Applying for License Question

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If a person has been fired from a nursing related job..does this affect their ability to get a nursing license when applying to the board?

I am talking about non-life threatening reasons.

Certainly there have been cna's and nurses who have been fired from jobs.

Can anyone shed some light on this subject?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

I would imagine it depends on the reason. eg. if it was for diverting narcotics, you may have a problem. If you were just fired, I can't imagine it would have any bearing on your license application.

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I doubt it, unless there were legal repercussions.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

the answer is no. unless you were arrested, charged with a crime and either pled guilty or were convicted of a crime that your state board of nursing specifically screens to deny nursing licensure for, nothing should happen. nursing schools and boards of nursing do not investigate people's former employers and search for information about you. today, the most information any former employer gives out is that a person voluntarily terminated (quit) or was forced to terminate (fired). they usually don't give out any specifics for the very simple reason that they fear the former employee can come back and sue them for preventing them from getting employment elsewhere.

to protect yourself, you can write a letter to the human resources department of this place that you were fired from in which you very specifically tell them that they are not to reveal any of the specific details of the reason for your termination to anyone. send the letter by certified mail and get a signed receipt to confirm they got it. keep a copy of the letter with the signed receipt that will be returned to you to prove delivery. this will give you some peace of mind. but, you should never have any problems at all.

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