Nurses w/ Bad Credit in PGH??

justme1972 · Apr 6, 2007

I think that would be an excellent idea. I personally, think it's wrong to check someone's credit for a job. People can have bad credit for a variety of reasons, and someone has sold HR's in all sorts of industries a line of bull that people with bad credit are more likely to steal, embezzle, steal social security numbers, cash, pills for money, anything you can think of.

I wish you luck...ask up front in the job interview if they check credit, if they do, then be up front about your credit score and ask if that is going to be a problem.

Alot of students don't make it out of college with excellent credit...don't worry.

Altra, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2007

If your credit situation is weighing on your mind you may be jumping to the conclusion that it was the deciding factor in your application. Perhaps it wasn't a factor at all. There may well have been considerably more applicants than available positions. If you wish you can always call AGH's HR and ask why you were not selected, particularly if you think you may want to apply for a permanent position there after graduation.

Also, keep in mind that the way HR depts. (and outside agencies which do background checks for HR depts.) use credit reports is not necessarily just for the financial information. Credit reports are also a way to verify other info you have provided -- addresses, previous employment, etc.

Shamira Aizza · Apr 9, 2007

I'm no lawyer, but I'm a novice student of finance.

Part 1.

I doubt the results of your credit check had any bearing on the decision. If so, the hospital is legally required to notify you that the reason they didn't hire you is because of the results of your credit check.

And, if the reason they decided not to hire you is because of the results of your credit check, they need to be prepared to show that the position for which you were being considered involved handling organizational funds, and that they had reasonable concern that you might be tempted to mis-handle funds based on either temptation, or previous inability to properly manage your own personal funds (as reflected by your credit report). They are also required to tell you what company they used to obtain your credit report so that you have reasonable opportunity to dispute the information.

Part 2.

Nurse extern jobs are somewhat more competitive than real nursing jobs. You simply got beat out...it happens to us all.

I would be very surprised to hear of a nurse being refused a job based on their credit report, especially with the current mentality of high debt.

My credit score is very substandard; not because I'm in debt or have a history of unpaid bills, but because I do very little to grow my credit score. I don't use credit cards or take out loans to purchase cars. I have zero debt, and have not had debt for about a decade. Some people think they need a high credit score to get a mortgage...not true. All you need is 2-3 years of steady payments on any bills you might have...more specifically something like rent payment. I was just offered a 5.1% mortgage for $340,000, no money down, and my score is in the low 600's...and I've never been denied a job because of this credit.

I don't know how this would affect a personal or auto loan, but since I pay cash, it doesn't matter to me. Some of the richest people in the world have substandard credit scores because they never use credit.

All that said, I truly don't believe you need to worry about your credit score, but instead, you should focus on healthy financial living. For an enlightening and functional (and effective) way to achieve complete financial independence and optimal health (one small step at a time), I highly recommend Dave Ramsey (google the man).