The glass ceiling of Nursing School

Yes, the BON should consider all applicants on a case-by-case basis. There can never be a "blanket" consideration as each nurse/potential nurse does not have the same circumstances that led to the criminal history. Laws may apply equally, but circumstances are different. Thus, the BON considers these circumstances and determines the final outcome.

This can be answered simply. The nursing program contracts with facilities/entites in order to provide clinical education for the students. These contracts have in place that if a student has a criminal history, they will not be allowed to enter their respective clinical areas. So, if that particular nursing program wants their students in their clinical area, they must abide by that contract. Now, saying that, not all nursing programs contract with facilities/entities that necessitate a criminal background check nor do all nursing programs require the same.

If any student with a criminal history gets past their respective educational program and is not required to conduct a criminal background check and/or if they pass this check with no problem and is allowed to participate in clinicals and graduate, the BON will still conduct their own investigation - on a case-by-case basis. Some students will be allowed to sit for NCLEX. Some students will be denied that opportunity and will never practice as a nurse.

The BON is in place for one reason only: To protect the public

At least in IL there are some definite crimes where, if you are convicted, you can not attend nursing school. There is a long list of these on the website and I would imagine that all states have something of this sort

As sirI stated it is good that they look at individuals and mitigating factors. It would be horrible that just because you committed crime A, you were treated as a group.

Plenty of nursing schools conduct background checks mainly because the clinical facilities require it, and, yes, the contracts with the clinical facilities specify that they can refuse any student who doesn't meet their standards re: criminal background. In the last program in which I taught, the school would take you regardless of what turned up in your background check, but students were informed that, if they were refused by a particular facility because of their background, we (the school) would attempt to place them in another clinical group at another facility, but, if that didn't work out, they'd have to be dropped from the program.

No, I do not support the idea of completing any sort of alternative project in lieu of completing clinical hours. For one thing, a certain, specified number of supervised clinical hours is required by the state BON in order for graduates to be eligible to write the NCLEX (that's also why the absence policies are so strict in nursing schools). For another, clinical is the heart and soul of nursing education and there's far too little of it in current programs already (IMHO ), without allowing some students to miss entire rotations.

Even if one manages to get licensed, there is still the question of employment -- healthcare employers all do background checks (most are required to by state law), and many will simply not hire (or, in some cases, are prevented by state law from hiring) an individual with particular types of legal charges/convictions on her/his record. No taking individual circumstances into account in that case -- you either have that type of charge on your record or you don't. The BONs are actually a lot more flexible and forgiving than many employers are going to be.

All of this discussion has me terribly crushed. Today, I found out I received an "A" in Anatomy 102 and now my chances of getting into the program are great. I should be stoked right now, but the realization that my criminal background may stop me from becoming a nurse has me bummed out.

I have worked so hard to get where I am today. I was looking so forward to getting my nursing degree, and now I am unsure about my dream. I guess I feel like giving up, but at the same time I don't really want to! I hate that I had a drug problem and I wish I would have never gotten arrested, but I can't change it. Fortunately for me, my arrest was my rock bottom and the eventually became the motivation to finally get help.

Unfortunately there will always be people that look down on me for my criminal history. I try to embrace my past, but stuff like this makes it almost impossible.

I need some hope!

PhoenixTech,
I was not able to reply to your private message, I would love to talk with you some more. What's your email address so we can chat some more?

Sarah

Look into getting your conviction expunged, especially if it was only one offense.