Soo Many Posts On Criminal Records

[MQ Edna]

There are soo many posts on criminal records and applying to take the NCLEX. We have such a nursing shortage yet it is so difficult to try to obtain licensure with a record even after the fact of passing those hard 2 or 4 years of nursing school. There should be a new rule that people should be able to find out if they are even able to take the boards before they get into school. I feel that if someone who has a record and has passed nursing school compared to someone with a clean record that can't even pass the first semester should have the same opportunity without such a hassle. Besides something associated with murder or whatever.

And why do nurses who already have licences and become druggies get to have second chances with their diversion programs etc. The BON even encloses information to those nurses about where to get help. Where is the justice for those who have paid their dues back to society and are not yet nurses?!!

[LilPeanut, MSN, RN, NP]

Schools can run fingerprinted background checks. We had to pay for an FBI check, including being fingerprinted, when I started nursing school. If we had had a background check run in the last 5 years (like for another job) we got a discount on the fee.

[Sheri257]

Schools can run fingerprinted background checks. We had to pay for an FBI check, including being fingerprinted, when I started nursing school. If we had had a background check run in the last 5 years (like for another job) we got a discount on the fee.

Interesting ... I guess I have it wrong. Maybe it varies by school or by state. I was told they couldn't. Maybe they need board authorization or something like that but, whatever the case may be, my school's background check was kind of a joke. If all the schools ran fingerprints then, I'm sure it would save everyone, including the students, a lot of time and trouble.

:typing

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

OK, now that we are on the topic of finger prints, my school will require a Finger Print Card or we are not allowed to start clinical. If you cannot start clinical, you're dropped from the program (obviously!). Anyway, do employers or Nursing Schools actually run the Finger Print Cards?

I d not have anything to worry about because I am non-existent in the legal system. :roll If they do then maybe this will alleviate people's concerns and no one will waste time in Nursing School. But my guess is that most don't bother.

[lannisz]

My University's nursing school also required FBI and State Police background checks and fingerprinting after getting admitted but before we could start any clinicals. This meant we started the background check process during our first term because it could take 3 months to get the results back. If you didn't pass the background check, you couldn't do clinicals and without doing clinicals you can't get your RN/BSN, let alone take the NCLEX! Even after graduation and passing the NCLEX, the hospitals who offered us jobs made them contingent on passing another background check. ALL nursing programs should require this FOR ADMISSION because they are wasting everybody's time - the student, the school, the employer - if they put someone through the nursing program who can never be hired!

[lannisz]

Oh, and WE had to pay for the fingerprinting and background checks ourselves as well as give authorization to the school, employer etc to have that info

[Sheri257]

Anyway, do employers or Nursing Schools actually run the Finger Print Cards?

I've been through three employer background checks and none of them involved fingerprints. Again, I may be wrong about this, but I don't think employers can run fingerprints. I think only state agencies and law enforcement can. If nursing schools are running fingerprints I would guess that is has to go through the BON.

The only time I've been fingerprinted was when I took a CNA course and when we had a psych rotation at a state facility for the criminally insane. Of course, when I go for BON licensure, I'll be fingerprinted for that also.

:typing

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

What about exceptional cases? I had a girl in one of my classes who's husband was grown marijuana in the garage or shed or something. She had nothing to do with it or approved of it. He got caught and now she is worried about being able to be a nurse even though she was not involved.

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

What about exceptional cases? I had a girl in one of my classes who's husband was grown marijuana in the garage or shed or something. She had nothing to do with it or approved of it. He got caught and now she is worried about being able to be a nurse even though she was not involved.

She is not an exceptional case if she was arrested and was charged and convicted of a crime. :chair:

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

please focus on the topic not speculation about posters.

background checks on individuals working in clinical settings is one of the

means agencies and facilities use to help protect their clients/patients from abuse and neglect.

since congress passed the omnibus budget reconciliation act of 1987 (obra '87), nursing homes and home health care agencies were required to screen employees for criminal backgrounds involving abuse and neglect and established state nursing aide registries. regulations were later added to include hospitals and other heatth care facilities under medicare /medicaid regulations.

from: elder mistreatment: abuse, neglect, and exploitation in an aging america (2002)

the nursing home reforms contained in the omnibus budget reconciliation act of 1987 (obra 1987. pub l. no. 100-203) specified that nursing home residents had the "right to be free from verbal, sexual, physical, and mental abuse, corporal punishment, and involuntary seclusion" (42 cfr ch. iv (10-1-98 edition) 483.13 (b)). hcfa issued regulations and guidelines implementing these provisions of the obra 1987 legislation. these regulations specified the following definitions:

abuse means the willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinements, intimidation, or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain, or mental anguish.

neglect means failure to provide goods and services necessary to avoid physical harm, mental anguish, or mental illness.

the federal regulations implementing obra 1987 also specified long-term care facilities' responsibility to "develop and implement written policies and procedures that prohibit mistreatment, neglect, and abuse of residents and misappropriation of resident property" (42 cfr ch. iv (10-1-98 edition) 483.13 ©). furthermore, the law required that the facility "must not employ individuals who have been found guilty of abusing, neglecting, or mistreating residents by a court of law or have had a finding entered into the state nurse aide registry concerning abuse, neglect, mistreatment of residents, or misappropriation of their property" (42 cfr ch. iv (10-1-98 edition) 483.13 ©(1) (ii) (a) (b)).3

http://www.nap.edu/books/0309084342/html/450.html" (42 cfr ch. iv (10-1-98 edition) 483.13 ©(1) (ii) (a) (b)).3

http://www.nap.edu/books/0309084342/html/450.html

joint commission on accreditation of healthcare organizations (jcaho) added in january 2004 to their human resources standards (hr.1.20) a section related to criminal background checks. the jcaho standard requires agencies to include nursing students in criminal background checks when required by state law, regulation or hospital policy, along with any person having contact with patients including volunteers, chaplins and tv hosts, etc. (www.jcaho.com)

calif regs: background checks for student clinical placement http://www.rn.ca.gov/practice/pdf/edp-i-33.pdf

nursingcenter - professional development - ce article

in the united states, healthcare regulation begins with state government. ... criminal history background checks on students applying to nursing programs ...

www.nursingcenter.com/prodev/ce_article.asp?tid=589156

state boards of nursing first duty is to protect the public. due to the number of individuals considering healthcare for its reliability (many hospitals around 100+ years old) and staff shortages (we need nurses say the want ads), persons with felony convictions are looking at nursing as an attractive career. as long as person has completed terms of conviction and restitution (community service, fines, incarceration time etc), able to demonstrate mended their ways, boards will usually grant application to take nclex exam. some have license placed on hold, until completion of parole. check your states board of nursing newletters to give you examples of how your state handles situation.

pa:

k g , allegheny county, was granted permission to sit for the registered

nursing examination, and upon successful completion of the examination, shall be issued a license,and immediately placed on probation for at least five years, subject to monitoring by the professional

health monitoring program. (08-01-05)

j m s, bucks county, was denied licensure as a professional

nurse based on findings she acquired a controlled

substance for other than an acceptable purpose,

misappropriated drugs from her employer,

falsified entries into patient charts and was guilty

of immoral or unprofessional conduct. (04-01-05)

lhb, luzerne county, was granted admission to the practical

nursing examination. upon successful completion

of the examination, the license shall be immediately

placed on probation for at least two years. (09-10-04)

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa/lib/bpoa/20/nurs_board/nurse_2005.pdf

new jersey:

r. h.

11/30/05

final consent order granting licensure conditioned upon his passing the exam and with the terms and condition of the order. at the conclusion of one year, he is eligible to apply for the lifting of the restriction on work in a setting where he will have access to potentially addictive substances, upon proof of compliance with the board's order. all of the other conditions of probation will remain in effect until he successfully completes the ramp program.

s.s.

11/30/05

final consent order granting conditioned upon his passing the exam with the terms and conditions of the order. he shall agree to an immediate license suspension if he is indicted or convicted of any crime or offense.

http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/nursing/disnotice/nurdisall.htm#may06

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

I've been through three employer background checks and none of them involved fingerprints. Again, I may be wrong about this, but I don't think employers can run fingerprints. I think only state agencies and law enforcement can.

Several hospitals in Florida require you be fingerprinted, even if you have had them run by the atate and/or immigration.

[MQ Edna]

does the BON in CA do a background check through the FBI?? Although I have had numerous charges on my adult record, I had some on my juvenile record that were sealed.

ABout the posts on the background checks for nursing school. I had to do some background checks for clincal placement, but they were not fingerprint checks as some of you have had.

[Sheri257]

Several hospitals in Florida require you be fingerprinted, even if you have had them run by the atate and/or immigration.

Ok ... so I guess California is falling outside of the norm. If other schools and employers are doing this in other states, I wonder why California nursing schools and employers aren't checking fingerprints.