So ive decided i want to be a nurse.. but

[wontquit]

Hi my names josh.. well im 25 years old and right now im about to get my ged. ive been studying for about a month so im pretty confident.. :) last week i was looking at all the different career paths and i picked nursing because of the higher pay and because i know i could enjoy this type of job.. this is definitely for me even though i never thought i would be a male nurse haha.. only problem is my criminal history.. i have one (disturbing the peace -fighting) and a (fighting in public).. i also have a driving on a suspended.

i really want this and ill work extra hard in school but i have these three misdemeanors. how much does that hurt my chances?

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Good for you and congrats for going for your GED!! The only way to know for sure if nursing will work for you is to go on the Michigan BON website and see what you can find for information. Or call them and see. Every state is different, and every case is different. Best of luck to you!

[wontquit]

ive googled it for a while and found this... The Nursing Requirements in Michigan Regarding a Misdemeanor | eHow.com.. it seems like they want you to go to school graduate then tell you if theres too much on your record.

[Ntheboat2]

I would call the board of nursing to get a better answer than what you'll find online. Even then, you still probably won't get a definite answer.

I know that they do take the length of time since the offense into consideration. Considering you have a long way to go before you'll be applying for a license, that will help. From what I understand, anyone with a criminal history has to attach a letter to their application that basically say, "I'm really sorry. I've changed. I'll never do that again." Well, if you were charged a week before writing that letter then that's not going to be very believable, but if it's been 4 years then probably so.

You don't have any felonies or anything involving drugs so my opinion is that you'll be okay, but that's just an opinion.

[wontquit]

thanks.. thats a big chance to take. its been a few years sense the last fighting but only one whole year sense the driving on a suspended..

[Ntheboat2]

You should really just call. Any kind of "legal trouble" is frowned upon, but they might even be more worried about the fighting than the driving. It's hard to say.

They seem to really dislike anything involving drugs, alcohol, or violence. Fighting is violence, but they seem to worry more about abuse and fighting isn't "abuse," but still. They are the only ones who can tell you for sure.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I had no issue with my disorderly conduct charge in Kansas. But yes, call directly and find out.

[MichelleRN34, ADN, RN]

I agree with everyone. Call your BON.. As far as success of a student in nursing school with a GED. It can be done and I'm proof. I quit high school at sixteen an got my GED. I may have had to take more pre Reqs but I excelled in college. Good luck

[SeRN0201]

You may also want to consider that even if you are able to finish school and pass boards any job you apply for will do a background check. The fact that violence is involved will likely hurt your chances. This seems like one of those things you won't know until you do but also don't want to waste your time. Best of luck to you.

[CP2013]

Not to rain on your parade, but have you read about all the new grads WITHOUT a criminal background that are having trouble finding a job in certain areas? Check out how many new grads are actually hired in your area before you committed to nursing. No sense in going to school only to find the job market for inexperienced nurses is bad, PLUS you have a record so no one will take a chance on you when they have hundreds of other students without one.

But definitely call your BON regarding your record.

Also talk to the schools of nursing you want to apply to! Ask if they have hospitals willing to work around your record. Some are willing, others are not, and for others it depends on the charges.

Good luck!

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

ive googled it for a while and found this... The Nursing Requirements in Michigan Regarding a Misdemeanor | eHow.com.. it seems like they want you to go to school graduate then tell you if theres too much on your record.

Every BON decides these cases on an individual basis, so that's the reality: there is no way to know for certain if you will be licensed until you jump through all of the hoops of school and then apply.

Fair? Not always.

You can definitely contact the BON to get their opinion (you can do it anonymously if you prefer) but keep in mind that most BONs will not give you a definite answer until you apply for licensure.

In the meanwhile, talk to a lawyer to see what you can do about improving your record (i.e., expunging or sealing what you can). Unfortunately this action won't help when you deal with the BON since almost all BONs require disclosure of expunged, etc. charges anyway. But should you successfully get licensed, it may help improve your chances with the employers.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Not to rain on your parade, but have you read about all the new grads WITHOUT a criminal background that are having trouble finding a job in certain areas? Check out how many new grads are actually hired in your area before you committed to nursing. No sense in going to school only to find the job market for inexperienced nurses is bad, PLUS you have a record so no one will take a chance on you when they have hundreds of other students without one.

That's another thing to keep in mind. Just because a BON decides to give you a license doesn't mean that employers have to welcome your criminal history with open arms. They will run their own background checks and have the right to refuse to hire you based on what they find. Hence my advice in the prior post to talk to a lawyer to see what you can about your record to improve your chances.

It is tough to get hired with a record: CP2013's right in that there's way too many nurses without records that employers can choose from. It's not impossible, but very tough. You can't undo what you did in the past--what you can do is show that you've made restitution, learned your lesson and grew from your mistakes.

Best of luck.