Background check

suzanne4, RN · Jul 8, 2005

The only place that can give you an answer is your Board of Nursing. They are the only ones that can offer any judgment on this. I highly suggest that you contact them. Whatever anyone tells you here has no bearing on what they will do, each case is determined on its own merits, and it also depends on the state as well as what the charges were.

enerbime · Jul 8, 2005

The only place that can give you an answer is your Board of Nursing. They are the only ones that can offer any judgment on this. I highly suggest that you contact them. Whatever anyone tells you here has no bearing on what they will do, each case is determined on its own merits, and it also depends on the state as well as what the charges were.

I appreciate you in responding to my post, and how do I find out the name and number to the board to find out if I may be elgible to even apply?

twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN · Jul 9, 2005

try and check with your state nurses association. They should know some contact information. Or your nursing program at your school.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 9, 2005

Just do a search on Google or Yahoo for the phone number and address of the Board of Nursing for your state. Simple as that.

targa · Jul 9, 2005

I was wondering that if you have committed a crime about five years ago, and you are planning to have it expunged in the next couple of months, could you still be able to continue on in nursing school, or even try to sit and take the licensure for nursing.

You should know that even if your criminal record is eventually expunged, you will, most likely, still be required to answer questions about convictions on your license application. The only benefit that expungement confers is privacy... your record is no longer part of a state database (but even then, your arrest record might still be part of your state's system, but that's another story). Expungement doesn't relieve you of the duty to answer truthfully about convictions. You can lie, and you might never be caught, but if you are, you might lose your license.

If your conviction was related to abuse of a minor, or an elderly person, or someone you had charge of, you will have a lot of explaining to do in the form of a meeting with the state board. If your conviction involved the use of a controlled substance, ditto. If your conviction involved something unrelated to the practice of nursing, you likely will not be denied a license. I recommend you seek legal counsel, and not rely on opinions here. It's never smart to fly by the seat of your pants.