Prospective nursing student with juvenile record, help!

[driven_chick1]

Hello, I am passionate about attending nursing school and have taken a CNA course. I have not applied to take the test yet because I am worried about my juvenile record interfering. The charges are four and five years old and I am currently getting all but one of them expunged but they are all third degree felonies. The charge I am not getting expunged is grand theft motor vehicle (I snuck out one night with my mother's car), the second charges are grand theft motor vehicle as I again took her car, along with her prescription medication (2-counts possession of controlled substance). I am worried that the FL BON won't let me become either a CNA or Psychiatric Nurse which are my plans, and I don't want to go through years of schooling and waste money on the CNA test if they won't. Does anyone else have advice, knowledge, or experience with this situation?

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Almost all BONs require you to disclose expunged charges, so you will still need to fess up to the BON about that...however, you said you were a juvenile at the time. BONs vary about whether you need to disclose your juvenile record. You need to contact the FL BON to ask what you will need to disclose. You can do it anonymously if you prefer--create a free e-mail account and use that to message them.

As far as whether going through school, etc. will be worth it...it's a risk you will have to take. The fact that a CNA program or nursing school accepts you doesn't mean that the BON will automatically approve you. They review each applicant on a case-by-case basis. Yes, there are nurses/CNAs with criminal records who were able to get licensed, but it's neither easy nor guaranteed. Only you can decide if that risk is worth it.

If you do decide to pursue being a CNA or nurse, I would get a lawyer familiar with dealing with BONs to help you when you apply for certification/licensure, and especially if the BON wants you to appear before them to discuss your criminal record.

Best of luck whatever you decide!

[driven_chick1]

Right now I'm actually in the process of getting a job as a pharmacy technician. I wonder whether the charges will still show up on my expunged record or not when I do the background check. If so I hope that they wouldn't let that effect me getting hired.. the manager was super nice and liked me a lot. I've just been relying on God and praying for his will, and it looks like this is his will! So I think that it will be ok. If not, then I know I need to take a different path. Thank you for your advice though, the BON does require you to disclose juvenile records so I will provide the info. upon request.