student nurse dreading outcome of misjudgement

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Hello everyone. I'll make this short and to he point. My friend is in nursing school now and made a error in judgement. He was caught shoplifting at a department store. The item was a little over 100 dollars. He is 22,this is his first offense, doesn't have a lot of money and out of desparation he made a very bad decision. My question is can he still be an LPN,or even take the exam if when the time comes a criminal backround check shows simple larceny? My fiend has been a nervous wreck since this has happened and regrets making a bad choice which he feels may jepardize his future. I don't know what to tell him so can someone please reply back. Thank you I appreciate you taking the time to view this message.

This challenge (given we are all anonymous) involves you telling us the story of the most devious naughty thing you have done (or at least you feel you can talk about - though not something really horrible and nasty),and preferably involving a bit of humour. For example, did you ever attend a kinky sex party, tell a whoppa about why you were late for work, or sleep with your girlfriend's mother.

It will be interested to see who are the bravest people here (or perhaps the biggest story tellers *grin*)

....l'd like a little bit of naughty fun please:lol2:

Helen (my real name)

This would be more than a little dangerous, and hardly the "g-rated" type of post that the board is supposed to contain.

Take a chance and reveal something that can come back to haunt you? You're kidding, right?

Not a good plan at all. Nothing is ever 100% anonymous, 100% certain or 100% safe when you are in a public forum, and this certainly is a public forum.....

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Specializes in Obstetrics, M/S, Psych.
Fair to everyone? Probably not. Fair for most? Probably yes.

Catys

If it were fair to most, I wouldn't have anthing to say. That is my point...it isn't fair to most. This person we are talking about is the typical nurse wannabe with a "record" that who fears being barred from obtaining a nursing license because of it. That's right, the very dangerous, electric razor thief. We are not talking dangerous criminal behavior here. Fortunatley, this is America and our justice system is fair and wise enough to work in ways that protect this garden variety pseudo criminal from treatment that is too harsh. He really needs a good lawyer so he is treated in a just manner. He does need to do that so he does not become a victim of the literal word of the law. I seriously doubt most BON's would bar this particular individual becoming a nurse based on this conviction alone, so long as he remains a law abiding citizen from here on.

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Specializes in Obstetrics, M/S, Psych.
This would be more than a little dangerous, and hardly the "g-rated" type of post that the board is supposed to contain.

Take a chance and reveal something that can come back to haunt you? You're kidding, right?

Not a good plan at all. Nothing is ever 100% anonymous, 100% certain or 100% safe when you are in a public forum, and this certainly is a public forum.....

Good point....I wonder how many would risk losing their nursing license with such admissions. :wink2:

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My post political? Yes. But then again, crime and punishment are political topics. My post merely points out that those who have wealth and power (and seem to preach morality to the rest of us) and commit far greater grievances are held to a lesser standard than those who are poor. Our justice system is not blind but weighted to those who have wealth and power. I see this on a daily basis......

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

Just to be clear: I don't know the original poster nor do I know his "friend"...I simply copy/pasted his post from another thread so that it didn't get lost in the shuffle considering it was in reply to THIS thread.

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Specializes in LTC/Behavioral/ Hospice.

So what is your point, as it pertains to people (yes, the regular, nonwealthy) who commit a crime? Should they be allowed to sit for their boards because they didn't lie about weapons of mass destruction? Shall we lower the standards because the wealthy get away with more? If a person steals anything less than the wealthiest guilty person who got away with it, shall we let him off the hook? (I'm trying to slide this back on topic. I hope I am succeeding.) Would you comment on the specific situation presented by the OP?

My post political? Yes. But then again, crime and punishment are political topics. My post merely points out that those who have wealth and power (and seem to preach morality to the rest of us) and commit far greater grievances are held to a lesser standard than those who are poor. Our justice system is not blind but weighted to those who have wealth and power. I see this on a daily basis......
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Specializes in Obstetrics, M/S, Psych.
My post political? Yes. But then again, crime and punishment are political topics. My post merely points out that those who have wealth and power (and seem to preach morality to the rest of us) and commit far greater grievances are held to a lesser standard than those who are poor. Our justice system is not blind but weighted to those who have wealth and power. I see this on a daily basis......

I thought your post was appropriate and your point is valid. That's why this guy needs to get a lawyer. He probably can't afford it, but without it he won't get the justice he deserves. It's still the best justice system in the world, but it sure ain't free.

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Specializes in Pediatric Gastroenterology.
Ouch an electric razor....This is very serious indeed. If might NOT have been so bad if he had:

1. lied about weapons of mass destruction to start a war for personal gain, kill 2000 US soldiers and countless Iraqi civilians, and then cut veterans bennefits for our soldiers who are coming home.....

2. committed treason by outing an under cover CIA agent because the intelligence they provided did not meet your preconceived notions (even though those notions were clearly wrong)

3. subverted campaign finance laws to funnel corporate contributions to steal an election

4. made an insider trade on a blind trust account

5. called for the assasination of a foriegn leader who was democratically elected

I mean he stole an electric razor. This is clearly far more serious.....

Stand up, Keep fighting - Senator Paul Wellstone

yes, let's make this a political discussion. way to divert it! :nono:

[we totally need a smiley that rolls its eyes on here]

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Specializes in LTC/Behavioral/ Hospice.

Wow. I am really surprised by some of the answers here. We don't even know what social class the guy comes from and everyone is assuming that he will get a raw deal. Would it matter more to anyone if the OP added that the guy is only going to school now because Daddy has insisted that he get a job or forfeit his substantial allowance that he's been getting? Or the reason that he stole the razor for Daddy is because he thought Daddy might take pity on him and let him have his allowance back?

I am also surprised that there seems to be this representation that this young man is a victim of something. He stole something. The person he stole from is the victim. That is why the BON owes it to the public to review his case carefully and thoroughly so that they can decide whether he is at risk to continue this kind of victimization or whether he did something stupid that he will never, ever do again. We don't know which it is at this point. He definitely needs to get a lawyer, but this is nobody's fault but his own. If it now becomes an issue as to how he is going to pay for the lawyer, then it is only a consequence of his own actions. I feel neither pity nor scorn for the man. I hope he owns up to his choice and makes the right choices from now on, no matter what his socioeconomic status.

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Specializes in Pediatric Gastroenterology.
Catys

If it were fair to most, I wouldn't have anthing to say. That is my point...it isn't fair to most. This person we are talking about is the typical nurse wannabe with a "record" that who fears being barred from obtaining a nursing license because of it. That's right, the very dangerous, electric razor thief. We are not talking dangerous criminal behavior here. Fortunatley, this is America and our justice system is fair and wise enough to work in ways that protect this garden variety pseudo criminal from treatment that is too harsh. He really needs a good lawyer so he is treated in a just manner. He does need to do that so he does not become a victim of the literal word of the law. I seriously doubt most BON's would bar this particular individual becoming a nurse based on this conviction alone, so long as he remains a law abiding citizen from here on.

see, this is why I have a problem with this type of rationalization. It doesn't matter WHAT he stole. It's all semantics. What matters is, that at the adult age of 22, he stole an item worth a whole cart full of groceries ($100) without engaging the gray matter in his head....or the white matter, for that matter...but I'm sure the myelin doesn't really have much to say now, does it?

Point being this:

I'm not saying he's a bad person. I'm just saying he consciously made a concrete decision to do something that is not only morally wrong, but defies all that he was probably taught as a child. It's not like right and wrong were just introduced into his world.

Rationalization of core values and morals is going to be the downfall of society...oh, wait. It already is.

This guy needs a reality check and if not being allowed to become a licensed nurse, then so be it.

Life isn't fair, so don't pretend to make it that way.

Oh yeah, I could mention his social responsibility and self-accountability, but I'm afraid I'd get flamed by those who think he should be let off the hook because it's his first offense. Nip it in the bud and it won't become a problem...let him get away with it and his subconscious will allow him to feel invincible to authority.

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Actually, if you look at the first posts on this topic (mine included) they were all giving legal advice - which is what the original poster was asking. It was not until the second page that some decided to pass moral judgement and take this post down a different path..........

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Specializes in Pediatric Gastroenterology.

And yes, let's make it a socioeconomic issue too! Why not bring race into it? Is his mommy married to his daddy still? Did his daddy leave him at a young age? Does he feel like he has to impress his daddy?

He's 22 years old, for heaven's sake! Grow the heck up, man!

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