Question about criminal record/ability to find job

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

I have a problem that I'm a little embarrassed about to post here, but I need some enlightenment, so here goes...

On my criminal record, I have three traffic violations, mainly for speeding and they are all YEARS old... so, no big deal there. But then I have a Theft By Deception charge... and all it says is that it is "under $300" and therefore a misdemeanor. It's a long story as to how that charge made it's way onto my criminal record, and I'm tired after working a LONG night shift so I won't go into details. I will say that it was only a 28 dollar check that I bounced, the cold check writing was purely accidental, and that I would have taken care of the bounced check SOONER had I known about it before it made it's way to court!!! :angryfire

Anyway... my QUESTION is, do you all think that this charge is keeping me from being able to find jobs, or WILL it? I mean, I have a friend who has an old fourth degree assault charge against him that HAS caused him to lose his chance at a nursing position, but my charge is a non-violent one; however it does show possible DISHONESTY. Do any of you have any experiences, either as job seekers or as employers, that you could share?

I currently HAVE a position as a Med Surge RN, but I am getting rather burned out and have been looking at changing jobs. I'm worried that this looks really bad to prospective employers and even disclosed to ONE employer ahead of time, "Look, I wanted to let you know that there is one little blurb on my criminal record.." blah blah blah. I'm not sure whether that was actually a good idea or not, and needless to say I didn't get the job. It was actually a highly competitve position and I probably would not have gotten the job regardless, but...

Anyway.. input is appreciated.

You were able to take you NCLEX test, how did you list this for that? They are really tough in most states on this and if you were able to do this then maybe it is not on your record anymore. Go to you local police station and get this run you might have to pay for it but see what is on it. Hope this helps

Totally off topic but you can be charged for a bounced check? Wow.

Excellent post! I am so glad you actually made this post. So here goes my criminal hx and story. I myself, I am now 34, was convicted of a FELONY 14 years ago. I was 22, young, dumb and STUPID! My father died at the age of 42, suddenly and totally unexpected, so there was no will. My father had his own business, Industrial Fire Protection. I was on the pay roll since I was 16 years old and my job was accounts payable.....I printed out everyone's check! Well about a week after my father had died, the guys wanted to get paid, understandably, so as I was printing out their checks....I called my father's attorney, who was even a good friend of my father's, and asked him if I can cut myself out a check. He repiled, "Are you on the payroll." I said, "yes." So I made myself out a normal paycheck. Well back then I used to do sniff cocaine "recreationally", was possible at 22 years old....LOL...:chuckle. Like when my g/f and I went to clubs just to stay up all night, but NEVER during the week! Well a few days after the funeral, needless to say I was devastated! It was a sudden death that didn't hit me for a week later. I thought he was on a business trip....he always was when he was alive! Anyhows I had power of atty, being the oldest and I was extremely close to my daddy....terrible relationship with my mother. So anyhows, I turned to sniffing coke to ease the depression and stayed high for 3 months straight and therefore I needed money to support that kind of habit. I printed out over $20,000 in checks for myself and my little sisters in a 3 month time frame. Not even an incling that this was WRONG!:uhoh3: I was talked into selling the business since I had no clue what I was doing.....signed everything over to the public administrator...and 2 weeks later I was arrested!:angryfire Apparently not even my father was allowed to spend money like that w/o having to account for it w/ the IRS! I was clueless! I spent a few hours in jail and ROR by Probation. I was charged with Forgery...even though I had the right to sign the checks and grand larceny charges.....BUT I didn't even go to trial cuz again, I was clueless and just wanted to get it over with.

Anyhows I called the NYS Office of Professional Disciplines and they told me they needed a copy of all the court papers, which I just received the other day, and that it WOULD NOT, I repeat WOULD NOT jeopordize me getting my RN license......what would jeopordize it would of been if I would have lied on the application and then they found out....I would of lost my license forever then. Since it was not a crime against anyone....and all I was sentenced to was 5 years probation and was off of probation in 2 years. Anyhows I had totally forgotten about that incident...it was so long ago.....been married 13 years now and wokring at my local med. center for 9 now. I was reading this web site for professional misconduct in NYS and came across people losing their licenses' for lying on their application for previous convictions...scared the **** out of me:o . So I called and spoke to an officer at the office who assured me that because of the nature of the crime and how many years ago it was...I was safe.....Thank God! :rotfl: Would of hated to go through 4 years of school and all of this stress and not even been able to work or get my license...:angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire That would of burned me:angryfire :angryfire

Thanks for listening!

MrsStraty

adn grad in 11 weeks

Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

This has happened since I took my NCLEX. It is still on my record. I have renewed my nursing license since it happened... I did write a letter to our state's board of nursing about the incident and why it happened. There wasn't a problem, apparently.

It just depresses me... more and more every day, I want out of my current job and I feel like I might be trapped because of this.

Excellent post! I am so glad you actually made this post. So here goes my criminal hx and story. I myself, I am now 34, was convicted of a FELONY 14 years ago. I was 22, young, dumb and STUPID! My father died at the age of 42, suddenly and totally unexpected, so there was no will. My father had his own business, Industrial Fire Protection. I was on the pay roll since I was 16 years old and my job was accounts payable.....I printed out everyone's check! Well about a week after my father had died, the guys wanted to get paid, understandably, so as I was printing out their checks....I called my father's attorney, who was even a good friend of my father's, and asked him if I can cut myself out a check. He repiled, "Are you on the payroll." I said, "yes." So I made myself out a normal paycheck. Well back then I used to do sniff cocaine "recreationally", was possible at 22 years old....LOL...:chuckle. Like when my g/f and I went to clubs just to stay up all night, but NEVER during the week! Well a few days after the funeral, needless to say I was devastated! It was a sudden death that didn't hit me for a week later. I thought he was on a business trip....he always was when he was alive! Anyhows I had power of atty, being the oldest and I was extremely close to my daddy....terrible relationship with my mother. So anyhows, I turned to sniffing coke to ease the depression and stayed high for 3 months straight and therefore I needed money to support that kind of habit. I printed out over $20,000 in checks for myself and my little sisters in a 3 month time frame. Not even an incling that this was WRONG!:uhoh3: I was talked into selling the business since I had no clue what I was doing.....signed everything over to the public administrator...and 2 weeks later I was arrested!:angryfire Apparently not even my father was allowed to spend money like that w/o having to account for it w/ the IRS! I was clueless! I spent a few hours in jail and ROR by Probation. I was charged with Forgery...even though I had the right to sign the checks and grand larceny charges.....BUT I didn't even go to trial cuz again, I was clueless and just wanted to get it over with.

Anyhows I called the NYS Office of Professional Disciplines and they told me they needed a copy of all the court papers, which I just received the other day, and that it WOULD NOT, I repeat WOULD NOT jeopordize me getting my RN license......what would jeopordize it would of been if I would have lied on the application and then they found out....I would of lost my license forever then. Since it was not a crime against anyone....and all I was sentenced to was 5 years probation and was off of probation in 2 years. Anyhows I had totally forgotten about that incident...it was so long ago.....been married 13 years now and wokring at my local med. center for 9 now. I was reading this web site for professional misconduct in NYS and came across people losing their licenses' for lying on their application for previous convictions...scared the **** out of me:o . So I called and spoke to an officer at the office who assured me that because of the nature of the crime and how many years ago it was...I was safe.....Thank God! :rotfl: Would of hated to go through 4 years of school and all of this stress and not even been able to work or get my license...:angryfire :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire That would of burned me:angryfire :angryfire

Thanks for listening!

MrsStraty

adn grad in 11 weeks

A friend of mine in nursing school recently had a shoplifting case expunged...and her lawyer told her on the nclex application to check "no" if ever convicted of a felony b/c the case is expunged...but she is still nervous and does not know what to do..can anyone give some advice?

Specializes in insanity control.

DO NOT check no! I also have a 3rd class felony expunged from my record. Keep a copy of the charges, court order and expungement record. It still shows up on the check as being charged with a felony and the boards I have worked with want the paperwork. This normally, or at least in my case, did not interfer with getting a liscense. Had several boards tell me that they would not have issued if I had checked no then it popped up on a background check. Never, Never, Never lie by ommision to a board. It can become really nasty. :crying2:

DO NOT check no......thats how you get your license taken away forever.....at least here in NY. If you check no and they end up doing a check you are finished......or if you have to go to court and testify about a malpractice case and they find out then, then you are finished too.

In my case I called the NYS boards and office of professional discipline 2 times, just to make sure. I got the same answer from 2 different people. I have no worries about getting a license, just be honest and submit the correct paperwork along with an explanation from myself. The major thing they are looking for is violent crime against another person, or the biggie......ANY drug related crime, forging scripts, crap like that.

Another big issue is getting in trouble WHILE you hold a professional license. You are held to a certain degree of professionalism even when NOT on the job! Once you get your license and you catch a felony charge well I would think it would be over with.

Make a long story short....always check the truth!

MrsStraty

ADN grad in 11 weeks!

One application I filled out asked if there were any prior Traffic Convictions. Is a speeding ticket considered a traffic conviction. Anyone.

Another question: what if you were underage at the time? My situation is particularly murky.

I was 17, newly licensed (to drive), and really dumb. Twice, in the same day, I passed a stopped schoolbus. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon. I honestly did not know you weren't supposed to when the stop sign was extended. It was the same damn bus both times! It was a misdemeanor in the state where I lived. So I pled guilty to 2 misdemeamors and paid a fine that wiped out years of babysitting money. Subsequently I moved out of state. I have always answered "NO" when asked "have you ever been convicted of a crime besides minor trafic violations" but what constitutes minor? Anyway, I have a (nursing) license in my current state of residence, but am now applying for one in the state where the incident occurred. Is it expunged/sealed/whatever because I was 17? It is a minor traffic violation? What do I put on the license application?

Here's the skinny. BON are interested in felonies, as are the rest of this great nation and it's Witch Hunters, so as far as the BON, list all that apply, if you haven't received an expungment; in an expungement( and in this expungement stipulate that this matter will no longer be a matter of public knowlege) the only way anyone can locate your criminal hx, is to physically go to the court records dept. and copy the actual court docket, and the only way these people would be able to do that is if you told them of the case or if anyone knew of your case/situation and told them, a mole if you will. As far as employers, they will only do a county wide arrest record report or a State Bureau of Investigation report, all of which will cost them money, mostly employers now will rely on the internet and obtaining County Court Docket information, this will show all arrests made, which will show up on the Court Docket, of which you also can access, so first get on the internet, access the county district court docket of your offense, if your not on there, don't tell, make them do the work and pay the money to dig up the dirt on you, it's all about money my friend, if these people want to spend the time and money to make public all your traffic tickets, in order to make this a safer world, then so be it, but make it there time and money spent, bottom line make your past, just that, your past, and in turn, learn, learn from your mistakes, and don't repeat them. The best advice is for you to contact a Criminal Defense Attroney with experience in Healthcare Law, there are many out there with an RN degree. A wise man once said, " Any man with dignity, would not want my demise made public." Good Luck. 's with wolves.

DO NOT check no! I also have a 3rd class felony expunged from my record. Keep a copy of the charges, court order and expungement record. It still shows up on the check as being charged with a felony and the boards I have worked with want the paperwork. This normally, or at least in my case, did not interfer with getting a liscense. Had several boards tell me that they would not have issued if I had checked no then it popped up on a background check. Never, Never, Never lie by ommision to a board. It can become really nasty. :crying2:

Thanks traviling lady for answering post.

Well today my friend and I went to a different lawyer, one who has expunged cases for nursing students b/4... she told us that getting a license should not be a problem if the case is already expunged even if there is and issue of fingerprinting... me and my friend are still confused... Can anyone recommend a lawyer whose an RN in the New York, New Jersey or Conneticut area that can better answer this problem...Please ASAP.

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