I am in a new BSN graduate who applied for my nursing license in March in OK. I've never been arrested or anything like that. I answered no to the arrest/convictions question for the background check without a second thought. 2 weeks after sending in my application I received a letter from the BON stating that I did not disclose an arrest on my record. 13 years ago while serving in the Army, I received a field grade article 15. It's a non-judicial administrative punishment for coming up positive on a urinalysis. I was not arrested, I was not charged with a crime, I was not tried in a court of law, I was simply given a punishment by my command and continued on with my army career. I've had at least a dozen back ground checks done over the years. I've worked for the army as a civilian in 2 different states, I work with children in my church, I had to have a back ground check to get into nursing school. I have never been told that this article 15 was in my back ground. I answered no on that question in good faith and with a clear conscience. When I called the BON after getting that letter, I was made to feel like a piece of crap who lied on their application and received no guidance on where to even look for the documentation they were asking for. They wanted court minutes, arrest record, officer's report, all of which did not exist since, again, I was never arrested. It took me a month to locate the form with my article 15 on it. I included a letter in my own words of the incident, as well as character letters, and an explanation of what an article 15 is.
Finally after a month of not getting though to anyone at the BON, leaving messages and not getting a call back, I finally found out that my application was back with an investigator. What the board is offering me to move forward so I can take my NCLEX is stipulations. I have to take a 4 hour course on Nursing Jurisprudence, and I will have a public reprimand on my license right out of the gate.
In reading the nursing practice laws and violations for the state I found this:
C. Any person who supplies the Board information in good faith shall not be liable in any way for damages with respect to giving such information.
I want to fight this. I don't deserve a reprimand when I honestly didn't think I was lying.
Any advice on moving forward with an appeal would me so appreciated. Most of my class has taken NCLEX and I still don't have an ATT. I was president of my class, 3.8 GPA, I even gave the student address at convocation. I teach Sunday school and spent the last year serving as PTA president. I'm also a military spouse and very much would like to uphold my reputation. Having this public reprimand opens me up to unfair prejudice.
I took the reprimand. I wanted to get my license, so I didn't fight it. I had to take a a one day class and I have a reprimand on my license that will stay with me forever. But I'm happy, I'm working in ICU doing what I love and it hasn't hindered me at all. What's your story?
I took the reprimand. I wanted to get my license, so I didn't fight it. I had to take a a one day class and I have a reprimand on my license that will stay with me forever. But I'm happy, I'm working in ICU doing what I love and it hasn't hindered me at all. What's your story?
I had trouble getting my EMT certification in California. I'm thinking about getting a lawyer when I try to get my nursing license. I fully plan to disclose my article 15. Do you have any other suggestions?
As long as you disclose it, you should be fine. Call the BON and ask what kind of documentation they want for you to send them. My problem was that I didn't even consider an article 15 a "charge" that's why I didn't check yes on my application. So I got in trouble for falsifying my application.
As long as you disclose it, you should be fine. Call the BON and ask what kind of documentation they want for you to send them. My problem was that I didn't even consider an article 15 a "charge" that's why I didn't check yes on my application. So I got in trouble for falsifying my application.
That's the same reason it took California so long to give me my EMT certification. I didn't consider it a charge either so I didn't disclose it. It was suppose to be an administrative issue
I'm confused about how they found out about the article 15? Like stated above that is not something that is considered a public criminal record. It may be on your DD214 depending on what it was for but this seems odd to me. I would definitely speak to JAG to get some guidance.
I'm confused about how they found out about the article 15? Like stated above that is not something that is considered a public criminal record. It may be on your DD214 depending on what it was for but this seems odd to me. I would definitely speak to JAG to get some guidance.
It appears during a FBI live scan. If someone was fingerprinted during their article 15 investigation, then it's on the NCIC database.
traumaholic, BSN, RN
61 Posts
I'm going to be in the same place that you were. What ended up happening?