DYFS and Nursing license?????

[Baby mama RN]

I have a co-worker that I don't know all that well. She has volunteered for the last 2 years while finishing up her RN studies.

She is a single Mom with 2 children, the one child is autistic does alot of screaming and has broken several windows in her home. He will open doors and run down the street etc.

She was visited last week by a worker from DYFS one of her neighbors called Children's Protective Services on her.

She just passed her RN boards and planned on sending out resumes this week. She even has an interview lined up.

Does the fact that there is an open file on her family and this is not the 1st time that DYFS has been involved with her and her children does this in any way effect her employment or license.

Does she need to report this to the Nursing Board?

I told her I don't think it effects anything because it's

not a criminal investigation, but I would hate to give her the wrong advice.

Basically the DYFS worker said she must child proof her home fix her windows and put locks on her doors. Thanks. Lori

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I think you are right not to give advice. I would direct her to the BON website and et it go at that.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I strongly advise you to follow the above advice......it sounds like a very complicated situation and one to stay out of......I wish her the best

[trendz80]

Hi there,

This is not advice but I am just telling you what my experience was in NY. I don't know what state she is in but I used to be a child protective specialist before becoming a nurse and in the state of NY having an open case does not bar you from any type of employment unless the case is found to be true and you are working with children. Your name will be run through the system and if the case was found to be true then her name will go in the database and everytime they run it when she seeks employment with children they will not hire her. It has to do more with the job itself hiring someone I don't think it would have anything to do with the BON because it is not a criminal conviction unless it is tried through a criminal court. These cases are heard by family court. I had to testify numerous times in cases where I had to take children away from their parents (which by the way was VERY HARD!) and if the child is automatically removed because the worker saw there is imminent danger, the parents name automatically is in the database. When that happens they work with the parent to get things up to par so that if the child is removed they will get their child back. The goal is to reunite the family. But if the worker is in the home and telling her these are the requirements that she must do in order to satisfy the agency, then she must do so and everything should go ok and the case closes. I had a woman who is a school counselor and I got called in to do an investigation and she had a case that was found to be true but she had been working for one year at this place and a case was called because her son was not going to school. They said she was neglecting him educationally but he was 17 and cutting school so in my opinion that is not her fault. The child says they are going to school and when they leave you don't know where they are actually going until the school calls you. So every situation is different. She should called the BON but I think it has too do really more so with the job that hires you. She can still work with adults I know that for sure. She has to check with the state. Like I said my experience is with NY.

Thanks for letting me ramble on because bringing up this subject made me remember why I left child protection and go into nursing. I rather work with children to heal them and not disrupt the family even though they are in unsafe situations. I rather not be the one to do that and would never ever go back to do that job again. It is too dangerous. I have been threatened and followed to my car by parents whose child I have taken away from them.

[Baby mama RN]

Thanks everyone. it is the state of NJ. and she was recently hired as a PT school nurse.