I can relate, very much, to your situation. I'm a nurse with BP as well. Nursing is more stressful than many people realize. Add bipolar disorder into the mix and it can be unmanageable. I have worked on a chaotic cardiac PCU floor for the last two years. After a recent manic episode, I suffered a complete collapse and I'm now on short-term disability leave.

I honestly don't know how I'm going to go back to the same situation, and not end up in the same circumstances that I'm in now. Have you considered nursing jobs outside of the hospital? Opportunities may be different where you live, but I'm going to look into a case management position. The hours are regular and you aren't overwhelmed with the demands of floor nursing. There may be other administrative jobs you qualify for, if you do some digging.

I wish you luck returning to work, and I hope you are able to get reasonable accommodations for your illness.

Side note: I sent you a private message, but I hadn't posted enough for it to go through. Feel free to message me. I find that talking to fellow nurses is helpful.