My Criminal Record

HappyNurse2005, RN · Feb 27, 2005

Contact the Board of Nursing in your state and ask them. They are the only ones who can tell you with certainty if you can take NCLEX or not.

Fraggle · Feb 27, 2005

Call the state bon. Be totally upfront so there won't be any surprises. For one, you cannot be "mostly not convicted." You either were or were not.

I am worried that I will not get my IL state liscense because of my criminal record. Does any one know a web site, tetepone #, any where I can get info. I talked to the RN teaching heads at my college but no help. I have been arrested for 1 felony but never convicted. All my arrests are drug related because I had a drug problem, the rest are all misterminors. Mostly I have not been convicted but its on my record. Please help, I am an honor student and only have 5 more courses left.

HisTreasure, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2005

You definitely need to contact your BON. From my NY stand point, we learned about criminal records in our VLE class. Our instructor, who happens to consult with the NYBON, told us in no uncertain terms that if we had any criminal record (closed, juvenile, or otherwise) we need to disclose that on our application for licensure. In NY specifically if we have a criminal record and disclose it appropriately all we will need is two or three character references and there should be no problems. If the infraction occurred at any time during the course of nursing school, certain pre-reqs included, then there COULD be a problem with getting a license but the BON would investigate and ultimately determine whether a license should be given. The suggestion made by our instructor was that any of us whom believed we had a record, even a sealed juvenile record for stealing gum :chuckle, should call up the station that would have the record and request it, so that we know everything that should be disclosed. She also mentioned that just because a judge said that something was erased from our record, it doesn't necessarily mean that it was, so make sure we contact ALL counties that may have a record on us. I paid extremely close attention due to the fact that when I was 15 I was involved in a fight and put the other girl into the hospital. Of course police were called and a report taken, but the family did not press charges. As of now I still do not know if I have a record per se, but I definitely will call up the county sheriff to find out! (However I did include this tidbit of info on my application for nursing school, just because I knew there is always little print when applying for any state license). Good luck, and congrats on turning your life around!

Altra, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2005

Get in touch with your state's BON as soon as possible. I'm not an expert, but drug convictions can be some of the most problematic -- nursing is a profession with incredibly easy access to controlled substances.

z's playa · Feb 28, 2005

I can't figure out how some schools won't tell the student or ask for a record check BEFORE taking their tuition!!!!!!

FutureNrse · Feb 28, 2005

I'm glad that you seem to have turned your life around after your past difficulties, but I have to ask you something. Why didn't you check into this before you put so much time and effort into your schooling?

I have no idea if this will affect things for you or not, all I can do is think of how I would look at the situation. First, I'd wonder why you waited so long to find out if your past is a problem or not. Putting it off could be a sign of procrastinating, which isn't a good trait in a nurse. Or, it could be that you hoped you could slip by without it being noticed, which is dishonest. As for your criminal record, I would worry about the drug charges, and your drug problem, since you will be exposed to drugs in nursing.

I'd advise you to get on this right away and see if anything can be done. I'd also prepare myself for disappointment in the event a criminal record keeps you from nursing.

Good luck.

Jeanne CLC · Feb 28, 2005

Call the state bon. Be totally upfront so there won't be any surprises. For one, you cannot be "mostly not convicted." You either were or were not.

Let me correct myself. I only have 3 convictions, the rest were dismised or not persued. However, its all on my record. Thanks for the advice.

sun1shine1 · Mar 1, 2005

In Louisiana, we had to disclose everything at the time of our application to clinicals. We had to be okayed by the SBN before being allowed to start the program. I wrote a bad check once (false pretenses), it was a misdemeanor, I disclosed, I sent in all the paperwork about it (it was hard to get it from the courthouse because I don't live there anymore), and I got in no problem. Louisiana has such a strict nondisclosure policy that when they do the background check before licensure and anything turns up that they didn't already know about, you are in deep doo-doo. If you get the license you can't practice for 5 yrs, and when/if you do, you have so many flaming hoops to jump through, it's not worth it. Moral of the story: disclose. With "dependencies" you may have to go through some sort of rehab program too. Try googling it. Many SBN have a FAQs section related to that sort of thing on their websites. If not at least you'll find the phone number.