I've applied to several Nursing schools for Fall admission. Most were part of a junior college, and all they seemed to want to know was if I could pass a background check, drug screen, child support, and most important, my cumulative GPA.
The Hospital schools of nursing that I applied to, on the other hand, wanted to know way more.
They wanted my job history, several professional references, a personal essay about why I wanted to become a Nurse. Another even wanted my middle school transcript and a credit check!
I don't have anything to hide, but I cannot help but marvel at the difference, considering that a Hospital School of Nursing couldn't even give me an Associate's degree that I could use towards my BSN. (They give a Diploma in Nursing) . They aren't even higher ranking than most schools.
Why do Hospital Schools of Nursing screen their applicants like this?
Well let's not argue about right or wrong of having a credit score. I don't have a credit score, I have nothing financed, I owe nothing. I'm not about to save up for something I want, then get a loan, and pay it off, just to give a bank interest, fees ect... just to have a credit score. It's just that a credit score has no relevence on how a person pays bills, their finanial responsibility, or anything else about them. So why would a hospital require it? I'm going into nursing as a second career. I've been a commercial pilot for quite a while, I've NEVER had a credit report check as part any background check. What's the point?
Well let's not argue about right or wrong of having a credit score. I don't have a credit score, I have nothing financed, I owe nothing. I'm not about to save up for something I want, then get a loan, and pay it off, just to give a bank interest, fees ect... just to have a credit score. It's just that a credit score has no relevence on how a person pays bills, their finanial responsibility, or anything else about them. So why would a hospital require it? I'm going into nursing as a second career. I've been a commercial pilot for quite a while, I've NEVER had a credit report check as part any background check. What's the point?
There are a number of threads here about how more and more healthcare employers around the country are requiring credit checks, in addition to the usual criminal background checks, for employment. They feel it's worth doing. We can debate all day about whether that's justified or not (not that I'm suggesting I want to do that, or even agree with the idea :)), but they're doing it. If someone really objects, they don't have to work for those employers.
Credit reports can be wealth of information for those doing background checks.
Subject to state and federal laws, *all* sorts of public records and information such as judgements, child support, liens, criminal offenses and convictions, traffic tickets, and so forth will show up on one's credit report. To this add previous addresses and names used (as reported), and a CR is a good way to see if someone has disclosed all they should have on an application.
By law, any employer offering a position over a certian dollar amount per year (forget the exact number), can request to run a credit check on an applicant. However the law states one must be told and give consent for the employer to do so, and must be told if any information found was a reason for being denied employment.
As with insurance, there is a school of thought that persons who are either deep in debt, and or have poor/trouble with their finances may not make wise choices, especially when placed in positions of power and or trust. That is if one is on average six months currently behind on one's bills, might there be some sort of "idea" to help one's self to the till, kite a check, take or demand a bribe, and so forth . Am not saying this theory is true, must what those that argue in favour of credit checks state.
For the record, as a nurse or even working in health care there are many chances to have sticky fingers with money and valuables. In a hospital, nursing home, or other clinical setting patients are often admitted with jewellery (watches, wedding and or engagement rings, etc), wallets with credit cards and or money, and so forth. Then there is often the fact family members leave money for patients to pay for things (television rental, newspapers etc), in the nightstand. Home care is even more open to things going missing, especially if the patient is elderly and or too ill to know what is going on around them. One only has to read media reports of patient's homes and or bank accounts being cleaned out by nurses, NAs and or other home nursing help.
Therefore nursing programs, like hosptials want to know a bit more than what one says on applications
bell47
42 Posts
Well let's not argue about right or wrong of having a credit score. I don't have a credit score, I have nothing financed, I owe nothing. I'm not about to save up for something I want, then get a loan, and pay it off, just to give a bank interest, fees ect... just to have a credit score. It's just that a credit score has no relevence on how a person pays bills, their finanial responsibility, or anything else about them. So why would a hospital require it? I'm going into nursing as a second career. I've been a commercial pilot for quite a while, I've NEVER had a credit report check as part any background check. What's the point?