DUI.... Any chance at being a RN?

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Let me clear the air before I get lectured on, this is NOT me, this is for a friend of mine.

So my friend goes out and has a drink, she ends up getting a DUI, but I realized she wanted to be a nurse, does anyone know if the DUI will conflict with her future? I know most jobs perform background checks but does that count?

There are a lot of good people out there who have made mistakes earlier in their lives.MOST people with criminal histories will NOT be able to become nurses.The Health-care industry is flooded with people without ANY priors.Its ridiculous for other people to be here and judge others!!!! The problem I run into on a daily basis is I can get certified in anything BUT GETTING A JOB SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE.I can't give up...I just hold my head up and keep going. Its almost like we are condemned forever and we are almost forced to resort to crime.Its like we are forced to live a mediocre existence.

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Michelle F.,

You are not an idiot. You learned from your mistakes which is what they are for. NObody is perfect. You graduated with honors which is in your favor. Depending on how long ago it happened, they may issue you a license free and clear or they may put you on probation. Either way, you will probably have to go in front of the board. Good luck in your career, congratulations on graduating, and let us know what happens.

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so if a drunk driver hits one of your family members or friends (hypothetically), you'd forgive his/her mistake and hope he or she would have learned from it? I highly doubt it.

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This is so sad. I am very depressed. I m 43 years old never ever been in trouble with the law. Now I get a "Theft infraction" for an honest mistake. Believe it or not, I forgot to pay for the candies I put on my baby stroller's cup holder. I have mentioned this in another post. Sorry to keep repeating it :crying2:.

I got accepted into a nursing school. Now this has come up to the light, and they have already told me that they can't accept me. So they will give my seat to an alternate student waiting in line.

I think this is not fair, even if I wanted to do it, at least they would had given me a brake because it was the first time. I can tell that this will affect me for the rest of my life. I think I won't even be able to find a job because every one will think I am a thief.

On a bright side, I emailed the Nursing Board in California. The lady replied to me and said if I stay clean for the next 2 years that would be enough "rehabilitation" time. The board would let me take the ENCLEX and be licensed. The problem is, who would let me get in a school and then who would give me a job.

No wonder why criminals keep falling into the same hole. No one really cares to help.

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Specializes in almost everything.

Hi tigertjc,

Yes, I would (and have) forgiven a drunk driver for hitting my father. Another one hit and killed my friend's fiance. Yes, I forgive them.

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Specializes in Family Practice; Emergency Medicine.

Yeah.....alot of you people have apparently never made a mistake or needed any help in life.....maybe one day we can hope do live by your rigid standards.......

about your friend who made the mistake, guess what we all do....that doesn't excuse it.......but, hopefully she has learned and is turning the other way........she will have to suffer the consequences either way.....but in my experience, as someone else above mentioned....a pattern of these things is gonna look bad to a school or the board......if she is honest up front and shows evidence of wanting to change or put something in place to prevent this from happening again or affecting patient care in the future (AA meetings, counseling, meeting the requirements of DUI) I think she has a fine shot at getting in and being as successful as the rest of us.....

btw, has she actually been convicted in court, or just charged with it......???

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This is so sad. I am very depressed. I m 43 years old never ever been in trouble with the law. Now I get a "Theft infraction" for an honest mistake. Believe it or not, I forgot to pay for the candies I put on my baby stroller's cup holder. I have mentioned this in another post. Sorry to keep repeating it :crying2:.

I got accepted into a nursing school. Now this has come up to the light, and they have already told me that they can't accept me. So they will give my seat to an alternate student waiting in line.

I think this is not fair, even if I wanted to do it, at least they would had given me a brake because it was the first time. I can tell that this will affect me for the rest of my life. I think I won't even be able to find a job because every one will think I am a thief.

On a bright side, I emailed the Nursing Board in California. The lady replied to me and said if I stay clean for the next 2 years that would be enough "rehabilitation" time. The board would let me take the ENCLEX and be licensed. The problem is, who would let me get in a school and then who would give me a job.

No wonder why criminals keep falling into the same hole. No one really cares to help.

:hug:Racharina I'm sooo sorry that this particular school didn't work out. Wow, I would never have thought that this would be your outcome! Hold on to that 'bright side' you were given by the Board. I know the tendecy can go towards self pity but hold your head high and keep pushing forward. :flwrhrts:

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Racharina,

Hearing your story gave me chills... I am so sorry that you had to go through that...especially over a forgotten piece of candy...What state was this in? Have you tried to fight this? You should go to the court, ask to speak to the judge and explain yourself..Ive heard this can really help. Im SO sorry about that nursing school. Im surprised about this cause I thought usually they only do criminal background checks after you are in....what school was this? Do they have really strict laws cause like this post...many people get into nursing schools with a DUI and I feel that is much more extreme than petty thef...Best of luck to you. Dont give up...

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thanks phoenixtech and courtcatt:

courtcatt, to answer to your question, this was in california. well, you get in the lottery (after qualifying) and the computer picks 20 students and 20 alternates. i was lucky to be in the 20 students. the letter says: "congratulation on your "provisional" seat". this is because you have to then go through background and alcohol/drug check. (i don't smoke, i don't even like the taste of alcohol).

they do this background ck on 7/1.

since the court decided i was going to be charged with an infraction, i decided to talk to the school. i couldn't hold it anymore. the first time the lady told me: "no - no, you won't be accepted" and explained. then she asked for the court receipt that says it was an infraction. i brought it in as soon as the court gave it to me. the day i went back to the school to bring the paper work, the nursing assistant was in a meeting with all the school board. i decided to wait. when she got out, we talked for a few minutes and she mentioned that they were discussing my problem in the meeting. again she said: "if the infraction shows, you won't be accepted". then i said, that the school application asks if one is convicted of misdemeanor or felony.

the assistant then said: "go ahead and do all the medical and dental exams. don't pay for any other fees, i will put a hold (other fees due on 6/18). on 7/1 i will call you to see what the background shows". then she said, if infraction shows, the "hospital board" will decide if they would hire someone with this type of infraction". i mean, we are talking about theft.... ugly huh? they don't want to know if i was tired, if i went on the fifth cloud and i forgot the darn candies or anything. if the hospital decides they can't hire me with this, then, they won't take me into the school. the hospital board will call me and notify me what are my options.

i talked to another lawyer and he said it won't show since "infractions" are not criminal. but everybody and their brother in the internet says infractions show. you see, the police charged me with a misdemeanor, which was later lowered in court. last may i requested my background ck and it showed. it was the only thing on that page. it said: "warantt- theft". i got chills! my court day was 6/3. i don't know what my background says now that i was actually given the infraction. i figured, why to waste another $50 to find out if it is what it is.

as i was leaving the assistant's office, she says; "again, they are looking for misdemeanor and felonies. let's not raise anymore flags... but i can tell you, if the infraction shows, your faith is on the hospital hands".

right now all i do is pray, but i think this all is in the hands of god. i just don't know why this happens to me and then my name is withdrawn from the lottery. under this circumstances, i wish my name was never picked. i mean, i never win anything in my life, now that i do, a month prior some one says i was stealing and turns me to the police.

believe me, i still have to pinch me to see if this all incident is just a nightmare. so i guess i will know for sure on 7/1.

sorry for this long post. you guys probably are bored. but i need to tell someone. so far no one knows. not even my husband. i think if he finds out i was accepted into nursing and i can't get in due to my stupidity, he will be the one having the heart attack.

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i dont know, doing something as foolish and selfish as driving drunk i would say shows character. how many people die bc of some moron who decides to drive drunk. you can be book smart and still have poor judgement. some professions need to have high standards and this is one of them. right now hr can pick from the cream of the crop since everyone is going back to school to enter the health care world. even if they couldnt i dunno...

i understand that drunk driving is serious and people do die because of it, i also understand that bad things can happen to good people. anyone of us could make a mistake at any time and someone could get hurt. a 20 year veteran rn could make a mistake once and give the wrong med or dose just as easy as someone could be at dinner and have two glasses of wine instead of one and get stopped at a routine traffic stop and boom.... dui. each case should be looked at differently. you can't blanket out anyone who has made a mistake. i have been to many functions where dr.'s, nurses, and other hospital staff had been drinking and later drove home, it happens even if they don't get caught. "foolish and selfish" maybe but so is not getting enough sleep at night before a shift, or failing to double check an id bracelet before giving a med, or washing/disinfecting your hands after you leave and before you enter a patients room.

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i understand that drunk driving is serious and people do die because of it, i also understand that bad things can happen to good people. anyone of us could make a mistake at any time and someone could get hurt. a 20 year veteran rn could make a mistake once and give the wrong med or dose just as easy as someone could be at dinner and have two glasses of wine instead of one and get stopped at a routine traffic stop and boom.... dui. each case should be looked at differently. you can't blanket out anyone who has made a mistake. i have been to many functions where dr.'s, nurses, and other hospital staff had been drinking and later drove home, it happens even if they don't get caught. "foolish and selfish" maybe but so is not getting enough sleep at night before a shift, or failing to double check an id bracelet before giving a med, or washing/disinfecting your hands after you leave and before you enter a patients room.

bad things do happen to good people. however, people choose to drink and then drive, it's not something that happens to them.

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Oh, I thought DUI would be worse, but what I hear is that there are fewer closed doors. Seems Theft is worse. I don't know. I think anyone can make a mistake, whether you mean to steal something or didn't mean it (an honest accident) if it is the first time. Second time, well, I don't know what to say about that. Just lets try to pay attention the second time around.

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