I'm just now getting around to complaining about this...I haven't even wanted to discuss it at all.
I was accepted into the ADN RN program at my local cc. I worked very hard to get in: earned a 4.0, made a 92 on the HESI, made the Dean's list. The acceptance, we were told, was conditional upon acceptance of a criminal background check. I submitted my check online the day after I got my acceptance letter. I have one arrest in my past, for violation of an essential needs license (like an occupational license). I had an essential needs license because my REAL driver's license was taken away because of a judgement taken against me in court (my insurance company wouldn't cover my liability in a wreck I was in 16 years ago). I was arrested because the cop wanted to search my vehicle - they usually do not arrest you for that violation. It was a class B misdemeanor, I paid a fine, no probation, that was the end of it. I got my real license back a couple of years later. That's the only trouble I've ever been in.
I waited 2 1/2 weeks and never heard anything from the school. We all had until Jan. 5 to submit our background checks and acceptance forms. I guess they waited until then to check anyone's background checks because I called the school and they said they weren't done, and they would register us for our nursing classes as soon as we passed the background check. That threw me off, too, because we were NOT told that they would pick our class times for us. I already had a schedule in place for the other classes I needed, and was told I should drop them so they wouldn't interfere with them getting me registered. So I dropped all my classes and waited. Wednesday, I called and they told me that they could not register me because I had been "red-flagged" because of my criminal background, and I would have to be approved by the clinical sites (even though I wouldn't start clinicals until the Fall!). They said that as soon as they heard from the hospital that they would register us IF we were approved. As of Friday afternoon they still hadn't heard back from the hospital. We start school on the 20th, but in the meantime, Nursing Success "Boot Camp" starts this Wednesday, and is mandatory, and I have NO idea if I will be accepted or not!
I have been losing my mind all week, as you can imagine. I am so afraid that I will not get into school. I have looked at the disciplinary guidelines on my state's Board of Nursing page, and my charge is not even listed on there, but I am still scared. We were supposed to have paid for classes last Thursday, and all of the A&P II classes are full now (it's my last pre-req). I cannot believe that the school has had such bad timing for such an important thing, but I try not to judge them because I know it's hard to get things done during the holidays. I also understand the need to do the criminal background check, and am all for it.
Has anyone else had this happen to them?
I can't do anything at all now except wait, and as all of you probably know, that is about the hardest thing you can do. A friend of mine who is in the same boat said she thought that they HAD to let us know tommorrow at the latest, but I can't even sleep tonight, I'm so nervous.
