Nursing Students and DWI's

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Jul 29, 2005

Drunk driving isn't necessarily a felony, though, is it? Especially for a first offense?

It should be, first offense or not.

RNsoonForME · Jul 30, 2005

I disagree.

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jul 30, 2005

Hey, I am new to this site, but so please excuse me if I don't use the proper chat lingo. :) However, I am currently entering my second year of nursing school (ADN program). During this past three week break before Mental Health, I was charged with a DWI. I am currently going through all the legal proceedings. I am pretty certain I will end up making a plea bargain, because they have a failed breathallizer result. I can handle whatever happens with my legal future, but my main concern is how it will affect my nursing career. This is my first time for any kind of violation. If anyone has any information, please HELP! I just need some peace of mind. Thanks!

Sorry to read about this, not going to go into a lecture about "you should have known better etc," but do wish you the best of luck and a positive outcome. Best is to contact the BON and be honest with them so that you can get an honest answer. I am sure will orientate you well as to what might the outcome be....again, nothing but best wishes to you. :)

Princess74 · Jul 30, 2005

I agree. Drunk Driving should be a felony! There is NEVER any excuse for it.

RNsoonForME · Jul 30, 2005

I don't want to start an argument, I think we all know drinking and driving is wrong and should be avoided at all costs.....BUT

I don't think the OP needs any more reprimanding right now (I'm sure they will get enbough of that)

Also, sometimes people make mistakes. Some larger than others, but I know plenty of people that have had a few drinks and driven home and never get caught (not condoning it just saying it happens). I also have known people to die in drunk driving accidents, a horrible tragedy...but there are also a lot of things that are caused by others should they be felonies too?

Speeding for instance causes far more deaths than drunk driving every year. People know they are speeding when they do it.

Cigarette smoke, heck dont get me started on that one. What other thing can people actually fight for their "rights" to do while knowingly harming and killing others for no apparent reason? You know how many people smoke around their children (heck my mom was one of them:( ) so whynot charge them?

All I am saying is people make mistakes, should we chastise them forever? I take it no one was harmed in the OP's situation (thank god) and she/he should learn from this. It was a terrible thing to do, and if repeated then I do believe it should be a felony. I also know of someone (a close friend in nursing school) who never ever went out. She went out one time the entire year and had two drinks. When she got pulled over for going under the speed limit, she refused the breathalizer (she panicked in her own words). This happened when she was 21 years old. She would not even get behind a wheel for 5 years after the incident let alone take another sip of alcohol. She is a great person, and did many great things for her community and others. People like this deserve a second chance. There are people out there who for some god forsaken reason will act totally out of character one time in their lives. If no harm is ultimately done and they really did learn their lesson I see no reason that they can't make amends.

god bless :)

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2005

I don't think the OP needs any more reprimanding right now (I'm sure they will get enbough of that)

I agree, but when you post stuff like this, something extremely personal to many people, then you will always get responses that aren't so positive. There have been dozens of threads on this very thing and the only thing you can do is contact your BON, we have no way in knowing exactly what the case is for each state.

And I totally agree about the excessive speeding that kills people .... that should be a felony too. Of course we all know drunk driving is wrong, yet some people still continue to do so ..... maybe if it were a felony on the first offense then people would actually give it a second thought before getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.

I do wish the OP the best of luck with all this and I hope everything works out for you.

It's just subjects like this bring up some really strong emotions/opinions, which I'm sure is why all the other threads like this have been locked before I had a chance to respond.

RNsoonForME · Jul 30, 2005

I agree rain:)

you know it can be from one extreme from the next. My friend still gets upset when she talks about her DWI till this day, and she always says how she cant understand people who would ever even consider having a sip of alcohol and getting behind the wheel again after getting one DWI or how she ever did at all,hen you see some people with multiple ones (or other crimes for that matter) and its like how can they not see the horror in what happened. She always says she thanks god no one was harmed and the anger she fells to this day towards herself about what she did. To her the arrest, going to hear about victims of drunk driving, fines, etc were all enough to realize what she had done:(

LydiaNN · Jul 30, 2005

My feeling is if the criminal justice system has been designed to give prosecutors and judges the discretion to decide which crimes are felonies and which are misdemeanors, I have to trust that system. God knows it doesn't always work, but it is hard to paint all DWIs with the same brush. Does a 115 lb woman, first time offender, with a blood alcohol level of .09 really warrant the same categorization as a chronic offender, 200 lb woman (bringing weight up b/c the heavier woman can probably drink more and thus have more of awareness that she's impaired)? Even misdemeanor penalties are no walk in the park- a friend of my husband's first offense cost him about $30K, all told- fines, legal fees, alternate transportation, increased insurance costs once he got his license back, etc I'm not saying that it should never be a felony, many times it is and it should be. I just think there are times with the misdemeanor conviction and resultant punishment do in fact fit the crime.

happydz · Jul 30, 2005

Drunk driving isn't necessarily a felony, though, is it? Especially for a first offense?

In Texas, first offense is class B misdemeanor. It's not until the 3rd offense it becomes a felony.

rgrgray · Oct 26, 2005

I know this is an old thread but i had to just add my 2 cents!! Did you know that if you have a glass of wine at dinner than take a breathalizer you will Fail! Yes fail and they can take you to jail for drunk driving!! just remember this when you go out to dinner and want a glass of wine!!

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2005

I know this is an old thread but i had to just add my 2 cents!! Did you know that if you have a glass of wine at dinner than take a breathalizer you will Fail! Yes fail and they can take you to jail for drunk driving!! just remember this when you go out to dinner and want a glass of wine!!

It is actually quite irrelevant as it is a crime to drink and drive. Even one glass of wine.

Some of us accepted that when we chose this profession, that it require changes in our lifestyle.

I personally think that smoking a joint periodically should be okay. But because I chose this profession and that practice would impede my practicing that profession, I do not do so.

rgrgray · Oct 27, 2005

I agree but I dont think one glass of wine constitute a felony!!! It was just a thought and a warning. people sometimes dont realize this and it needs to be known! dont drink and drive, but we all have been there, even if we we were not drunk