Change to License Requirements???

U.S.A. Florida

Published

My school sent out a memo today saying that the Florida Board of Nursing has changed its rules - in order to sit for your license you must be criminal free for 15 years on a level 1 background check. This is a change from the case by case basis.

Just wondered if anyone else has heard this news. It effects a few girls in my class and they were told to drop out of the program. Needless to say there were some on year 2 that were in the same boat. Sure I know that it was always risky - because the board could turn you down - but this is incredible.

Love to hear what others have heard.

Suz

BELIEVE THE HYPE!!!

I was just kicked out of the Polk State College nursing program over this new bill. I'm an honors student (Phi Theta Kappa) and I'm very passionate about nursing, but because I caught a possession of Xanax without a prescription six years ago I can't apply for a license in the state of Florida.

I'm not a freakin' junkie. I was first diagnosed with GAD and Panic Disorder when I was 13. I had an Rx prior to and since I was convicted. If it wasn't for the fact that we have a broken healthcare system in this country I would have had an Rx then.:angryfire

I'm so hurt by this situation. I'm a good nurse. I made a mistake when I was still a jitterbug. My conviction was unadjudicated. I still have all of my rights. I guess the State of Florida deems me fit to carry a pistol, but unfit to apply therapeutic touch to a sick person.

Does anyone know if this statute still applies to applicants if the charge is expunged or if your record is sealed?

If not, it's time to rent a UHAUL.

Joshua Drake Monroe

Are you telling the truth that you were kicked out BECAUSE of the law and not for another reason? If so I'm pretty sure what happened to you is illegal. A school can't kick you out because you would be unable to get licensed after graduation. This has had a precedent set already in the courts. As a student, you have protection in seeking a degree regardless of ability to be licensed. As long as you can participate in clinicals as a student and meet whatever other criteria are found in the college's handbook, then you legally have a degree owed to you.

I do not think there is anything unfair about this law. Nurses carry a huge responsibilty legally, ethically, and morally. In my opinion, certain professions, nursing being one of them, should not allow convicted felons to hold licenses at all. I understand people can make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. However, being convicted of a felony is not the same as, say, getting a traffic ticket. A felony is a serious offense. It is an offense which is usually commited without thought to consequences. Not being able to practice as a licensed nurse is one of those consequences. I don't think the BoN or the legislature is the problem here. If people behaved themselves they wouldn't have to worry about this stuff, now would they? Two years ago, Josh posted about his situation. I'm curious as to how a broken healthcare system caused him to be caught with xanax for which he had no Rx? If he didn't have a script for it, he should not have had it. Plain and simple. Sounds like he's rationalizing there. There are other felonies besides drug-related ones, I know. Doesn't matter. It is a question of character and responsibility. Nursing is a profession which requires unquestionable character and absolute responsibilty. There are no excuses or rationalizations in this profession.

I do not think there is anything unfair about this law. Nurses carry a huge responsibilty legally, ethically, and morally. In my opinion, certain professions, nursing being one of them, should not allow convicted felons to hold licenses at all. I understand people can make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. However, being convicted of a felony is not the same as, say, getting a traffic ticket. A felony is a serious offense. It is an offense which is usually commited without thought to consequences. Not being able to practice as a licensed nurse is one of those consequences. I don't think the BoN or the legislature is the problem here. If people behaved themselves they wouldn't have to worry about this stuff, now would they? Two years ago, Josh posted about his situation. I'm curious as to how a broken healthcare system caused him to be caught with xanax for which he had no Rx? If he didn't have a script for it, he should not have had it. Plain and simple. Sounds like he's rationalizing there. There are other felonies besides drug-related ones, I know. Doesn't matter. It is a question of character and responsibility. Nursing is a profession which requires unquestionable character and absolute responsibilty. There are no excuses or rationalizations in this profession.

OY!....a wee self righteous???? I think Josh's point was, he has a dx for the med, but was unable to get a script for some period of time....d/t whatever cause.

I'm not self-righteous--I'm just not a convicted felon and therefore never had to worry about getting my nursing license or getting a nursing job. And my patients don't have to worry that I've had run-ins with the law. You can try to put it back on me as being self-righteous, or whatever, but I'm not the one with the questionable background who has something to hide. We all know right from wrong. If you broke the law, you did it knowing it was wrong. Breaking the law is not an accident. It is Intentional. You set out to do what you did, you did it, and hoped you wouldn't caught. I've worked as a prison nurse and jail nurse for years and I've heard all the ying-yang and pity-party stories about how having a record has ruined a person's chance to do so many things they wanted to do. Duh. Rarely do I hear any inmate say they caused all their own problems by commiting the crimes that made them criminals. It's always the fault of "the system", or "the way the law is written", or something else other than themselves. I do believe there are people who make mistakes they regret and would never make those same mistakes again. But, part of learning from a mistake is accepting the consequences of the mistake. Sometimes the consequence is that you will not be able to do something you want to do. Nursing is a profession of trust. You enter into a trusting relationship with your patient and your employer. The law in Florida is intended to make you show you are trustworthy enough to be a nurse. If you behave for 15 years post-conviction, you have earned the trust of the state of Florida to become a licensed nurse. At least that is the amount of time Florida feels it needs, and it is what it is. I still don't think convicted felons should be allowed to practice nursing. I just don't think the patients would like it if they knew. And I don't think things should be hidden from people whose lives are in your hands. So, if you're going to be mad about the situation, don't be mad at the legislature, be mad at yourself for commiting a crime that put you in the situation. Accept the limitations your actions caused you and let it be the motivation that keeps you from doing it again.

Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

Please discuss the subject of this thread .... the change in license requirements rather than firing personal attacks at one another. We promote the idea of lively debate. This means you are free to disagree with anyone on any type of subject matter as long as your criticism is constructive and polite.

The title of this thread is, "Change to License Requirement".

Specializes in NICU,MB,Lact.Consultant, L/D.

This may or may not help some of you. Back in the "dark ages" of 2 day state boards there was no law saying you had to take your board exam in the state you did your education in. I trained in Wa state and took my boards in Maine, as that was where I could find a job. At that time there was a shortage of jobs just like now. While I can appreciate many of you may not want to leave Florida, perhaps this is an option so you will not have to lose all the time and effort you have put into your educational programs. You may not ever be able to work in florida but that does not mean you will not be able to work at all.

myfloridahouse.gov, u can send all the representatives information on how wrong this law is through their email.I suggest u send it to each and everyone of them.The law allows out of state nurses to license even if it was less than 15 years from their disposition date just because the crime was not commited in florida.Also 15 years is a ridiculous number to wait for licensing when u have not been convicted of the crime.Remember withheld adjudication means that u r not convicted of the crime so u still have the right to vote,bear arms,and every other civil liberty allowed by law.A law like this need to be repealed considering one can be a federal TSA agent with a felony conviction after 10 years.We go to school all this time to better ourselves and then turn around and have lawmakers affect us with these frivolous laws.My understanding is that florida is the only state with the 15 year rule.Whats even funnier is that if u seal your record u can actually lie on the applicaton for licensing by stating that u have never been arrested or plead guilty regardless of the adjudication.Since the medical field uses based evidence statistics for everything we do why are lawmakers not doing the same when it comes to our proffesional,I mean there has not been a survey or a study done on each and every particular crime that these chapters cover.I just sat through the february 3 meeting with the BON and got a-lot of insight from them and even the majority of them agree that this law needs some revamping.

Specializes in Utilization Management.

"angel garcia: Whats even funnier is that if u seal your record u can actually lie on the applicaton for licensing by stating that u have never been arrested or plead guilty regardless of the adjudication"

That is not true at all. Healthcare licensing entities have full access to sealed records, as do firearm dealers and manufacturers, and various other entities. Perhaps you mean expunged records? And how is lying on a licensing application funny?

I have no problem with this law. Do the crime, do the time, and not all time is necessarily in a prison.

Fifteen years is a fair amount of time to allow pass before allowing eligibility. If this is a problem there are other states that will allow you to ply your trade.

Lying on the licensing application? That really shows integrity.

"angel garcia: Whats even funnier is that if u seal your record u can actually lie on the applicaton for licensing by stating that u have never been arrested or plead guilty regardless of the adjudication"

That is not true at all. Healthcare licensing entities have full access to sealed records, as do firearm dealers and manufacturers, and various other entities. Perhaps you mean expunged records? And how is lying on a licensing application funny?

They even see expunged records. You lie....you will not get licensed.

+ Add a Comment