Nursing student just got a DUI

BEANURSE · Mar 7, 2005

HI, as we all do sometimes, I had three beers, and decided to drive my friend to her home, which I know it was a mistake, especially my car had an expired sticker(waiting for the DMV sticker) and is quite old, a bargain for the cops to pull me over. That was the reason, I got pulled over.) I understand and accept my mistake and want to fix, and will do it for sure.
I want to fix this problem , I have never had any problems with the law, this was my first offense having drunk 3 coronas, I think it was just bad luck. I am a good student, work hard to achieve my goals, and love nursing.
It sounds to me that okay, I will go to classes DUI program everything, but 3 beers and then suddenly from night to day , you are a criminal, it's very funny to me this situation and at the same time scary.
PLease if anyone knows about the consequences , could you let me know?
once again, thanks a lot for your help, the nurses here have always been so good, I love this website.

My advise to you is to call the Board of Nursing in your state right away and find out what will stop you from taking the NCLEX.....I know of a person in my class that dropped because they were told that they might not be able to sit for the NCLEX because of a DUI they recieved in Nursing school.....Call them right away and find out!

LPNer · Mar 7, 2005

My advise to you is to call the Board of Nursing in your state right away and find out what will stop you from taking the NCLEX.....I know of a person in my class that dropped because they were told that they might not be able to sit for the NCLEX because of a DUI they recieved in Nursing school.....Call them right away and find out!

I know it is not what you want to hear, but you drank and you drove. You knew the consesquences.

I am sorry for you that you somehow thought you were above the law and I really do hope you can just loose your driving license for 5 or 6 years or forever but still sit for the NCLEX.

Speculating · Mar 8, 2005

Beanurse hit the nail right on the head. Those three Coronas just may have cost you your career. Don't mess around here get right on it you may be able to salvage something.

The Y factor · Mar 8, 2005

HI, as we all do sometimes, I had three beers, and decided to drive my friend to her home, which I know it was a mistake, especially my car had an expired sticker(waiting for the DMV sticker) and is quite old, a bargain for the cops to pull me over. That was the reason, I got pulled over.) I understand and accept my mistake and want to fix, and will do it for sure.
I want to fix this problem , I have never had any problems with the law, this was my first offense having drunk 3 coronas, I think it was just bad luck. I am a good student, work hard to achieve my goals, and love nursing.
It sounds to me that okay, I will go to classes DUI program everything, but 3 beers and then suddenly from night to day , you are a criminal, it's very funny to me this situation and at the same time scary.
PLease if anyone knows about the consequences , could you let me know?
once again, thanks a lot for your help, the nurses here have always been so good, I love this website.

well Joe,

first were you above the blood alcohol limits if not then you might be able to work your way out of this. If you were then your in a big mess. Personally if you loose your drivers lic and never sit for the nclex consider your self lucky, because i would hate to be in your shoes if you had ran over someones child. imagine that your one night to day killing an inocent person: mom, dad, sister, child. I see it everyday! if your were not above the limits then good luck i hope you resolve this issue and get yourself a good lawyer, if your were intoxicated then you made your bed. sorry you really should have known better.

BETSRN · Mar 8, 2005

I know it is not what you want to hear, but you drank and you drove. You knew the consesquences.
I am sorry for you that you somehow thought you were above the law and I really do hope you can just loose your driving license for 5 or 6 years or forever but still sit for the NCLEX.

I, too, am sorry for what happened but I second what you do not want to hear. Driving safely (like being a safe, responsible nurse) is very important. There can be NO room for error. We all make mistakes and they happen, but you knowingly drove AFTER drinking. Risk taking automatically ups your chances for error. There are consequences. I hope that this entire experience "grows you up" a bit. I am sorry if I sound like your mother. but I am a mother to adult children and I am also a nurse of 20 years. I know what it takes to do a good job. Judgement is critical and you didn't use any with your choice to drink and then drive.I would also be curious to know why you chose to post this on the public board?

Aneroo, LPN · Mar 8, 2005

Ditto- I am sorry you are going thru this, but it is of your own making. You need to contact your school and the BON ASAP! I wouldn't want to go thru nursing school to find out you cannot sit for boards. Ditto on the danger to others. As a student nurse, and as a nurse, you know better. -Andrea

nickola · Mar 8, 2005

Sorry to hear this. I have a friend, she's been an RN for 15+ yrs, and she got a DUI one night after being out w/friends, just 1 mi from home- what was really embarrassing is she got stopped by the cop whose wife she had just taken care of the day before!! Did he cut her any slack? nope....she was handcuffed, taken to jail, and had to call her husband to come get her. Then, she was given a "conditional" license (after she got it back at the court date) meaning for 3 mos she couldn't drive other than to work & back! It definitely was NOT worth it. I'd suggest AA- might be a wake-up call!! (I also know another nurse who got so many DUI's she no longer has a driver's license- she was able to keep her RN & she has finally stopped drinking, goes to AA, and has stayed sober.) Good luck.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2005

You're minimizing your offense by calling it bad luck. It was criminal. There are reasons why you were arrested. Studies have been shown even three beers is dangerous. You're lucky you didn't hurt somebody.

Now that I got my self-righteous judgement out of the way.(And I know good people get DUIs, and not everyone is imparied with three beers.) I think it varies from state to state. Here, I believe when you apply for your license you have to report it, but it doesn't necessarily mean you can't be licensed.

Good luck.

Altra, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2005

You'll need to call your BON right away. In my state you could be prohibited from licensure for up to 10 years.

And I'm respectfully asking you not to minimize this and brush it off as "bad luck" ... "3 Coronas and now I'm a criminal" etc. You're likely to provoke a very intense response from someone whose life has been permanently altered by an encounter with a drunk driver.

joecalifa · Mar 8, 2005

Yeah, it's easy to say oh yeah, you are criminal for drinking 3 coronas, bla, bla, bla, I completely know that I made a mistake and willing to pay the consequences, but once again I have never done anything wrong with the law, I believe a person deserves a chance. I know people have drunk and killed innocent people on the road and is terrible. I have been a great student , always took care of my patients, and passionate about this career. Yeah, it was a terrible mistake, but please people like to exaggerate a little bit, never drive again, prison. I never had an accident in my life, always paid an inexpensive car insurance, even tickets I never got. The way I see is easy to crucify those poor students that have to struggle day by day in order to survive for one mistake, great job. I am sure there should better ways to handle this situation.

Altra, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2005

Yeah, it's easy to say oh yeah, you are criminal for drinking 3 coronas, bla, bla, bla, I completely know that I made a mistake and willing to pay the consequences, but once again I have never done anything wrong with the law, I believe a person deserves a chance. I know people have drunk and killed innocent people on the road and is terrible. I have been a great student , always took care of my patients, and passionate about this career. Yeah, it was a terrible mistake, but please people like to exaggerate a little bit, never drive again, prison. I never had an accident in my life, always paid an inexpensive car insurance, even tickets I never got. The way I see is easy to crucify those poor students that have to struggle day by day in order to survive for one mistake, great job. I am sure there should better ways to handle this situation.

I asked once respectfully, now I'll put it another way.

Here's an analogy for ya: I work in an ER. Sometimes there are patients who are dumbfounded, just totally perplexed, that their pregnancy test has come back positive. "But we only had sex once."

Get what I'm sayin'?? :stone