Misdemeanor Arrest - can I be hired?

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Hi y'all - I have been a nurse for 26 years. I have had no criminal issues until now. Two weeks ago, my husband and I were having an argument, and my stepdaughter who's only 12 years old, called the police. She claimed I pushed her, and I was arrested for battery, despite my husband and stepdaughter, pleading for them to not take me. Regardless, I have a pending charge. My stepdaughter has already written and signed and notarized affidavit of the truth, and my husband has amended the police report. I am a nurse that works at executive level. I took the last couple years off to care for a family member. And of course I'm in the process of interviewing for an amazing job. I live in the metro Atlanta area of Georgia. Is there any possibility I can get a job with this pending charge? Or if I'm honest about it and provide the information that I have that proves it will be dropped? I am so devastated. I have three children of my own that I have to support.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Call your BON, maybe as an anonymous person, see what they say? Hear it from the horses mouth.

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Specializes in Emergency, critical care.

This is a big deal. Yes, you can still work. 

#1/ Pony up the $, you need a nurse-attorney to represent You->get one this coming week. the BON has their own lawyers who do Not represent you. They will be sending you a notice in 1 to 6 months of some kind-better to be prepared.

#2/ Continue applying for employment, w/ the new caveat that all legal matters (your arrest) must be revealed. You can be brief, but be honest in anything you write down. Be careful, some Omissions can be interpreted negatively against you. Take some reassurance that domestic disputes are a common reason to have legal problems.

#3/ Work w/ your attorney for best possible outcome: I.e. charges dropped or eventual expungement. One thing you must know, is that in the future, the incident must always be disclosed, even if you have best outcome. This is expected for BON, future bosses, and future human resources only, not your co-workers, your family members, your BFFs or social media friends.

#4/ Meanwhile, time to do some homework and read other ppls stories. I always liked Hark&Hark>>https://www.phila-criminal-lawyer.com/blog/.

There used to be a forum of stories on indeed.com which I found using search term board of nursing. It had at least 60 pages of stories, many involving domestic disputes. But I can't find it now, maybe you have archival computer skills?

And some of the stories on this website as well, usually under criminal history. After you read 50-100 stories, you well be well-armed to what events you might go through, you will have new empathy for some of your fellow coworkers caught in similar jam, and your new awareness will make you a much better administrative nurse.

Good luck-you can handle this.

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Specializes in CWS Certified Wound Specialist.

That is a bummer.

A good question.  Pending misdemeanor charges....innocent til proven guilty...up to each place of employment....but if jail etc is possible it's likely a no. Unless a rough snf.

Gl

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