Losing my mind...

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.

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.

Thanks for providing a place for me to vent! :(

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I dont have any experience that could help you but I cant even imagine what you are going through....the only thing I could think of....can you go in person and ask to speak with someone in charge....and tell them what you told us...just fight for it dont give up...

keep us posted and good luck

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Specializes in mental health; hangover remedies.

Before you get all gung-ho - take a breath.

I think your situation sucks and it's another time where the 'establishment' does what it pleases but....

I would strongly suspect that, even if it was just this misdemeanor, that there is a protocol where anyone with any conviction has to be individually accepted by the various clinical sites. I suspect they have a few of these that crop up and they all get done together.

Thing is that the faculty cannot accept liability for you and make that decision because if your misdemeanor had been drug related and you were later caught diverting meds - the faculty would be screwed. So to cover their butt - anyone with anything will get 'red flagged' so that the faculty does not end up with liability.

I may not be completely right - or even at all right - but that is my strongest suspicioun of the circumstance.

If I'm right - the purpose of clinical sites reviewing them means that there must be some cases that are acceptable - I would suggest yours is in that category - but it's not my decision, so don't quote me!

The faculty cannot state what the clinical sites will decide - so they have to wait; even if they *know* your misD~ is only a minor event of no consequence - it's not up to them to say.

Your consolation (?) is to know that just having a 'red flag' doesn't mean you have no chance; it just means someone has to say "That's not an issue" (or, in your case perhaps - "We'll make sure she doesn't push any beds around for the first 6 months"! :clown:)

If it's just that one misD~ - I think you'll be ok

Good luck.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Not your specific situation but I was arrested one week before school started (stupid thing not going into it right now ) and was freaking out about getting kicked out of the program. We had to submit a background check as well and was freaking out about everything as you were. Everything worked out fine though because I got in.

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.
Before you get all gung-ho - take a breath.

I think your situation sucks and it's another time where the 'establishment' does what it pleases but....

I would strongly suspect that, even if it was just this misdemeanor, that there is a protocol where anyone with any conviction has to be individually accepted by the various clinical sites. I suspect they have a few of these that crop up and they all get done together.

Thing is that the faculty cannot accept liability for you and make that decision because if your misdemeanor had been drug related and you were later caught diverting meds - the faculty would be screwed. So to cover their butt - anyone with anything will get 'red flagged' so that the faculty does not end up with liability.

I may not be completely right - or even at all right - but that is my strongest suspicioun of the circumstance.

If I'm right - the purpose of clinical sites reviewing them means that there must be some cases that are acceptable - I would suggest yours is in that category - but it's not my decision, so don't quote me!

The faculty cannot state what the clinical sites will decide - so they have to wait; even if they *know* your misD~ is only a minor event of no consequence - it's not up to them to say.

Your consolation (?) is to know that just having a 'red flag' doesn't mean you have no chance; it just means someone has to say "That's not an issue" (or, in your case perhaps - "We'll make sure she doesn't push any beds around for the first 6 months"! :clown:)

If it's just that one misD~ - I think you'll be ok

Good luck.

Yes, I think that is what is happening, too - they will check out everybody and then hand over the decisions at the same time. I know that this doesn't mean "no chance", and on one level, I think everything will be fine. But when it's a week before school starts, and I don't KNOW that I'm in, and I may not be able to get the other classses I need becasue I dropped my schedule, it scares me, and I start thinking the worst.

I have friends that know some nurses around here that actually have drug charges against them, and they still got into school and work as nurses, and my situation is not that bad. I don't know the particular facts in their cases, though.

And, you know? It's okay with me if they don't let me push any beds around for the first 6 months! :clown:

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Specializes in mental health; hangover remedies.

I would agree - leaving you this late to know if you're in or not is awful and I do feel for you.

As I said - the establishment does as it pleases. :banghead:

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I feel your angst and your frustration. I don't know if it will help or not.....but one thing I did was search my state for what would be a problem for the BON. FL has the Nurse Practice Act. There are VERY specific crimes delineated by chapter (ie: CH812 - Theft, 817 - Fraudulent Practices, 415 - Abuse of Adult, 39 - Abuse/Neglect of Child, 741.28 - Domestic Violence).....blah blah blah. So, my 'assumption' would then be.....if one committed a mis-D and it was in none of the specified chapters (there are more), then most likely, this would not present an issue for licensure. You may be "red flagged", but I don't believe that you would not be accepted to a clinical because of an insurance issue that occurred when you were 18.

Good Luck to you and let us know how this turns out!

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.

OMG...I called the school at 10:30 AM, and they still didn't have my approval. Just now, my friend who has a DRUG POSSESSION charge in her background has received her acceptance and has been registered for her classes. I just called and they STILL don't have my acceptance approved!!!

That is the only charge I have. I don't have anything else I'm hiding. It is a b.s. thing, and they still haven't decided if I'm in or not. I just can't even believe this :crying2:.

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.

I looked at the school website at about 4:00 PM today, and they had me registered for my nursing classes! YEAH!!:yeah::D

Of course, I have called them so much lately that I am probably on some unofficial "crazy nursing student to watch" list in the office :chuckle. But, I'm officially in, and that's all that matters. I'm trying to get a professor to let me into his A&P class, since I had to drop the one I was registered for so that the nursing school could register me for their classes. All of them are full now. :banghead:

Thank you all for your support and encouragement. I really appreciate it! :wink2:

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:hpygrp: Congrats!!!!!

This is more "proof" that "worry" works! (95% of what you worry about never happens! LOL)

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.
:hpygrp: Congrats!!!!!

This is more "proof" that "worry" works! (95% of what you worry about never happens! LOL)

LOL!! :clown: So true!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

Congratulations about getting into the program. And good luck with getting into A&P (though, you may wish you hadn't later).

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