criminal record in nursing school???

z's playa · Jul 18, 2005

Welcome to allnurses ! You will need to contact your school and ask about this.

Z

Nurseinthemaking · Jul 19, 2005

go to your state BNE and see what they say. They generally have a website. If you do not have a conviction you should not have a problem. BUT let me tell you a story, there is a girl in our class, she had a criminal history that consisted of 2 incidences of Hot Checks and one assault. She was found guilty on all 3, so she had to send off to the board a request for approval to be a nurse. They made her take a lie detectors test and have a Psychiatric Checkup, she says all this cost her $1200. Apparantly they are going to allow her to take the NCLEX, but she had to sign a piece of paper that says she will not practice as a graduate nurse, so she will have to wait until she passes the NCLEX to get a job.

Good luck girl, the first thing I would do is contact your STate BNE, your school may not actually be able to give you any information.

Cute_CNA, CNA · Jul 19, 2005

I think you might only have a problem if you're actually convicted of a crime. I think it's illegal to ask someone if they've just been *arrested*.

In Maryland, I believe it's illegal to give someone a lie detector test in order to have them become employed.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 19, 2005

Contacting your school will be of no benefit at all. You must contact the Board of Nursing where you expect to be licensed and get it in writing what they tell you. They are the only one that can make any type of decision, no school can tell you for sure what will happen, nor can any attorney. Each case is evaluated on a case by case basis, then a decision is made. And this also varies in different states.

To play it safe, contact the BON before you even begin school.

Good luck with your schooling. :)

grannynurse FNP student · Jul 19, 2005

Hi! I am hoping to apply and be accepted in the Fall 2006 nursing program at my local community college. My concern is that i have a previous arrest on my criminal record and i was wondering how big of a problem this would be? The arrest was for domestic abuse.. To make a long story short my x-boyfriend never pressed charges and the state never did either so the case was dropped but i do have the arrest on my record. I do not have anything else on my record besides this. And i didn't abuse him, he came home drunk, he started a fight, he tried to choke me and i hit him, i left, he called the cops, florida law states someone has to go to jail for domestic abuse call, since he called and i was long gone when they got there i got the blame. i just want to know how hard this is going to make things trying to get into the nursing program and then become a nurse. i read online that the state boards judge case by case to allow to sit for the boards when you have criminal record. any info would be greatly appreciated!! i am willing to fight for this, i cant let this stop me, it already deterred me from becoming a teacher.. I just curious if anyone else has gone through this!!

Most BON will not tell you if they will allow you to sit for your lisencure exam, a head of time. However, it is likely, given what you have shared, they will allow you to but it is not a given.

Grannynurse :balloons:

Sirena922 · Jul 19, 2005

Hi! I am hoping to apply and be accepted in the Fall 2006 nursing program at my local community college. My concern is that i have a previous arrest on my criminal record and i was wondering how big of a problem this would be? The arrest was for domestic abuse.. To make a long story short my x-boyfriend never pressed charges and the state never did either so the case was dropped but i do have the arrest on my record. I do not have anything else on my record besides this. And i didn't abuse him, he came home drunk, he started a fight, he tried to choke me and i hit him, i left, he called the cops, florida law states someone has to go to jail for domestic abuse call, since he called and i was long gone when they got there i got the blame. i just want to know how hard this is going to make things trying to get into the nursing program and then become a nurse. i read online that the state boards judge case by case to allow to sit for the boards when you have criminal record. any info would be greatly appreciated!! i am willing to fight for this, i cant let this stop me, it already deterred me from becoming a teacher.. I just curious if anyone else has gone through this!!

Call your State Police Department to see if you even have a record, and depending how long it's been, have it expunged. Which means it'll be wiped of your record.

Luv2BAnurse · Jul 19, 2005

z's playa · Jul 19, 2005

Contacting your school will be of no benefit at all. You must contact the Board of Nursing where you expect to be licensed and get it in writing what they tell you. They are the only one that can make any type of decision, no school can tell you for sure what will happen, nor can any attorney. Each case is evaluated on a case by case basis, then a decision is made. And this also varies in different states.
To play it safe, contact the BON before you even begin school.
Good luck with your schooling. :)

I guess it differs country to country. Here we just need to call the College or University . :)

Z

BabyRN2Be · Jul 19, 2005

Definitely call your BON and not your school. It would really be a shame if you went to school and found out afterwards that your criminal history will not allow you to get a job.

That being said, I believe that you'd have more problems if you were convicted of a felony, and it might be judged on a case by case basis. Oh, and don't try to hide it. If you do, it will be grounds for immediate termination or dismissal from your job.

Contact your BON, and best of luck to you!! :)

Natorius · Sep 18, 2007

I am having a similar problem, will its not a problem yet, but my husband and I got into a small fight and he took some of my medicine that I need ( its an anti-rejection medicine), he bent my fingers back, and to top it off he threw out the only food we had in the house at the time, so I threw a pan at him. I called the police and I believe since he is in the Army I was arrested and nothing at all happen to him. I plead guilty which was a bad mistake now I have to take 12 weeks of anger management and I'm on three years probation. I've been working on trying to fix my criminal record. It all upset me because I have never done anything wrong I don't even have tickets on my driving record. I'm about to start school, and I'm really nervous about it.

woody62, RN · Sep 18, 2007

I know the BON here in Florida. And yes, they can ask you if you have ever been arrested for a misdemeanor or a felony. And if you have been convicted or plead no contest. They ask for the charges, what the court decided and if you have satisfied the court. Your incident can be expunged but you still have to report the arrest. It is one of the reason's that Florida does criminal background checks and requires fingerprints. Domestic Violence is considered a strike but I believe they will not hold it against you if your give them a satisfactory explanation. Your school is not the one who decides your eligibility to sit for state board's. So don't brother with them.

Woody:balloons: