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Discussion

Background check questions

Had an ex really attempt to drag my life through the dirt and made plenty of false accusations. I have no convictions on my record but I am concerned about arrests.

I know AHCA (FL) and BoN will see my arrests and all that, but how deep do employers look? I am concerned about having to explain arrests that did not amount to anything with no convictions on my record. Do employers look at arrests or just convictions? If they see them do they care? If you have a valid unhindered license do they look past any blemishes?

Any advice/insight would be helpful.

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    • Expert

    At my hospital (not in Florida) ... we look at anything that comes up on your record and ask for court records showing the outcome. So have documentation handy to show that the charges were bogus and be prepared to explain a little about your situation with your ex. As long as you are telling the truth about the charges being bogus -- and the court documents confirm that -- you should not have a big problem. But they won't just take your word for it. You'll need to document your claim that the charges on your record did not amount to anything real.

    Is there any way to get the charges erased from your record? That would be your best move, if its possible.

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    It depends on what they ask you and how you answer. If they say, "Have you ever been arrested?" you can sing them Alice's Restaurant in four part harmony :).

    If you were arrested and you say, "No," and they find out otherwise, kiss it goodbye.

    If the answer is, "Yes," you might say something like, "I was going through a very bad divorce and my ex made a lot of false accusations of XYZ. I was arrested on the basis of those and (never say, "but") all charges were dropped promptly. I have a clean record and unrestricted RN license," then say that.

    We had a gal here recently whose bad choice of roommate sent her down a rabbit hole of unpleasantness including threats from the bad person to report her to the BoN. What we told her to do was, when the employer asked, "Have you ever been reported to the BoN?" was to say, "I had to evict a tenant and he said he would report me to the BoN for XYZ. I asked them and they said not to worry about it, and nothing ever came of it." That's the spirit.

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    • Author

    Many assume if you are arrested/charged you are guilty even if dropped/acquitted. There's a period of time to seal/expunge the record of like 6months.

    Likewise, it's not necessarily deleted everywhere. Private databases continue to hold the information even if public ones conceal/delete.

    The apps I've been filling out have largely asked about convictions, if my license is currently being investigated/is hindered in some way, or pending stuff. Not so much of if there's anything in your past as long as you aren't barred from practice or currently hindered in some way.

    But the concern is info from private data bases, and the note of an "arrest" even though it did not amount to anything i'm a bit concerned about having to explain it. It's like a blemish I have to justify despite not having a conviction and being innocent and that most nurses don't have to worry about. I feel like just being "accused" (arrested) but nothing coming of it brands me questionable.

    All regulatory agencies here including BoN have and are not limiting me in any way, so the hope is that no one messes with me much and ideally if the BoN gives me the thumbs up everyone else should fall in line...but I know it doesn't always work that way.

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    I am in a different state but here they ask specifically about criminal convictions, not arrests.

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    • Expert

    Moved to the Criminal History forum.

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