is there any hope for me to have this career?

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Could anyone think on this with me, Please. I am certified as a Phlebotomist and MLT (ASCP) but have never held a position as an MLT. I want to go back to school for the RN program, my deadline is April 1st to apply. The information packet for the program clearly states that you must have a "negative or acceptable background check" to go to clinical. I have 3 DUIs. one at age of 16,23&38. on my record. The director of the program said that the clinical sites my not let me in. Even if they do I still have to explain each infraction not only to them but to the board as well. A lady at the board told me that there is no advice, that I would have to jump through a lot of hoops but that it is possible. It meaning it could go ether way ,a friend of mine fixing to graduate as a nurse practitioner said that she has known nurses with DUIs and drugs on there record who were still able to finish the program and work. I am just anxious about entering a program when my position is that I may not even get to finish after all that work and money put into it. so my question, is there any hope for me to have this career?

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I hate to be mean here but that is a large spread for multiple DUI's. You may have a hard time explaining why you got one in your teens, twenties, and thirties. Have you done any rehab or gone to counseling? That may help your cause. I wish you the best of luck with this situation.

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I hate to be mean here but that is a large spread for multiple DUI's. You may have a hard time explaining why you got one in your teens, twenties, and thirties. Have you done any rehab or gone to counseling? That may help your cause. I wish you the best of luck with this situation.

I was thinking the same thing. You'd have a much easier time if it were a single incident that happened decades ago. Even if you are able to gain acceptance into a nursing program (and attend clinicals), you will be required to submit a criminal background check for every license and job you apply for throughout your career. You may end up working your butt off and spending a bunch of money on nursing school tuition just to discover that you can't pursue a career in nursing. I wouldn't personally be willing to take that gamble, but to each his own.

I'd spend some time reading through posts by other individuals on this forum; you may get a better sense regarding what did or didn't work for others in a similar situation.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I have 3 DUIs. one at age of 16,23&38. on my record. The director of the program said that the clinical sites my not let me in.

And the director is 100% correct. Just because a nursing school admits you doesn't mean that clinical sites have to automatically let you do clinicals there. They can--and often do--evaluate your criminal records...and sometimes they will say "No."

Then don't forget that you have to get past the BRN. And just as clinicals can reject you even if the nursing school said "Yes," the BRN makes its decision independently as well. There is a small risk that you can go through nursing school just to be denied licensure by the BRN.

And same thing with employers: even if the BRN licenses you, employers can say "Sorry, but No."

Unfortunately, none of us here can predict how clinical sites, employers or the BRN will answer. All evaluate such matters on a case-by-case basis and do it independently of each other...and Nurse X may get told "Yes" while Nurse Y with a similar record may get told "No."

If this is the route you wish to pursue, you should accept that you will have to explain your record a lot: to clinical sites, the BRN, employers, etc. I think that what all of them will want to see is what you learned from these incidents and what changes you made...but the fact that you have 3 DUIs (one as a minor, no less!) spread over 3 decades doesn't really show the best judgment, or indicates that you have made any permanent changes to your behavior.

You really need to sit down and think about how you can present this and what you can demonstrate to them that you have learned from this and made changes so DUI #4 isn't coming around the bend. Do look through the thread in the forum to get an idea of what has and hasn't helped others in similar situations.

People with DUIs can and have become nurses. It's not guaranteed, however. And if you have multiple DUIs, the challenge is that much harder.

Best of luck.

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Specializes in Urology, HH, med/Surg.

You give your age at the time of each DUI, (and as others have said, it will matter that there are 3 over such a long span) but you don't say how long ago that last one was from now.

If you have gone through a treatment program & have been attending meetings- AA or similar- you will have a better chance in the program & with the BON.

If you have nothing to show them, other than time passing, I wouldn't expect them to cut you any slack. What they will see is that years passed between your other DUIs & no action on your part to make sure it doesn't happen again. And the BON usually won't take a chance like that.

Even if you've been through rehab & attend meetings, with 3 DUIs I would expect the BON to grant you a conditional license & put you on probation for a few years from the start.

I'm sorry if it's not what you want to hear, but better now than you spends thousands on an education & not be able to be licensed.

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