MelodyinTN2015

Thank you so much for all the words of advice and encouragement. I am truly touched by all the support and people who too the time to respond to my posting. I have read every suggestion carefully and hopefully will be able to return with good news soon! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for helping me through this!

Hi Lacey, I am going through a similar issue. Am just now applying for RN license and beginning to start looking for work. I also have a misdemeanor on my record from 11 years ago. I believe it will be a difficult and there may be extra hurdles to jump through but we are not the first people to have made a mistake. There were 3 others in my nursing class of 23 students that also were dealing with the same thing. My point being we are not alone, and we are not the only people who have made a mistake and went on to be excellent nurses. I would suggest including a letter of explanation with your job application. If you search online for examples letters to explain criminal history you will find quite a few templates that help with writing this type of letter. I wish you the best of luck, post your success when you do find a job, so others who come along in your same situation will know that it can be done!! Someone will give you a chance, maybe someone who also know what's it's like to have made a mistake. :-)

I am just about to graduate nursing school. I am at the point where we are finishing up paperwork and registering for the NCLEX. Due to a misdemeanor charge that I plead guilty to about 11 years ago, I need to include an explanation letter with my application for licensure. I am having a difficult time with this because I don't exactly what I should include in the letter. I understand that I need to include how I have changed, remorse for the crime, why I can now be trusted, ect... But I am not sure how much detail I am supposed to include about the actual circumstances surrounding my being charged with the crime. I am including all of the paperwork with my application that includes the arrest affidavit, statements from the person(s) who filed charges against me. My dilemma is that I feel like I should be offering explanation, basically my side of the story, and what led up to the event. But at the same time I don't want to sound as if I am placing blame or giving excuses. However, there were extenuating circumstances that I think I should mention. So I don't know if I should go into all of that detail, or do I just explain that I am remorseful and sorry for my mistakes and leave it at that? I have not been arrested repeatedly. This incident is the only criminal history that I have and it was almost 11 years ago. I have not had so much as a speeding ticket since that time. If anyone else has experience writing a letter of this type and could offer some guidance I would be forever grateful. I have worked so hard to get through school and have overcome so much to get here. I am a single mother just getting out of a very unhealthy marriage and I feel like my ability to provide a good future for my children is resting on this one last hurdle, obtaining the license. So obviously this letter is stressing me out quite a bit. Thank you in advance for any guidance and support that you can provide.