LPN sealed drug possession Felony

macca · Aug 12, 2011

Sorry to hear of your troubles, and people do make mistakes and need second chances. The truth is, once any type of arrest recod is produced......you are guilty, whether you were convicted or not . If you are lucky enough to get called for an interview, then the next step is looking at the severity of the case.....once you have a charge of certain types of offence....the battle is uphill from there.....not encouraging you to give up, but letting you know the battle will be difficult.

ctml · Aug 15, 2011

what state are you in? and please tell me how you got your felony sealed. my advise is first go to the state police web site for your state and run a background check on yourself. u pay a nominal fee and get results in a couple weeks. if that felony is not showing on your record then dont report it and your good to go. if it is well you may need to move to a state where they dont do fingerprint checks. i know michigan is one that requires it of all healthcare workers PA does not. what is the point of a sealed felony if you report it? check your own background first and see what comes up. not these internet sites most employers at least here in pa do a state police criminal background check. thats what you need to see. and please tell me how you got that sealed. i have some issues i need to deal with myself. thank you so much and good luck, im praying for you.

ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN · Aug 15, 2011

How does the question read on the application? You need to look up your state's statues or contact and attorney. In Indiana, if a record has been expunged or the person participated in some kind of diversion program, the person legally can answer the question with "no".

If the application question reads, "Have you ever been arrested, plead guilty, had an expungement, or participated in a diversion program?" Then you will have to answer "yes" to the question.

Again, check with an attorney in your state to see what your legal options are. I am surprised your state board allowed a felony drug charge slide even if it was expunged. Did you disclose it on your renewal application?

red84 · Aug 23, 2011

I live in Ohio..I contacted the Board of nursing and provided all the paper work for my sealed record. they wanted to know details but that was it. they told me they would keep it on my file and no other action would be taken.

My felony is for possession of cocaine that is a 5th degree felony in ohio. i hired a lawyer and went to all of the trials and was completely honest with the courts. I was never arrested and I never served jail time because it was my husband that turned me in to the police. after my trial the court found me guilty of possession of cocaine and they ruled me to complete a program call ILC it is for people who have been in trouble for the first time. I completed 3 months of intense drug rehab and probation and upon completing and paying all my fines. I had to apply for the courts to seal my record. I had to pay more fines and wait and finally they dropped charges and found me not guilty and sealed my record. I was told by my lawyer that I could honestly answer NO on applications about criminal history unless it says sealed. and for the first few months I did answer NO on the applications when asking have a ever been convicted. But after going to three or four PERFECT interviews and having the employer basically say they were going to hire me and as soon as i leave their office they never return my phone calls. That is either, A) bad references or B) they found my sealed felony...

I have contacted every single board of nursing in the USA and asked them If I could have a license in their state and would I be able to get a job. and every single state has gotten back to me and said, It is case by case. Submit your application and we will review your case and determine if you will have a license in our state. And the only board of nursing that did answer my second question was PA and WV. I asked if I could work in their state with a sealed record and both states replied, If you have a sealed record and have the documents then you will be able to answer an application question of have you ever been convicted of a felony, you will be able to honestly answer NO. And I am just wondering if this is true?!? if this is so then I will apply to both states and move my husband and children ASAP. I would give anything to be able to work as a nurse again. I feel it is my true calling in life. So if anyone lives in PA or WV please help me and let me know if this is true.

Waiting and Praying......

Editorial Team / Admin · Aug 23, 2011

As the above poster stated, if the application asks, "have you ever........?", then you must answer yes.

We cannot provide any other advice than that. You'll have to seek the answers from your BON.

Good luck.