Expungement and reporting on job application

[VegRNmom]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone knows if you must report an expunged conviction on hospital applications in the state of Ohio?

I was charged in Oct 2007 with Child Endangerment which was reduced to a Minor Misdemanor of disorderly conduct as the prosecutor said that what I did wasn't really child endangerment, but didn't want to let me 'off' he said. Said that even though the weather was cool enough and I wasn't in the store very long ect, that if he let me off then he would have to let someone off who went in for hours on a hot day.

I've never tried to do anything illegal in my life. Never tried drugs, did not try alcohol til I was 21, ect. I'd just taken my kids to the park at the insistance of my dad telling me to try to get out of the house. I'd been very fatigued recently and the other odd symptom had starting creeping back: dizziness, muscle twitches, panic feelings, feeling of malaise, ect. I went into a store for a few minutes, knowing full well I could see my vehicle, and it was a cool day. 4 days prior I'd gotten an answer to an 11 year illness, Lyme Disease. I was fairly depressed at the time, crying for hours...knowing that the Chronic fatigue syndrome I'd been dx'd with at age 18 was actually Lyme Disease. And remembering all the hell I'd been through (sleep paralysis episodes, severe panic attacks, cognitive issues, ect). I actually had to quit nursing school for a semester as my symptoms were so severe. I couldn't even start college until after I'd been out of high school for a year because I was so sick.

Looking back I still can't believe I made it through nursing school when I was so sick. Getting charged for going into the store for a few minutes knocked out my immune system. I've since suffered myoclonic seizure like episodes, developed cellulitis and the flu within a couple weeks during the whole court thing, ect.

I did not have a lawyer, I was in such shock, I didn't even know which way was up. I wish at that time I had known. I come from a small farm community where people leave babies in cars with the windows down. My kids were not infants, and I just didn't know that considering all of the dangers kids are faced with every day that going inside a store was even an issue for 5 minutes. My goodness, my kids ride the bus and there are no seatbelts in the bus!

During a 'good year' which I've had a few (probably 3 years here and there) in the past 13 years now, one being after I received IV antibiotics after my appendix ruptured in college, still didn't know I had Lyme then, I worked in a level 3 NICU. In nursing school, I did not think I wanted to be involved in critical care, but it was an amazing experience. I found that I really enjoyed working with the vented kids as much as the feeder-growers. I learned so much, and I found myself worrying about the babies when I was at home and dreaming about them at night. I felt 'at home' in the NICU, and yes while there were losses, there was an incredible amount of joy when a 23 weeker was able to be weaned off the vent or CPAP or what have you. And going home was always such a wonderful blessing for these babies!

Now, if I ever get better....I have no idea if I can even work in a NICU and I loved those babies dearly. It was the most important job in the world to me...of course I became pregnant with our 3rd child and around week 30 I started relapsing not knowing what I had. I relapsed hard with my second pregnancy too, I was already sick going into my first, but I've already been sick for 4 years and didn't really remember what feeling normal was anymore. after our third child was born, developed SVT at random times, but esp when changing positions. I was only in my late 20's. Cardiac problems were one of the biggest symptoms I'd had since getting sick, sudden bouts of tachycardia, and I'd qualified and run at the state track meet just 6 weeks before getting so sick on vacation.

I am on a treatment regimen and trying to get the Lyme into remission, but not knowing if I can get a job is taking it's toll on me. It's been difficult because my husband and I had really wanted 4 children whether through adoption or another bio child and with the charge we can not adopt now and knowing I have Lyme and have passed it on to our oldest child, I will not get pregnant again and risk the child having Lyme, not to mention the maternal body's immune system decreases during pregnancy. I would not want another child anyhow until I knew for sure that I will be well for awhile.

I'm sorry if there are spelling errors. I am very tired today. I used to be intelligent, one of the top of my class in highschool until I got sick the summer before my senior year after vacationing in South Carolina.

When this disease is very active, I am reduced to nothing. My grandmother told my mother this past May that she doesn't beleive I would live until the end of this year. Perhaps I won't. I don't know. But I still have some fight left and I would love to practice nursing again if only someone would be willing to hire me for a mistake made during a very sick downhill in my life.

Do you think that if I can get well and have to report the expungement that HR would be willing to overlook? I still have months or possibly years of treament before I am well enough to work, but it would be encouraging to me that I have a profession to look forward to when I get out of this hell that I've been in for much too long.

Thank-you.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

We get a lot of questions along this same line:

What happens if you are charged or convicted of a crime after licensure?

Can I go to nursing school and/or be licensed if my record has been sealed or expunged?

These are questions that the members of allnurses.com cannot answer. The only reliable source of information is your State Board of Nursing. Each case is dealt with on an individual basis.

Since you still have your license, I'm presuming the BON didn't need to be notified. However, this is just advice we can't provide.

We wish you the best and hope you feel better soon. Take care.