Trying to become LPN with a previous arrest

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Hello, I am a recent nursing school graduate who has taken and passed the nclex on the 19th of July. My name was posted on the BON on the 22nd of July but after all of this time I still do not have a license # and my status is "pending". After countless efforts to get in contact with someone I was informed that my paperwork had been forwarded to an investigator because of something in my background. So now I am worried. Ive contacted the BON yesterday and was told that a letter has been sent out to me. Does this mean I am not going to get a License? I do have a bad check in the past, I actually had to go the the police station, pay the amount of the check and I was fingerprinted. I guess this counts as an arrest, but will this stop me from getting my license. I have also been a CNA for 12 years and have renewed several times with no issues so I don't know why this is holding me up. Any Thoughts on this??

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Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.

Per the sites TOS, we can't give legal advice... One thing that I wonder about and didn't seein your post..... Did you disclose this incident when you filled out your info to test, etc? If you did not, then that may well be a major problem. The forms ask for any and all such incidents to be disclosed... Hope it all turns out for the best.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

The only one who can answer your question about whether this will stop you from being licensed is your state BON. See what that letter says when it arrives and go from there.

Also, hiring a lawyer is a wise idea, especially if you have to deal in person with the BON about this matter. The BON is not the nurse's friend--their primary interest is the safety of the public. Your interests are considered second if at all. Having a lawyer means that there's someone in all of this who is working exclusively for your interests.

Best of luck.

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Specializes in ICU.

I hope you disclosed that when you applied. I highly doubt that a bad check would have been an issue, but lying about it (by not disclosing it) is seen very unfavorably by the various boards of nursing.

You are required to list any convictions. If you are no conviction, you are required to state that. There is no middle ground.

Full disclosure is the best policy when it comes to criminal records and the BON.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
I hope you disclosed that when you applied. I highly doubt that a bad check would have been an issue, but lying about it (by not disclosing it) is seen very unfavorably by the various boards of nursing.

You are required to list any convictions. If you are no conviction, you are required to state that. There is no middle ground.

Full disclosure is the best policy when it comes to criminal records and the BON.

I'm no BON...in fact, I'm sure all 51 BONs look at me and grumble, "That's the one that keeps saying we're not the nurse's friend."

But from what I've seen, it's being deceitful about the charges--whether intentionally (by lying) or unintentionally (by forgetting to disclose)--that seems to upset BONs more than most (but not all) of the charges themselves. And they will assume the worst about your intentions, even if your mistake was innocent.

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Bad check charges are suprisingly serious, criminal offense- anyone that can't add or reconcile a checkbook can be charged with a crime- even though in most cases it was unitinded to defraud anyone. Never say never.

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