Bipolar disorder affects 2.6% of all adults, regardless of gender or race. The average age of onset is 25, but symptoms may emerge earlier. In any practice setting, you may be assigned to care for a patient with bipolar disorder. This recurrent mood disorder causes extreme emotional swings-ranging from euphoria to severe, incapacitating depression-with symptoms that can present a challenge to nursing care.In this article, I'll explore the common symptoms of bipolar disorder and