How does a class A misdemeanor effect a career in Nursing?

[JB1993]

I am a freshman and have recently been accepted into the Nursing program for the following semester. I'm also attending school on scholarships. Last week I was arrested and charged with domestic battery for pepper spraying my ex-boyfriend. My court date is set this week and I am planning on fighting the charges. However, if convicted of these charges, would I still be able to pursue my dream of nursing? Would I be able to obtain a license or even get a job?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Each case is handled individually. Moving to Nursing Licensure with a Criminal History forum.

[FLmomof5]

You definitely need to fight this. Is BF going through with having you convicted? Was the spray in self-defense?

Your issue will be that this will be seen as a crime of violence and that hurts you chances far more than a non-violent offense.

I wish you luck. Please check back and let us know how this turned out.

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

It really depends. First, your school may rescind their acceptance offer based on your conviction. Second, clinical sites may not approve you to work there because of your record. Third, your BON may deny your application for licensure due to the misdemeanor. Fourth, an employer may not hire you based on your record. There's really no one here that can tell you for sure if you'll be okay in any of those circumstances.

Nurses and nursing students reflect upon the profession as a whole. Furthermore, any student with a criminal history of violent behavior may be a risk in the clinical setting. I hope that you have learned from this mistake, and please don't downgrade the magnitude of what you did. This action is likely to affect you for years to come, whether you are convicted or not. I'm actually quite surprised that you weren't charged with felony assault.

Finally, I'd really suggest removing this post. If someone was looking to gather evidence about you, and could track your internet activity (not hard to do) they would see this post where you basically have admitted to the crime that you were arrested for.