I am sitting on the beach with my dog. Just helped a lady to jump-start her car. That's the positive, the negative is I am currently unemployed due to mistakes I made a work last year. My previous employer has complained to the nursing council about me. I had been planning on leaving nursing for a few years now and had found that I have a lot of talents as a teacher. During my nearly 17 years as a nurse, I have gained a lot of teaching skills and a teaching qualification. As special educational needs is a passion of mine due to my 3 children and my sister all of whom have special educational needs I a completed a diploma in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
I have also been working on other skills which will make me employable such as marketing, business studies, employment law and so on.
Back to the NMC investigation. When I heard about the complaints I was working as a teaching assistant in a school for children with predominantly a diagnosis of autism. I informed the class teacher in passing that just in case she noticed I was not my usual bubbly self this was the reason. The next day I was shocked to find out I had been suspended by the teaching agency, despite my extremely good work and the NMC case being nothing to do with education. The agency informed me that they do not employ anyone who is being investigated for anything until it has concluded. Did I mention that I am still fit to practice as a nurse? As someone with Tourettes, autism and dyspraxia I have always had anxiety issues. So all of this threw me into depression.
Since all of this, I kept very resilient working hard to find another job which fits in with my children's holidays. So far I have been offered a job as a coach and a bus driver, sadly the hours did not fit in with family life and they could not be flexible around the holidays. My children need 24hour care to keep them safe. I did have a teaching job opportunity but this was promptly removed by another agency after they were informed that I had been stopped from working for a previous teaching agency due to the investigation by the NMC. So my opportunity to train to be a Special Needs teacher is currently in tatters. I just need someone to give me a chance. I am caring, supportive a problem solver and hard working. Yet because I made mistakes due to being stressed due to juggling home and work my mental health and general health began to deteriorate. Looking back on this time I thought I was doing ok but I can now see that I wasn't. My doctor had told me he had never seen me like this so depressed and anxious. I was suddenly thrown into caring for 42 teenagers with a high level of medical needs. My head began to spin, I was getting headaches, struggled with the noise, ended up having to work late all of the time. Despite my hard work, I was just told I needed to work smarter. Did I mention I have executive function issues which I work around as much as possible? My Tourettes started to get worse.
My wife had major surgery in October, in the summer we were concerned it was a malignant tumour, due to my wife's history of having a rare tumour in the past we were advised that an MRI scan was needed. Luckily it was a benign tumour which required surgery. As my youngest son needed to be taken to school due to not currently being eligible for transport to his school which is 20 miles away. My wife was going to be unable to lift or drive for at least 3 months. Her full recovery will take at least 12 months. Due to my son's disabilities, I had to be available to look after him and my wife. My employer was unable to help me and questioned whether I needed to spend the whole day with my wife during her day of surgery. My youngest who is verbal but has autism and moderate learning disabilities was very confused as to where mummy was, this led to increased meltdown behaviour.
On a positive note, I have been given the all-clear for prostate cancer. Despite some symptoms and strong family history, nothing sinister was noted in the scan. So that is one problem down others to go. I have just received an email informing me I have not been shortlisted for a job as a teaching assistant due to the ongoing investigation by the nursing council which will take 9 months to complete.
If you are still reading this, then thank you. I just want to be open about mental health and how life can suddenly hit you hard. I have no one to talk to and feel that I am not sure how I am going to carry on.
Take Care and have a great day.
Darren & Millie (my labradoodle) at the beach.
I have also been working on other skills which will make me employable such as marketing, business studies, employment law and so on.
Back to the NMC investigation. When I heard about the complaints I was working as a teaching assistant in a school for children with predominantly a diagnosis of autism. I informed the class teacher in passing that just in case she noticed I was not my usual bubbly self this was the reason. The next day I was shocked to find out I had been suspended by the teaching agency, despite my extremely good work and the NMC case being nothing to do with education. The agency informed me that they do not employ anyone who is being investigated for anything until it has concluded. Did I mention that I am still fit to practice as a nurse? As someone with Tourettes, autism and dyspraxia I have always had anxiety issues. So all of this threw me into depression.
Since all of this, I kept very resilient working hard to find another job which fits in with my children's holidays. So far I have been offered a job as a coach and a bus driver, sadly the hours did not fit in with family life and they could not be flexible around the holidays. My children need 24hour care to keep them safe. I did have a teaching job opportunity but this was promptly removed by another agency after they were informed that I had been stopped from working for a previous teaching agency due to the investigation by the NMC. So my opportunity to train to be a Special Needs teacher is currently in tatters. I just need someone to give me a chance. I am caring, supportive a problem solver and hard working. Yet because I made mistakes due to being stressed due to juggling home and work my mental health and general health began to deteriorate. Looking back on this time I thought I was doing ok but I can now see that I wasn't. My doctor had told me he had never seen me like this so depressed and anxious. I was suddenly thrown into caring for 42 teenagers with a high level of medical needs. My head began to spin, I was getting headaches, struggled with the noise, ended up having to work late all of the time. Despite my hard work, I was just told I needed to work smarter. Did I mention I have executive function issues which I work around as much as possible? My Tourettes started to get worse.
My wife had major surgery in October, in the summer we were concerned it was a malignant tumour, due to my wife's history of having a rare tumour in the past we were advised that an MRI scan was needed. Luckily it was a benign tumour which required surgery. As my youngest son needed to be taken to school due to not currently being eligible for transport to his school which is 20 miles away. My wife was going to be unable to lift or drive for at least 3 months. Her full recovery will take at least 12 months. Due to my son's disabilities, I had to be available to look after him and my wife. My employer was unable to help me and questioned whether I needed to spend the whole day with my wife during her day of surgery. My youngest who is verbal but has autism and moderate learning disabilities was very confused as to where mummy was, this led to increased meltdown behaviour.
On a positive note, I have been given the all-clear for prostate cancer. Despite some symptoms and strong family history, nothing sinister was noted in the scan. So that is one problem down others to go. I have just received an email informing me I have not been shortlisted for a job as a teaching assistant due to the ongoing investigation by the nursing council which will take 9 months to complete.
If you are still reading this, then thank you. I just want to be open about mental health and how life can suddenly hit you hard. I have no one to talk to and feel that I am not sure how I am going to carry on.
Take Care and have a great day.
Darren & Millie (my labradoodle) at the beach.
Comments
Keep your chin up, I know times are very difficult, apply for every benefit you can. Once the weather is better, you and the children will all feel better too. I hope you have a good rep to support you with the NMC. Sending lots of love xx
I may only be a person online but if you ever need someone to talk to I will try to be there as best I can.
I am glad you commented on my Instagram account and I have stumbled onto this - you have alot going on and some I can relate with(surrounding the kids). I am looking forward to reading future posts and seeing you get closer to your dream job, which I am sure in time you will land.