Criminal Records can I still be a NURSE

[marples]

I am in dire need of some real life experiences/Advice on how to navigate nursing school and the nursing board for those of us with criminal records. I have thick skin so please be blunt and honest. I promise you won't hurt my feeling. In a nut shell I have a crazy past and have since turned my life around for the better. I will be applying to nursing schools this fall. I have somewhere around ten misdemeanor convictions. Two of the convictions were prior felonies that have since been reduced down to misdemeanors. Some were for being under the influence of drugs/alcohol and some for theft (directly related to my substance abuse issues). None of my convictions are related to any sort of violence/abuse/fraud. I have been clean and sober and have stayed out of trouble now for 4 years. I am in the process of expunging my record even though I realize the state nursing board will be able to see everything anyways. I also realize the background check for the nursing schools may be able to see a fair amount as well

. I live in California by the way. I have a ton of proof of rehabilitation. I lived in a recovery home for a year, I have a sponsor I work with regularly, I go to AA meetings several days a week, and I now am sponsoring other women. I have been gainfully employed for several years and am subsequently free of debt. I successfully completed my probation, and have an active license again. I was promoted at my job, and I also have letters of recommendations from both my previous and current employers as well as from my sponsor, and counselors in the program I was in etc…..you get the picture. I have a bachelor's degree from UCSB (which I graduated with honors from), a 4.0 in all my pre-req classes and I am currently studying to take the TEAS exam in the near future. Ok now to the point, I want to know if anyone out there has had experience with having a criminal record and still was able to get a nursing license. I'm not talking about the people who got a DUI when they were 19 or got caught shoplifting once when they were 18. I mean someone like myself that has a legitimate marked record. Someone that didn't make one mistake once ten years ago, but someone who was a **** show over an extended period of time, cleaned up their act, and made something of themselves. Or if you even know of someone in my situation that would be awesome. Any and all advice, words of wisdom, critiques, and opinions are welcome. Thank you in advance.