Career in Children's Nursing after depression, anxiety, OCD diagnosis

[Rascalls3]

My 19 year old daughter is in her first year of Children's Nursing degree. She saw our GP at Christmas as you was suffering from quite severe anxiety. Since then she has managed to see a counsellor via her university who believes she has depression, anxiety and OCD.
It is proving difficult to arrange follow up appointments with this counsellor as she has limited slots and my dd has a busy schedule with hospital placements and uni. We are fortunate to have private healthcare, and are going to use this in the hope this will make scheduling appointments easier. To do this she has to see psychiatrist initially.
Our GP mentioned that on future job applications her MH will be flagged up. Is this going to cause her difficulties getting a Children's nursing job in the future? Obviously our main focus at the moment is for her to get well.,but it would be good to know that her future won't be limited by the problems she is experiencing now

[BisleyBoy]

I would think that's it's all confidential, no?

[SilverStars]

Any MH treatment/diagnosis will need to be declared to occupational health for jobs, that is standard as when applying for jobs have to fill in health forms. Any omissions would be treated seriously if person has time off work or needs adaptations for a condition that was not declared.

This does not mean people cannot get jobs or appropriate support in the NHS.

[Rascalls3]

Very helpful thank you

[softlysoftly]

Hang on when do you have to give information like that?

I've never had to (private sector) surely it would block people out of going to the GP with MH issues?

[hairylittlegoblin]

It has to be disclosed to occupational health because it can be relevant to your ability to work. Children's nursing is an incredibly stressful and emotionally demanding job. It isn't about barring people who have had mental health issues from working innunursing. But it is about ensuring that they aren't exposed to unnecessary risks.

[hairylittlegoblin]

Sorry OP - hope your DD gets the support she needs and is feeling better soon.

[MagpieCursedTea]

Softly, some organisations ask you to fill out a health questionnaire when you start with them. This gets passed to occupational health who do an assessment if deemed necessary.

[hairylittlegoblin]

If she's managing to continue with her placements and meet uni commitments alongside treatment I imagine occ health would be very encouraged by that. It shows she has the self awareness to identify a health problem and seek appropriate treatment quickly which I would think she could use as evidence to support her ability to work as a nurse.

[Rascalls3]

Hairylittlegoblin thank you so much for your kind words and helpful comments. She is extremely hard working and diligent. I am hoping that with the right help and support she will get better whilst continuing her studies. Everyone at her uni/ hospital placements has been very kind and supportive which is obviously encouraging.

[Rascalls3]

I do remember her completing an occupational health form before starting her degree, but this was some months before she started suffering any anxiety/depression symptoms.

[SilverStars]

If your dd struggles with completing hours at placements or deadlines she could contact OH herself and they can offer support - increasing deadlines without penalties, altering shifts if needed or looking at distances to placements etc. A friend of mine managed to do no night shifts at all, got all local placements where possible and short shifts to help her - and made up shifts in an agreed manner as all students have to do same hours by end of course. They were amazing once they knew her condition. And she got first job she applied to despite having significant absences due to being in hospital at one point etc!

[Rascalls3]

SilverStars my daughter has spoken to some sort of uni welfare person ( can't remember her job title) in the last couple of days and most of the concessions your friend had available to her have been mentioned. Did your friend have a MH illness? Well done to your friend for being successful despite her illness.

[duplodon]

This is so unhelpful of your GP.

In standard NHS applications, you would declare this on application on a form that is ONLY seen by HR who forward it to Occ Health who follow up with successful applicants, usually after interview. Interviewers would not normally know of the individual's health needs at all.

I had similar issues to your daughter after the birth of my second child. I had to take four months sick leave at the end of my maternity. I disclosed to my manager but later realised I wasn't expected to tell anyone but Occ Health. The Occ Health doctor wrote a report to say I was doing everything possible to manage my health and gave no indicators whatsoever of why I was off.

[dontrunwithscissors]

It's against the Disability Discrimnatinn Act to ask any health related questions in an interview or similar. They can asks about your health in a separate form for HR/OH, but it can not feed into a decision on whether to employ you. It is only where your condition can affect your job (eg. An epileptic wanting to be a pilot) that you can be automatically excluded on grounds of disability.

[Rascalls3]

Thank you all so much for your really helpful replies. I have a much better understanding of the process. It will be more than two years before my daughter will be applying for jobs and I am obviously hoping that by then she will be able to document her illness and recovery.

[hairylittlegoblin]

Wishing her all the best.

[Blueskyandbirdsong]

From personal experience I would have to say declaring a mh condition in nursing is very difficult. It is really quite ironic given it is a caring profession. Your daughter does not have to declare her mental health issues however she could be sacked if it came to light (same with any condition). Her institute will want a statement from her psychiatrist about her fitness to practise. What I would say is that she does not allow her illness to be declared on the nursing register. If she does allow it then this diagnosis will follow her through out her whole nursing career, even if she becomes and remains well.

[dontrunwithscissors]

I'm not sure whether it's dufferent in something like nursing, but I don't think they can dismiss you for not declaring a mental health condition, just as they can't dismiss someone for not declaring diabetes unkess it raises safety issues directly (eg a pilot).

However, if you don't declare a condition, you do not have protection from the Disability Discrimination Act.

[Latara]

I have had Psychosis and lost my job as a Staff Nurse. I now work as an HCA. I did try to go back to working as a Staff Nurse but was assessed by the workplace professional development dept and they didn't think I would be able to do the job again. I feel that everyone has been put off by my diagnosis.
Obviously being psychotic is a lot different to your daughter's problems but I was suffering from depression first and I feel that it was the stress of my job that pushed me over into paranoia and then psychosis.
Just make sure that your daughter really understands the stresses & pressures of the job before getting in too deep.

[Rascalls3]

Thank you all for taking the time to post. This is obviously going to be a challenging journey and I appreciate all the advice. Latara you make a valid point and I wish you well in your recovery.

[Rascalls3]

I just wanted to say a big thank you to the lovely poster who private messaged me (only just realised I had it!) I have sent a message back. So very kind