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Will a criminal record kill a nursing career before it ever starts?
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Question:
Seven years ago when I was 16 and foolish I shoplifted a T-shirt. I was caught and convicted of a misdemeanor. This was my one and only brushes with the law and other than that one inexplicable moment of stupidity I’ve lead an exemplary life.
But here's the deal: today, the fourth day of my first semester in nursing school, my instructor said that when we go for our clinicals at the local VA hospital, a background check will be run on all of us, and if my record is found out, the government could very well deny me permission to work at the hospital. If this happens I’m out of the program. (Also, she said that youthful indiscretions committed before one is 18 can show up in such a search as your pre-adult record is never really expunged as is commonly believed).
So I'm freaked. Has anyone ever heard of someone being denied permission to work clinicals because of a single crime committed as a minor? How nervous should I be? I figure I should I come clean with the VA first so they don't find out on their own, but that would still put me at risk, if my instructor is to be believed.
Anybody out there have any views and/or advice on this situation?
Answer:
I believe that the expunction of records is truly done, if you request it, which requires one sheet of paperwork if I remember correctly. I, too, was a stupid teenager convicted of a misdemeanor for drinking stolen alcohol. I requested to have my records expunged, and was promised that it would be literally as if it had never happened. Perhaps it is different in other states, but here in Oregon that is how it is. Since, I have been in situations where a background check was run and I haven't heard about it. I wouldn't beat yourself up about it, just contact the juvenile department and get the right information from them before you do anything at all, definitely including coming clean with the VA. I wouldn't do that, for sure also, could you speak with the professor privately? Don't be nervous, chances are this is nothing to worry about.
You will likely have no real problem with this event, provided you disclose it when asked by your licensing body and by anyone who is going to conduct a background check on you.
NOT disclosing it and being found out later are generally grounds for denial of license and termination from employment. Its not the criminal record (from way back when) that trips your up. It’s the lying about it on today’s application.
If you WANT to be a nurse, and you have a glitch in your past, then you
NEED to contact your state board for guidance regarding the proper reporting procedure. My state has a process for students to pre-clear this hurdle before they get all the way through school and face the prospect of possibly being disallowed. You also would want to address this issue with your program, and see what steps they want you to take. You can contact an attorney if you wish, if anything substantial develops on the board's end of things, but plain and simple you will need to acknowledge your past openly, and without evasion, to the proper folks.
The folks who will have a right to know? The state board. The director of your program you are attending, and the folks who would read your job application post licensure: HR and the director. Your individual prof’s may be made aware by the director of the program but this, as anything else, is a NEED TO KNOW issue. Otherwise it’s nobody’s business. If someone ELSE comes up with something on their own you are free to not discuss it with them
Seven years ago when I was 16 and foolish I shoplifted a T-shirt. I was caught and convicted of a misdemeanor. This was my one and only brush with the law and other than that one inexplicable moment of stupidity I've lead an exemplary life.
Good grief! We were all young and foolish once. Only one recommendation: tell the truth. People have recovered their lives and careers after far worse offenses. Tell the truth, put it on applications when requested and have confidence that most of the world has a lot of compassion and common sense. I've worked in HR and recall an applicant for a mid level executive position. Good qualifications, good education, best candidate, but he lied on his application about something minor. Worst thing he could have done at that time, at that company.
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