Getting into nursing school with a record

I'm not sure if this will help you at all but here is what I've seen from friends ive known with the same situation:

You can do a self check on your fingerprints via the FBI: go to their website

Did you have the record expunged or sealed? If not, it is probably still there

Depending on what nursing program you are applying to, try to get some information on the background checks and how extensive they are, in addition look into your state's board of nursing background exclusions.

Some things don't show up anymore after 5 or 7 years, it just depends. Don't assume that it will go away on its own. You say your lawyer got charges "dropped" but that doesn't sound like they were sealed or expunged, Find out.

I have a feeling it will still show up. I am still in the process of getting it expunged. N while I appreciate your advice llg, I dont think you have the right to tell me to consider another career path. It was a misdemeanor. It is not considered a heavy crime such a DUI, theft, assault, etc. I didnt commit a felony or anything. Im still a good decent person and I would hardly call myself unstable. I just gave him a piece of mind which was mistake and I should of kept it to myself.

ya that little statement about finding another career was unnecessary. You do not need to think about finiding another career. Most jobs if not all require background checks not just with nursing. I know people who have gotten jobs in healthcare who has done worse then this. I mean life is life and it goes on outside of work. HR, unit managers, whoever some are understanding if you are not afraid to tell them your story they will listen others will judge you right off the back because of what the background check pulled up. Just continue to do what you have to do and do not stop. Try not to worry about the charge and continue to apply to jobs of your choice.

I have a feeling it will still show up. I am still in the process of getting it expunged. N while I appreciate your advice llg, I dont think you have the right to tell me to consider another career path. It was a misdemeanor. It is not considered a heavy crime such a DUI, theft, assault, etc. I didnt commit a felony or anything. Im still a good decent person and I would hardly call myself unstable. I just gave him a piece of mind which was mistake and I should of kept it to myself.

I think you misunderstood. Llg was not saying you are not a good decent person and therefore you should consider another career path. The point was that you need to consider before spending a ton of time and money on school, you will very possibly have trouble getting licensed as a nurse with this on your record, and even if you are licensed, you will have trouble obtaining employment. Sound advice, IMO.

I don't think it's going to be an issue since the charges were dropped. You weren't convicted of anything. I think it's easy enough to explain as a domestic dispute in which your ex made a complaint and ultimately the charges were dropped.

I think you misunderstood. Llg was not saying you are not a good decent person and therefore you should consider another career path. The point was that you need to consider before spending a ton of time and money on school, you will very possibly have trouble getting licensed as a nurse with this on your record, and even if you are licensed, you will have trouble obtaining employment. Sound advice, IMO.

I'm going to agree with this. LLg is only telling you to be very thorough in researching this, because you don't want to go through the whole education process, and spend all that money, only to find that you won't be able to obtain a license.

Or, as purple has pointed out, even if you get a license, to find yourself unemployable.

The rules in nursing are strict and sometimes you can work things out in your favor, sometimes not.

The job market is brutal right now and competition for jobs is tight so best to make sure you get your ducks in a row before you take the plunge.

There is nothing being said about who you are as a person, and from what you are describing it sounds like a really screwed up situation and I hope you can get that expunged.

According to the nursing program info sessions I attended last year, it isn't necessarily the schools that have issues with criminal records (although, I suppose it could be, in some cases), but often, it's the clinical sites. The schools have no control over that. In fact, IIRC, both schools I visited mentioned they don't even see the results of the background checks; only the clinical sites do, and they approve or reject at their own discretion. One program director spoke of how students in the past had gone through classes, only to be rejected by a certain clinical site partway through the program. The result was the student couldn't complete the clinical portion of the program and was unable to graduate.

You might try talking to the director of the program you're considering about your situation. Chances are they won't be able to tell you for certain whether clinical sites will approve you or not, but they may be able to give you some insight on what you need to do or what you can do to improve your chances.

Good luck!

While threatening to shoot someone was considered a misdemeanor, these days most schools and employer are not going to care whether it was a "minor" issue or involved an ex. They are going to see someone who made a death threat to someone they were involved with. And that is going to be seen in the current environment as a serious issue.We have school children shooting one another with little warning. We have domestic violence that is spilling over into the workplace and harming innocent coworkers. Recently, a divorced friend of mine was gunned down by mistake by an estranged husband that invaded the local community theatre, and shot several men, trying to kill anyone his wife "might" have been involved with. Top with a former coworker that became so angry when asked to float, that he stalked off the floor and called to tell his wife that he had his guns and was thinking of using them.The OP may feel that she did not mean it and it is a lesser crime than a felony, but most employers, clinical sites and schools are going to take it much more seriously for good reason. And even if charges were dropped, the data is out there courtesy of the Internet.