Is Bankruptcy a major hindrance to employment?

[Jmiami]

There is a reason I'm posting this in General Nursing discussion, it is to get the opinion of those who are in the field and who maybe experienced with current hiring practices.

I recently had to file for Bankruptcy due to a misguided attempt at helping a relative out using my credit. Poor judgement on my part, and despite the use of a promissary note and legal action, I still had to claim BK due to the financial havoc it created. Before this I had a 768 credit score. On my credit report, you can clearly see that this is an isolated incident in 2008 with no history of delinquency before or afterwards.

I support my daughter and significant other (who is currently out of work, but going back next week) on $1800 or less a month and have done so for the past 3 years without going over budget or missing a payment on current necessities. The credit payments, for survival's sake, I had to let go in order to ...well...survive.

Now that SO is back at work, I am able to pursue Nursing. However, I am wondering if it will be a waste of time since there is no shortage and my credit is wrecked. Other than my credit issues, I have glowing reccommendations from employers and my CNA professor to vouch for my abilities. I live in the south florida area. I know that geography makes a big difference in the market.

[Paws2people]

You should be fine. Sometimes they aren't even looking at credit in background checks. It can't hurt to apply. What do you have to lose? I know someone who went bankrupt 5yrs ago, their credit score is 740 now, and they have been offered jobs in hospitals after the background check. Best of luck.

[ckh23, BSN, RN]

This is going to vary from employer to employer. Some run credit checks and some do not. Even the employers that do run the credit check may not hold the bankruptcy against you. There is just no way to tell.

The big thing the bankruptcy will do is effect your ability to get private student loans if you need them to pay for nursing school. That being said, there are other options to fund school such as the Stafford Loan which does not require a credit check.

[Jmiami]

wow! 740! That will be me 5 years from now. I'm just more of a saver than a spender anyway. I'm the "if the bill isn't paid early, it's late" type. Yes, nerdy I know. I am hoping to be able to pay for school out of pocket as I go. I'm really gunshy about taking out loans, as you could understand I'm sure. I hear horror stories of students taking out all these loans with no job to pay them off with at the end of the tunnel. As a nursing student, I'm really not expecting to find employment for 6 months to a year after graduation. I need to factor that into the equasion when considering how to finance my education. I just can't imagine being anything other than a nurse. The sights and smells during CNA clinicals were just fine and only fuled me more to put my head down and forge on no matter what. Even if I have to work at starbucks after I'm done with school while I search for employment as a nurse, I think it'll be worth it in the end.

[ddunnrn]

It saddens me that you would even have to be worried about this when we have big bankers in this country who basically bankrupted their companies, yet get off Scott free, and even with multimillion dollar bonuses. What a credit rating has to with being a good nurse is beyond me, the same with other factors like GPA or IQ.