23 years ago I was 18, i committed a felony and was charged. i didnt do any prison time. just probation.
a few years ago i had my record sealed. at that point i didnt have to check boxes saying i was ever convicted of a felony and it was 23 years ago. usually they say within the last 7 years or something.
I applied for examination to be an RN this spring. ive been waiting 3 months for this to go through.
i finally went down there and they said it was delayed because it was in review due to my record.....
im really bummed and depressed that something i did so long ago might actually cause me to not be what i want to be... A NURSE!!!
In NJ, the application asks about criminal history in a few separate questions. Essentially, they inquire about arrests and convictions of crimes separately. I know of a handful of people who got caught up in the language and assumed because their record was expunged, they did not have to disclose neither arrest or conviction. Needless to say, convictions can be sealed, but arrests will still pop up on background checks, sparking an investigation into the full record. These BONs definitely do hold nurses to a higher standard than any other profession. In NJ, lying about criminal history requires a fine and often a probationary period. The board order is public and anyone searching your name/license will be able to see your disciplinary action. In addition, if the crime is related to drugs/alcohol, they automatically require you to be "evaluated" by their very strict, very costly and very unfair (private) monitoring program. This can take months to YEARS. Schools should fully inform people about ALL of this before they graduate and begin filling out BON applications.
My best advice is: consult a NURSE LAWYER with specific experience related to your state's BON and prepare to fully disclose all documents related to your conviction. Good luck.
beekee
839 Posts
This is ABSOLUTELY incorrect. At least in my state, the BON has access to sealed records. However, an employer won't see the sealed records.