Dying to be a Nurse

[MTaylor310]

people have made mistakes in their lives and learned a valuable lesson so now why is it so hard for your past be your past and live for the future.

Hello everyone my name is is Melissa to be honest with you I just want some feed back on my situation, 17 years ago I was convicted of a a white collared crime that I didnt know it will haunt me for the rest of my life till this day I get very emotional about my situation I dont need any sympathy just feed back and honest answers.

I was convicted of 3 felonies that was accessory to credit card fraud forgery and grand larceny they gave me the same charge that they gave my friend at the time i guess it was because i knew her and we were great friends and i had a public defender that barely knew my name and I was young never got in trouble didnt know the law.

I have been trying to get in to nursing programs and it seem like everyone is on the same page of not having convicted felonies on your record I am a CNA i obtain my licene 2015 and till this day i am still current CNA I took the state board for to become a CNA didnt have any problems when I told the Board of nursing that I was a convicted Felony I had to write a letter to explain what happen and how do i know i wouldnt get in trouble again

They accepted my letter and I havent had a problem I am in the health feild taking care of residents what is so bad that I can take care of the resident at a nursing facility but Im not a good person to obtain my LPN license or my RN I have my associates degree in Health Science.

I even went betyond and call the Board of Nursing and ask will it be hard for me to obtain my License and their response was if Youy can find a school that except your felonies It will not be a problem. So why is it a problem of me getting into a school for nursing? I dont understand I have came a long way to keep getting turned down I havent gotten in anymore trouble in 17 years I mean DANG I just want to help people I know I can be a Great nurse I just dont have anyone to sit there and say she has paid her depth off to society I have learned my lesson being at the right place at the wrong time can probably get you into trouble

I learned that I have been a productive person I love people I even got my rights back I even requested a PARDON from the governor which I check on for the status each moth its been a year and still nothing I dont know what to do I want to be a NURSE and show that People do make mistakes and they learned but it really feel like that society want you to continue on doing bad making bad decision on life but I want to continue to help to make people well and to show that all people arent BAD

I appolgize to all I just get into my emotions when it comes down to these rules of life when you made 1 bad decision in your early life that you have to continue to pay for it for the rest of your life I just wish someone will give me some answer or some information on how to get in a school that doesnt look at your past after a certain amount of time

well thanks for allowing me to post how i feel of wanting to be a nurse but my past will not let me go.

[Irish_Mist, BSN, RN]

Part of life is knowing that there are consequences for actions. Credit card fraud and grand larceny are serious charges. Nurses are incredibly trusted professionals who care for people in very vulnerable situations. I'm sorry to say but I don't think with your background that you can gain admission to a school. Even if you do gain admission and pass the nclex, securing a job would be another huge challenge. You don't have to be a nurse to help people.

[Zyprexa]

That's quite the run-on-sentence.

[turtlesRcool]

OP, how do you know the issue with nursing school is your criminal record? Have you applied to multiple schools and been told they have denied your application because of this?

I'm wondering if that is the whole problem, part of the problem, or not the problem at all.

Depending on where you are, nursing school admissions can be extremely competitive. What college level courses have you taken? How have you performed in them? A few other posters have commented on your writing style. I can't say what your formal school papers are like or how you present yourself in real life, but your post here indicates you may have problems with the basic conventions of standard written English. I realize that a post on a chat board is probably not your most polished writing, but the errors you make don't seem like mere typos from an otherwise strong writer.

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

OP, I suggest that you go to a lawyer and see about getting your conviction expunged from your record. It will cost you some money and time, but is definitely worth it if this is what is holding you back.

The crimes are "accessory" which means she helped someone else do the crime.

[BSN_to_ICU]

My nursing school would not accept you with ANY type of criminal record (other than minor traffic offenses). The best thing that can be done is trying to get the charges expunged.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

Nursing school is generally a very competitive academically. It's difficult to get through your stream-of-consciousness style writing so I think that the criminal record might be only part of your issue.

Not to be unkind, but I noticed the same thing. Several grammatical errors, incorrect and misspelled words ("except" instead of "accept"), rambling speech...

[K9lover, ASN, RN]

I think what you describe may prove insurmountable. It will not help in any area of life to continue on the current tangent of "wrong place, wrong friends and poor defense.' You post reads as if you were somehow a bystander 'accidentally' convicted of 3 felonies. I don't see how you are going to get a pardon unless you own up to the past and make amends (you do not mention if you paid back the victims.) You rather make white-collar crime sound almost victimless.

[bsyrn, ASN, RN]

I do not think you will be able to pursue nursing with any felony conviction. Even if you got into a nursing

school, it is unlikely you would be accepted into a clinical site.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

There is a reason they ask if you have been convicted of a felony. Because they don't want convicted felons. Time served or not, you have a felony conviction on your record. Sad that you made such a choice in your younger years, but there is no erasing that. Actions have consequences, some long term, some not.

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

OP, consider this:

For any seat in a publicly funded nursing program, there are many applicants. In other words, for each class, the admissions council must choose between multiple candidates who meet their requirements. Part of how they do that efficiently is to disqualify candidates for various reasons. A criminal record would certainly be an easy means by which to disqualify someone. Is it fair? Yes, because each candidate is being held to the same standard. Is it just? Certainly. The law allows one's criminal record to be weighed in matters of employment. Is it merciful? No, it really isn't. On the other hand, should another student with similar demographics and experience, but sans a criminal record, as you be denied that seat in favor of you? I would argue against that.

Regrettably, public education is a scarce commodity and competition is inevitable. By engaging in a criminal act, you have reduced your competitiveness.

I can think of a number of other endeavors from which you're also likely to be excluded: Anything with direct access to finances, accounting, law enforcement, and military service just to name a few.

I feel it appropriate to point out that your comment about "a public defender that barely knew (your) name" smacks of a sense of victimization rather than acceptance of your criminal act.

Whether a CNA is almost the same thing as a nurse (it's not) is irrelevant. Whether you would be a terrific nurse is also irrelevant. The only thing that is relevant is that you are trying to enter an impacted field, one in which trust is paramount.

That said, I suspect that you could matriculate into an expensive private school in which competition is much lighter due to the cost. Recognize, though, that simply earning a license may not get you what you're hoping for: a role as a professional nurse. I suspect that most health care organizations will view your criminal record as an immediate cause to reject your application.

You asked for the truth. There is my view of it.

I sincerely wish you well and hope for you to find a meaningful path for yourself. I just doubt that nursing will be it.

~~~

PS - Statements like "Dying to become a nurse" are an affront to some of us who witness people actually dying on a regular basis... not to mention those of us who've watched the people most dear to us dying.

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

OP, I suggest that you go to a lawyer and see about getting your conviction expunged from your record. It will cost you some money and time, but is definitely worth it if this is what is holding you back.

The crimes are "accessory" which means she helped someone else do the crime.

In a former life, I processed pardon applications for a Midwestern state. The OP should be aware that depending upon her state's laws, even receiving a pardon may not allow her to say that she has never been convicted of a felony. In my former state, that was the case - it did not clear or seal the felony record, and any restrictions that dealt with having been convicted of a felony were still there.

It should also be noted that a criminal conviction can only be expunged if there is a legal reason to do so (improper trial, etc.). It isn't done as a matter of personal convenience, and it doesn't happen just because you hired the right lawyer.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

OP, consider this:

For any seat in a publicly funded nursing program, there are many applicants. In other words, for each class, the admissions council must choose between multiple candidates who meet their requirements. Part of how they do that efficiently is to disqualify candidates for various reasons. A criminal record would certainly be an easy means by which to disqualify someone. Is it fair? Yes, because each candidate is being held to the same standard. Is it just? Certainly. The law allows one's criminal record to be weighed in matters of employment. Is it merciful? No, it really isn't. On the other hand, should another student with similar demographics and experience, but sans a criminal record, as you be denied that seat in favor of you? I would argue against that.

Regrettably, public education is a scarce commodity and competition is inevitable. By engaging in a criminal act, you have reduced your competitiveness.

I can think of a number of other endeavors from which you're also likely to be excluded: Anything with direct access to finances, accounting, law enforcement, and military service just to name a few.

I feel it appropriate to point out that your comment about "a public defender that barely knew (your) name" smacks of a sense of victimization rather than acceptance of your criminal act.

Whether a CNA is almost the same thing as a nurse (it's not) is irrelevant. Whether you would be a terrific nurse is also irrelevant. The only thing that is relevant is that you are trying to enter an impacted field, one in which trust is paramount.

That said, I suspect that you could matriculate into an expensive private school in which competition is much lighter due to the cost. Recognize, though, that simply earning a license may not get you what you're hoping for: a role as a professional nurse. I suspect that most health care organizations will view your criminal record as an immediate cause to reject your application.

You asked for the truth. There is my view of it.

I sincerely wish you well and hope for you to find a meaningful path for yourself. I just doubt that nursing will be it.

~~~

PS - Statements like "Dying to become a nurse" are an affront to some of us who witness people actually dying on a regular basis... not to mention those of us who've watched the people most dear to us dying.

Well said!