surgery).  I don't know what to do.  I worked so very hard to get my license.  I don't know if I should say something.  Have to fill out to renue license by end of October.  Please give me opinions.  What would you do?
Posted 9/23/2013 7:52 AM (GMT 0)
All you can do is answer truthfully and honestly. You even said you wouldn't want you as your Nurse. If you honestly feel your condition wouldn't affect your work, then answer that way. If you feel you will be fine, but theres a chance of you slipping, then answer saying your fine, you can't predict the future. If you know you're not up to par, than please don't try to justify anything, especially in this field where you have other people's health and lives at risk. If the period or time you weren't doing well was just a bad time, we all have them, then let it be that and don't let it hold you back.

I know a lot of us have worked hard and spent our whole life working towards something, and now we had to give it up, or had it taken from us. We can understand the unwillingness to accept it. There's a lot of things I can't do anymore that break my heart, but I now have new focus (my family, building relationships, serving at church.) You never know what doors will open. Like I said, be honest, there's no one that will think less of you for that. But the other side, lying and saying you're fine if you truly arent, then say something happens where you mistreat a patient and there's a lawsuit (again all IF's) and it comes around that it may be your fault somehow because of your condition, you can see where I am going. This is a major decision and not really one we can answer, but I hope you can think it through and come up with works for you.

My wife is an RN, I can ask her opinion if you want, I am sure it will be more or less similar to what I already wrote.

Post Edited (stinky634) : 9/23/2013 2:07:45 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/23/2013 9:35 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Stacey,I generally post in the CP forum but scrolling for spam I saw your plea and thought I would give you my opinion.

First I have no idea the degree of your health issues and only you can determine whether your a risk to your patients. That being said I fully understand how you feel about your license and how hard you worked to accomplish it.

I spent 25+ years in Ortho/Neuro and got the original injury at work that set me on this path of chronic pain. There was never a moment when I didnt want to be a nurse, it was as if I had been born with a certain knowledge of medicine and although I breezed thru classes it was a sacrifice my family made for me to go. I went first to LPN school then working slowly obtained the 3 years I needed for my RN. It was a long haul but I wasn't just a nurse, rather nursing defined me! I loved it, thrived in it, it was never just a job but who I was.

Making the decision to retire at 47 was never a difficult decision for me. I knew that giving my patients anything less then what I'd given for years was no longer going to be possible. The medications,the limitations, and my ability to push on when it was important to do so had diminished my overall suitability to perform.

I was not going to settle for anything less and if I couldn't still be the best I could be then it's not who I was.

After I retired I had many opportunities to branch out and use all those years of experience for a better good, I taught for a year at the local Vocational schools CNA class, I was a part time CPR and first responder instructor and always felt I was unfulfilled. Then I had the chance to work at the Ys domestic violence shelter and again I had renewed hope that my purpose had come full circle.

I hadn't really given up who I was when I retired, I had merely found more of myself.

You know in your own mind if you can no longer serve your profession in the capacity in which it requires of you but that decision doesn't have to close the door but merely open others.

Good luck in your journey.
Posted 9/23/2013 12:30 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Stacey. I retired after working my whole life as a nurse. After I got sick, there was no way I could've done direct care due to my extreme fatigue, loss of strength and pain. I was lucky enough to have already migrated into community nursing, and spent the last ten years of my career as a program manager for a parent education program. In that capacity, my illness didn't really affect my ability.

I think your answer has to take into account the type of work you are doing. If your current career is problematic, remember that there are infinite opportunities using different abilities and skills within the nursing field.
Posted 9/23/2013 12:53 PM (GMT 0)
I wanted to say one more thing that Judy was talking about. Really just a clarification.

If you feel your endangering or lets say compromising patient care and you know that you cannot anylonger be in direct patient care but your not so debilitated that you cant work in some capacity, teaching, counseling, whatever numerous positions that are out there for you then your answer would be no Stacey.

You were smart enough to realize when your ability is compromised and even though your going to retain your license you wont be jeopardizing anyone since your going to choose another area of nursing instead of direct patient care.

I hope this makes sense as its so hard sometimes to convey what we're saying in written form.

Good luck
Posted 9/24/2013 7:31 AM (GMT 0)
I am a retired nurse and I would say no that you don't have to say anything. Now if you were having severe mental health problems that might change the story. As long as your not having these isssues 24/7 I think you don't need to say anything.
Posted 9/24/2013 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
Right now I'm mentally running at about 85% (my own physical state is another matter).  I think I'd be fine on my usual unit (which I'm still not on due to recovering from shoulder surgery).  I have always thought of myself as a very caring nurse.  I'm never afraid to ask questions if I'm unsure about something.  My problem is last month I would say I was at 30%.  I didn't realize how bad I was till I woke up from it - literally had my mind come back to me within a 24 hour period.  What if it happens again?  I don't even know what it was.  I'm trying to figure out the best way to get an appointment with a psychiatrist.  By reading on here I don't think I could have been in a fibro fog for that long of a period.

I did ask the lady I've been working with (on light duty) her opinion and she said she didn't think I was that bad and didn't think I needed to report it. 

I wish I could explain to someone how bad it was.  I surely didn't understand myself till I got out of it.  Even now as I get farther away from that time it doesn't seam real.

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