Will Traffic ticket warrant prevent me from being hired?

Nurses General Nursing

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Ok, this is really embarrassing, but I graduate in 3 months and now is the time to get a job, however I have a problem.

Going through nursing school as a single mom with three kids left us in extreme poverty. I have two warrants currently one is d/t vehicle registration, the other is from a speeding ticket. I know that it seems irresponsible not pay a ticket, but I simply didn't have that option because the money wasnt there.

Will this prevent me from getting a job? I have absolutely nothing else on my background, and have never been in any trouble whatsoever. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

This is not a good place to get legal advice, but I would take care of it sooner rather than later. How will you get to work if you lose your license or car?

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

Go to court,.make arrangements to pay the tickets. Problem solved!

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My license/car aren't in jeopardy and I don't need legal advice. I'm specifically looking for information for those in hiring departments, or anybody who may have been in this situation before.

I would love to take care of it. However, when you spend each month figuring out whether your kids would rather have food or electricity, and trying to scrape together the gas to get to school to change your living situation, paying a 700 dollar warrant isn't exactly possible.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Is it a Warrant or a ticket? Because that is a pretty big difference. If its a warrant, then that means they police will arrest you if they find you. And if the police want you, then it probably means that when you apply to sit for the NCLEX, you might get denied. So forget about looking for a job if you can't sit for your exam. If its a ticket, then you're probably okay as long as you take care of it before it DOES turn into a warrant.

But I'm not an attorney, hiring manager, or work in HR. So I couldn't tell you for sure. But right now, I'd be more concerned about if you can get your license or not, and contacting your BON would be the best place to start.

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Specializes in Case Manager.

You can pay on warrants and tickets in payments. The court will always take any money over no money.

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I am going through the Exact same thing. I live in florida and I am currently in nursing school, I am certified as a nursing assistant when I went to get a job the state had taken away my right to work in healthcare because I had a active warrant. I dont know if your state has a "self Arrest" program for misdemeanors if so you can turn yourself in and pay a small fee to dispose of the warrant. And be given a later date to see the judge but atleast you will be able to work. Hope this helped and good luck:)

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I don't think an outstanding warrant will look good to an employer, if that is what you are asking.

If they have to choose between you (with an outstanding warrant) and someone like me with absolutely no traffic tickets at all, ever, or any record of any kind, and all other factors are constant, you can bet they will pick me.

There are plenty of applicants without warrants.

I'm poor too. I'm filing for bankruptcy next month. WHERE THERE IS A WILL THERE IS A WAY. No excuses. Excuses get you nowhere.

Most courts accept payment arrangements. They don't exactly WANT to arrest you. They want you to pay. They would rather have money.

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Specializes in PACU, ED.

I am not a manager in nursing, just one of the lowly workers. However, before nursing, I was a manager in another industry. My HR department would have filtered out candidates with outstanding warrants before I even saw their resume.

I'd rather hire someone who addresses issues instead of leaving them unsettled.

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Specializes in medical surgical.

just an fyi,

Filing bankrupcy will be on your record for at least 10 years. If they run a credit check you may not be hired as well. The economy is really bad and they will possibly weed these candidates out as well. Anymore it does not matter if you handle money or not, companies want to know your credit status. A credit report will tell them your car payment, rent or mortgage and if you are responsible for it. Even a late will show up. Please make sure you pay your bills on time if you are looking for a job. Believe me, companies are looking at this.

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Specializes in Hem/Onc, LTC, AL, Homecare, Mgmt, Psych.

Yes, I think it will prevent you from getting hired. Right now the place I work at needs some nurses. W'e've had a handful of job applications come in. So far, the applications I have seen have a variety of felonies and misdemeanors: DUI, theft, possession, disorderly conduct or something like that listed. Our nurse staffer will just roll her eyes and the application goes in the trash -- even though we are hurting for more nurses. I would think a warrent charge would also reflect badly, even if just for traffic tickets. Go find out how much you owe and start paying it off. That will be your best defense against any future hiring problems.

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Thanks for all of the helpful information, this has really been such a stressful situation. I was not aware that there might be payment arrangement options, so I'm going to look into that first thing Monday. I have been in management in another industry before I started school, and anything to do with traffic violations wouldn't exclude a candidate at the company that I worked for, but I'm aware the health care industry is different, so I had to ask.

To the condescending response, I'm sure that you will find that many of the idealistic cliches that are so often repeated are simply not always true. And believe it or not, learning to use empathy instead of judgment will only make you a better nurse.

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