Please Help Me!

tommycher · Nov 29, 2004

I had a girl in my class in nursing school who had been arrested years earlier for drugs and prostitution, changed her life and went to nursing school. The school knew when she applied, and it was all a matter of jumping through hoops in order to sit for the boards. Had to get letters of recommendations and all kinds of other things. She graduated with the class, and had to wait for a few months to take her boards, after everything got straightened out. The school helped her with all she needed to do. So, go for it, I find it impossible to believe that you will not be able to discover your dream over a little shirt incident for which you have paid the price, and not done anything like that again. Anyway, she is now a licensed nurse and you can be too!

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Nov 29, 2004

You also need to clarify: was your offence a felony or a misdemeanor? Big difference. Usually the State Boards of Nursing will allow you to sit for the boards with a misdemeanor on record, after you have satisfactorally explained your circumstances, how you have turned your life around, your present honest character, etc., to their satisfaction. A felony is a whole different circumstance and may preclude you from becoming a nurse at all.

rusty910 · Nov 29, 2004

Hello everyone! I desperatly need help/advice...I am a 22 year old about to apply to nursing school. I want to be a RN. Here's the thing...I JUST found out that if you have any sort of criminal record, you can't go to nursing school or get a liscense! I'm heartbroken! All I've ever wanted to be was a nurse. In my senior year of high school I allowed someone to coerce me into stealing a shirt from a department store, and now I have a felony on my record. Is this really the end of my nursing dream? I've heard that here (Arizona) you can try and get your liscense after 5 years from absolute discharge, but is that true? Will anyone even hire me? If I get my record expunged will I have a better chance? Anyone who knows anything PLEASE send me a message...I am so sad right now I could cry for days. I did one stupid thing when I was younger and now I might lose out on my dream. =*(

:) I'm thinking that by your e-mail you live in Az. I live in AZ as well and I am currently completing the rest of my pre req's before beginning the program. Here is what I know and I have been around long enough, so I feel this is pretty true to the rules. When I entered the Nur assist class I had to be fingerprinted. This fingerprinting is viewed at the federal level. I do know that before you are allowed to come in contact with any patients you cannot have any kind of record. You really need to speak to someone in the department of the school that you will be attending to find out the exact rules and since this was something that happened when you were in high school, chances are you could be ok.

Life is really hard especially these days and one thing to always remember that the decisions you make today are ones that will shape and mold who you are. Those decisions will also affect your future. I'm sure that everything will be ok and you will see your dream come true.

Salty1 · Nov 29, 2004

Hello everyone! I desperatly need help/advice...I am a 22 year old about to apply to nursing school. I want to be a RN. Here's the thing...I JUST found out that if you have any sort of criminal record, you can't go to nursing school or get a liscense! I'm heartbroken! All I've ever wanted to be was a nurse. In my senior year of high school I allowed someone to coerce me into stealing a shirt from a department store, and now I have a felony on my record. Is this really the end of my nursing dream? I've heard that here (Arizona) you can try and get your liscense after 5 years from absolute discharge, but is that true? Will anyone even hire me? If I get my record expunged will I have a better chance? Anyone who knows anything PLEASE send me a message...I am so sad right now I could cry for days. I did one stupid thing when I was younger and now I might lose out on my dream. =*(

A FELONY charge for stealing a shirt? What were the circumstances surrounding the theft? What was its value? Were any threats or physical intimidation involved? Were you represented by an attorney at the time of conviction? I think you should consult an attorney now to explore the possibility of having the record expunged, if that is possible after this lapse of time. Usually a deal is struck prior to sentencing for expunging the record.

Good luck to you.

Desperate_2_Nurse · Nov 29, 2004

A FELONY charge for stealing a shirt? What were the circumstances surrounding the theft? What was its value? Were any threats or physical intimidation involved? Were you represented by an attorney at the time of conviction? I think you should consult an attorney now to explore the possibility of having the record expunged, if that is possible after this lapse of time. Usually a deal is struck prior to sentencing for expunging the record.
Good luck to you.

-RESPONSE- Yes, a felony for stealing a shirt (a $75 shirt that I paid for in restitution). I wasn't able to afford a lawyer at the time, so the court appointed me one, who told me I "had to plead guilty to avoid going to jail." I was extremely naive to the whole court system, so I took her advice. I later found out I could've fought it, but it was too late. There were no threats or intimidation involved...I was simply stopped by mall security after exiting the store, and I immeadiately surrendered. I wasn't arrested, I was released and served with a subpeona (sp?) 6 months later. Unfortunately, Washington (where I was convicted) law states that you have to wait 5 years after absolute discharge to file for expungement.

Desperate_2_Nurse · Nov 29, 2004

:) I'm thinking that by your e-mail you live in Az. I live in AZ as well and I am currently completing the rest of my pre req's before beginning the program. Here is what I know and I have been around long enough, so I feel this is pretty true to the rules. When I entered the Nur assist class I had to be fingerprinted. This fingerprinting is viewed at the federal level. I do know that before you are allowed to come in contact with any patients you cannot have any kind of record. You really need to speak to someone in the department of the school that you will be attending to find out the exact rules and since this was something that happened when you were in high school, chances are you could be ok.
Life is really hard especially these days and one thing to always remember that the decisions you make today are ones that will shape and mold who you are. Those decisions will also affect your future. I'm sure that everything will be ok and you will see your dream come true.

-RESPONSE- Thanks for your advice/input. I'm hoping that when you say "before you are allowed to come into contact with patients you cannot have a record" that you mean once it is expunged I may have a chance. I am scared though, because I know that even when a record is expunged, it is still viewable at federal level.

Desperate_2_Nurse · Nov 29, 2004

You also need to clarify: was your offence a felony or a misdemeanor? Big difference. Usually the State Boards of Nursing will allow you to sit for the boards with a misdemeanor on record, after you have satisfactorally explained your circumstances, how you have turned your life around, your present honest character, etc., to their satisfaction. A felony is a whole different circumstance and may preclude you from becoming a nurse at all.

-RESPONSE- Unfortunately, it was a felony. It is the lowest possible class of felony, but still a felony. It was considered 2nd degree theft. This really makes me sad, but I am still going to try and hope that the Board will take into account that people make mistakes and learn from them. Thanks for your reply!

Desperate_2_Nurse · Nov 29, 2004

I had a girl in my class in nursing school who had been arrested years earlier for drugs and prostitution, changed her life and went to nursing school. The school knew when she applied, and it was all a matter of jumping through hoops in order to sit for the boards. Had to get letters of recommendations and all kinds of other things. She graduated with the class, and had to wait for a few months to take her boards, after everything got straightened out. The school helped her with all she needed to do. So, go for it, I find it impossible to believe that you will not be able to discover your dream over a little shirt incident for which you have paid the price, and not done anything like that again. Anyway, she is now a licensed nurse and you can be too!

-RESPONSE- Your reply gives me a glimmer of hope. Do you know if her charges were felony charges? I would think that me stealing a shirt would be less of a crime than drugs and prostitution, but the way the world is you never know. Thanks for giving me some hope!!

kmr · Nov 29, 2004

I think you really just need to go to the school nursing dept. and talk to them. I also find it hard to believe that was a felony and not a misdemeanor. You say it is a felony and you obviously should know but wow that is ridiculous if ya ask me!!!!

Just go talk to them and GOOD LUCK!!

begalli · Nov 30, 2004

In my senior year of high school I allowed someone to coerce me into stealing a shirt from a department store, and now I have a felony on my record.

I would recommend that you own up to your mistake and not use the word "coerce" (unless you actually were and can prove it).

I don't beleive that something like this would stop you from earning a license. But be careful how you word it. This was your mistake, a bad choice that you made. Trying to (mis)place blame is not a good thing.

allele, LPN · Nov 30, 2004

I'd be surprised if that held you back from being a nurse, but I really think the best way to find anything out is to contact your state board of nursing. If anyone knows, they should! Give them a call, see what the laws are in your state and what you have to do, and good luck! :)