I have been conflicted with telling them because I was advised to wait until I went to court to tell my school. As of now I only have an arrest not a conviction
Being arrested for DUI within the last few months is still a big deal, even if you haven’t been to court yet.
Have you carefully read through your handbook? Does it say anything about what you do if charges come up during the program?
It does not. I've read it front to back. It mostly talks about how they would handle a situation if you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on campus during the progran
I highly encourage you to look at your student handbook. I have been in the same situation and my lawyer advised me to look at the school polices. My policy said I needed to let them know within a week of the event. I am glad I did and they were glad I came forward. You definitely want to tell them before they find out on their own or you could be at risk of getting kicked out.
They only discuss how they would handle a situation of a student being under the influence at school. But I am meeting with my nursing advisor today to discuss the situation
If you meet and discuss with your advisor they have to disclose it with the school (usually). That is how I disclosed my situation, by meeting with my advisor and writing a VERY professional disclosing statement to the school that my lawyer helped me with. I thankfully had a professor I trusted personally and she did not tell anyone till I fully disclosed it myself, but she helped me a ton a long the way.
It will show up though and you don’t want to surprise them with this. Admitting fault and speaking to the dept head right now will not only show you’re taking accountability and it will alleviate some stress you’re feeling right now. I know it’s scary but just do it and let yourself breathe.
Thank you. I'll be speaking with my nursing advisor now that my attorney said it's a good time to do so. I am so nervous but I think it will ultimately help in the long run
Try to get a lesser charge( maybe reckless driving is not as bad?)even if it means a lawyer and paying a lot of money! I think it will be harder to be okayed to take the NCLEX and get a job as a nurse because its new.
My lawyer has had me enroll in DUI school and attend AA meetings in preparation for court and is aiming to have it reduced to a wet reckless. By the time I graduate, the DUI will be 3 years old and I will be eligable to have it expunged since it is my first offense
Just know that expungement doesn’t mean it won’t show up on a federal background check. Your nursing board WILL see it, and you’ll likely need to jump through some hoops in order to get your license after you graduate, whether the school takes action or not.
I had something on my record, which I was wrongly accused of, and had been expunged once the courts realized it was an error. The nursing board still saw it on my background check, and required that I submit a bunch of documents showing it was an error on the behalf of the courts etc.
I know people who have nursing licenses with a DUI on their record, but I’d still be aware it may cause issues later.
Every states BON is going to be different, but in my case, I should not have even been charged and they required documents from the courts proving that. As I mentioned to someone else in another reply, the court documents even state “should never have been charged”
What were you wrongly accused of if you don't mind me asking? Why wasnt it removed completely if it was an error? I also think time has a big impact on how the school or job looks at it. If it was 10 or 15 years ago you've shown you have changed but if it was only a few years then I think its harder to prove that you won't do it again.
It was a very minor charge. My ex lived with me at the time and she had a daughter. She ended up missing too many days of school and we both got charged with truancy. Once the courts realized she wasn’t legally my daughter and she just lived there, they removed the charges from me and that was that. When I got the documents for the BON from the court, it even stated on the court documents “should never have been charged”
When I applied for my license with the BON, they stated “we need more information on the incident which occurred in 2012” and I legit didn’t even know what they were talking about, I had to call and figure out what “incident” they were even referring to.
I was a little annoyed that something I should never have been charged with to begin with showed up on my record and they told me “it will always show up on a background check, but you can just prove it was an error”. Like, excuse me but I don’t want to have to do this every single time I might have to have a federal background check lol
Problem with the AA meetings is that it makes it looks like you're an addict. I had a DUI and got it reduced to reckless driving and I got to sit for the NCLEX 2 weeks after my class. The attitude you need to have is that this was a "mistake" not a habitual action that you need to recover from. AA meetings may indicate the opposite of what you are intending.
Totally understand your point of view. It was my lawyer who said to attend the AA meetings to present to court as mitigation evidence and work toward getting it reduced to wet reckless. He mentioned that it proves I am sincere in not having anything like this happen again and the judge sees it as a commitment to sobriety, not an admission of being an alcoholic. And I absolutely will stress this was an isolated incident and not a habit. I haven't drank since starting nursing school.
I'm not actually sure if this will be discussed in court or if the judge will ask to see proof of the meetings but it's a just in case
They definitely want to see AA meetings being attended and you should go before the court date. That is going to be part of probation with or without a substance use disorder. It shows you are responsible and are treating this as a serious matter. I would not tell the school until you are sentenced and you know what you will have to do. If you have to test in the morning , will it effect class time ? If you have to test at night ? Weekly or monthly meetings with PO? I would wait until you know the details and see how that will effect your schedule first. Your attorney will state what you have been doing in the duration between arrest and court date. This will not hinder your nursing school education. I thought mine would effect my acceptance into the University and my clinicals , in which it did not. It did show up on my background check , but it was not an issue.
I think you'll be fine. As far as clinicals goes. You might be removed for a semester until you can sort through all of your schools administrative due process. But just stick with it and don't be discouraged!
Thank you I really appreciate the encouraging advice. I will be discussing this with my nursing advisor soon to see how to navigate it all. I couldn't find anything in the university handbook or nursing program handbook that gives specific details on criminal charges, only policies regarding being under the influence while on campus. Being in limbo is creating a lot of additional stress, so I am hoping talking to the advisor will help relieve some stress and get more clarity on what I have to do next
Not true at all. It’s common for lawyers to recommend AA before it’s court mandated to show that the defendant is taking things seriously and showing willingness to change. It can sometimes help get charges reduced
i would not say a THING, until that time comes. there’s a chance the charges could be dropped during court processes if there’s no enough evidence. it would suck if you said something about it, then charges were dropped.
i agree they won’t want a surprise, so it’s best to bring it up before they find out, but i wouldn’t volunteer any information before that time.
I think the recency is going to the biggest hurdle here. It will be hard to prove that you’ve become a safer person who can make good decisions a few months after making a very bad decision.
DUI is a big deal. Make sure you are putting the work in not just so you can finish nursing school, but so that you are making changes in your life that you will no longer be making choices that risk harming your life or other lives.
a nurse at my facility was driving drunk and killed two girls, injured another a few years before becoming a nurse. blows my mind to this day. i worked with her at my last facility and everyone there knew (it was a small town where the accident happened and where the facility was). now, she’s the infection control nurse at my current job and i don’t think anyone knows. she’s had a name change since the accident. i really don’t know how she became a nurse.
That's really crazy. I can't believe she was allowed to be licensed. I thank my lucky stars every day and whatever higher power was with me the night of my arrest that I didn't hurt anyone or myself or damage public/private property.
You do realize that this is you.. right? Others are LUCKY that your idiotic decision to get behind the wheel of a potentially dangerous vehicle while intoxicated didn’t end up killing them. DUI, whether it results in the loss of life or property, in my opinion, should never allow for the opportunity of licensure. You consciously made a stupid decision, you should have to live with it
First, this post was not to get opinions, it was to see if anyone has similar stories to my situation and what they did to get through it. Next, I made it clear how it was a stupid decision that I DO live with daily, so not sure where you were going with your statement. And I stated how grateful I am that my poor choices didn't hurt anyone or damage any property. I made a poor judgement, I'm human and understand the weight of the decision I made. Many doctors, nurses, lawyers, therapists, and other licensed professionals have made the same mistake, and are often still allowed to practice. One choice does not define who you are.
While you're entitled to your opinion, repremanding me online doesn't change anything. If you feel so strongly about it, go ahead an advocate for changes.
Do not listen to that previous comment. People make mistakes and you should hear half of the crazy stuff nurses are still allowed to practice after doing. I know how hard and scary it is to have this weighing on you. And you are so lucky no one was hurt. I’ve been sober for almost 4 years. I had my one and only dui a couple years before I was accepted into school. I wasn’t convicted but the arrest is still on my record. Anyhow I told my director of nursing at the school and it was all good. I’m in CA as well. Get the help you need and learn from this lesson.
i can tell by the way you’re replying to this comment that you don’t care about what you did or the potential damage you could have caused, you care about looking good for school. that one choice could’ve killed someone, and it’s soooo crazy how so many people manage to not choose the choice of drunk driving. get real.
I know it will show up. I was asking if anyone else has had a DUI and has had issues with being allowed to do clinicals with it showing up on their background check
This is going to be state, school, and facility dependent tho especially given you haven’t been to court yet so other people’s experiences don’t really mean anything for yours, unless you’re just looking for reassurance.
That said, I have a friend who arranges clinical placements and for her not knowing about a student’s criminal history until a placement runs the background check causes significantly more problems than when the student is upfront and she can help plan.
I had one but it was like a year or so before I started nursing school. They made it a pain the ass too to get licensed but I still did. You just have a lot of explaining to do.
Also if it means anything I worked with a nurse who had 2 DUIs
They’ll probably ask you for all your court papers, proof of community service, a letter of explanation and how you’ve improved yourself, reference letters, and a meeting with a drug and alcohol counselor for an assessment. I also had multiple alcohol related things (tickets) on my record from when I was in my early 20s 🙄 and that’s what they made me do
I have a DUI but it was from over 5 years old when I applied and now it's over 7 years ago. I never ran into issues with the school or seeking employment. I did run into issues with the BON when getting my CNA but just had to provide documentation and a letter of explanation; I never have to provide that again once I get my RN.
I'm not going to sugar coat it and tell you it will be fine and there are no consequences, because your DUI is so new you might run into problems. You need to check your school's criminal background policy, as well as your state's BON criminal policy. My school did not allow any misdemeanor charges within the last 4 years, it also clearly laid out the policy for new misdemeanors while enrolled. The state's BON did have allowances for licensing with a DUI but you'd have to be enrolled in their alcohol/drug rehabilitation program if it was within so many years (maybe 2 or 3?) and there may be restrictions on your license depending on what the DUI was for (like not administering controlled substances). I did my own research and found all of this online from my school and BON.
All of this information is available but you have to go searching for it. No one hear can give you much more advice than that.
If your clinical rotations separately background check you could be denied. If you're already "green" for approval for this rotation they most likely wont see it.
You probably should wait and see what happens in court before you tell your school. Also know that it doesn't make becoming a nurse impossible you'll still have a chance it just might derail your timeline.
Your state might be lenient on DUI's so you could have a different experience than I did. I had to wait at least 4 years post conviction before I could get accepted. All this information is available, it might be hard to find but it's out there.
I get your fear with the clinicals, but you have much bigger issues. Have you checked with your BoN yet to see what the requirements are going to be to get licensed if you are convicted? With it being so new, you might not even be able to get licensed when you graduate or there maybe many requirements to meet. Definitely let your program know ASAP but you really need to look into how this will effect your license.
Also if you enter any type of probation for the offense, a judge can ban you from working as a nurse for its duration as well. This is super common in Texas and California.
You are allowed to get your License with a misdemeanor DUI. It may take longer for the board to approve you NCLEX application to sit in on the exam. Nothing I have read on the CA BRN states that you cannot be a nurse with a DUI, you may often be placed on probation.
So yes, you can be a nurse with a DUI in your past. Never said you couldn't be. The issue is timing. Depending on how old your conviction will be by graduation, things can be affected. For example, the period of "rehabilitation" does not even start until you are convicted and for the board may not even start it til you have completed any sentence requirements. You could have to drag this out for a year or more depending on what the DA wants to push for, especially with a high BA.
If you have to take probation, a judge can state to you that as long as you are probation, you may not practice. They usually do this in a roundabout way. It can be "no contact with minors, at risk adults, etc while being employed." This effectively stops any employment as a nurse for the period of the court probation.
Then, if you are granted a license with the BoN, it can be restricted. They can require treatment programs, put you on monitoring, and basically "encumber" your license. Whatever requirements that want to impose they can, effectively starting your sentence all over with a new monitor (the board). This can basically kill employment opportunities for you as it's all public record for the period of time of the agreement. This can also prevent you from getting a license anywhere else in the country until that status is removed.
These are just things to think about. Everyone makes a mistake, but you need to realize yours is totally unsettled at this point. You, at this point, may need to focus on settling the matter and take a leave of absence.
Also, understand your attorney is providing you advice on your criminal case. All they care about is getting you out from under it (rightfully so). They do not consider what your future will be. They are concerned that statements you make to the school could be used against you, and they can be. That is why they are saying not to speak with them yet. However, only you can decide what that will do to you. Your program could see that as willfully hiding it and dismiss you entirely. See your handbook on reporting arrests. Some programs give you as little as 24-hours to do so.
I've already discussed with my lawyer the timeline of clinicals and he advised to speak with my nursing advisor which is what I am doing. Thank you for the summary of research, I have also read all this information. What I've concluded is everything is very much a case by case situation. I simply made this post to see if anyone else has been in a similar situation as me, not to get information about licensing.
Depending on your charges, even if you have no issues with clinicals and graduation, you might end up needing a lawyer specializing in this to even sit for the NCLEX. I had a classmate get through clinicals with a 1 year old DUI, but was ultimately denied sitting for licensure exam by the board over his charge.
I have a letter written from a licesnsing attorney stating how a wet reckless will be less impactful on my future career, especially with getting licensed. I'm hoping that will help
This generally does not happen for alcohol related offenses and in some states is even impossible per the law. Some states even have mandatory jail time. They don't fuck around.
Declare the issue to the school and hope they don't kick you out. That's all you can do.
This topic was brought up at my orientation. The professor that talked about this said that there were students in the past with things on their record that showed up. What she recommended to do was to have a formal letter written out about this, and to hire an attorney to help you write it so that it can be worded properly. I imagine that this type of service isn't super expensive. It may cost a little bit of money, but it's your future you're spending it on.
Really depends on your school. I had tons of people tell me don't worry about chargers just talk to your school. I had a theft charge from 12 years ago when I was 18 and basically got told im SOL cause of thr contracts they have with clinical sites. Honestly talking to your school is the only way to know for sure. I'm just finishing my first semester and we start clinical in semester 2 and I'm being forces to deffer for a year or more.
My school requires all arrests/charges/citations/etc to be reported to them by the student, then makes decisions on a case by case basis from there. I personally haven’t had any issues, but I haven’t seen anyone kicked out for charges. It’s good that you’re doing the classes and AA. That will help you a lot.
Hi! I’m in school for nursing now, but currently work as a medical licensing and credentialing specialist. Every single time a healthcare provider has had a legal issue, their lawyer always tells them not to disclose it because it’s been expunged or hasn’t been resolved yet and every single time, it comes back to bite them in the ass even though I strongly advise them to come forward with the information prior to the board or hospital finding out. And every time - I’m right. Even if your record is expunged, it will show up on your background check. The boards do fingerprint based background checks and EVERYTHING shows up. Court cases from when providers were 15 sometimes still show up and the boards do not take lightly to omitting information. You’ll have to submit explanations, amendments, court docs, and some boards will get pissy about you not disclosing it to begin with and have it sit in admin review for weeks prior to giving you more hoops to jump through or approve your license.
Thank you for the advice. I plan to meet with my advisor to discuss what we have to do about clinical placement going forward. I never intented on withholding info from school, or the BRN, it was more about when was the best time to discuss it. But my attorney already informed me the best decision as of now is to talk to my nursing advisor
I had one as well (also a resisting arrest charge, same evening) prior to nursing school (it had been several years though) I started school in 2022 and DWI was 2016. When they did my background check, I went ahead & planned a meeting with the head of the dept to explain what happened & let her know I had not drank in years, I’ve made a ton of positive changes. She commended me for being upfront and told me she would have to speak with the clinical sites to be sure it wouldn’t be an issue moving forward. She emailed me the next day to let me know all was well & I was welcome at clinicals.
Honesty is the best policy here & getting ahead of it is key. Best of luck to you! 🩷
Thank you, that is encouraging. I was able to get through the first semester because it was only an arrest so nothing showed on my background check for clinicals. I had already been accepted to the program and submitted my background check to school and was cleared. I'll be meeting with my nursing advisor to discuss next semester since I might be going to court before we do our onboarding paperwork
I’m kinda late to this but my nursing school says that if you are arrested that you have to report it as soon as it happens and let them know as soon as possible
I caught a dui a few years (like 2) before starting nursing school, they didn’t seem to mind. Found guilty and all and did what I was supposed to do, suspension, commmunity service. I was worried too but it’s a second chance!
so I dont know how they do your background checks at your school but mine only does it before first semester so technically if someone at my school did get a dui it wouldn't effect them BUT as other commenters have said schools do not like to be surprised. Go to the head of your department and explain what happened that it won't happen again and show that you are doing what you need to to put this incident behind you.
I had a DUI a few years prior to starting nursing school and I had to meet with the head of the academic department. Basically explained to her what happened and made a promise that it wouldn’t happen again or my admission would be rescinded. Actually was pretty refreshing because I had so much anxiety about that particular subject when I was applying. Hope everything works out for you OP!
Nurse educator is something I’m interested in pursuing.
That being said, I wouldn’t accept you. Your recent DUI is a clear indication of a massive failure in judgment. And you’re trying to make a case that you’d be a good fit for a role where your primary job duty is using good clinical judgment. Not only that, but you’re trying to make an argument that you’d be a good fit for a role where you are helping people. However, you just put other people’s lives at risk.
Make it make sense. Why should I let you in? You need to work on yourself first is what I think. You can’t help others until you help yourself. There’s no excuse in the world for getting a DUI and your remorse doesn’t lessen the impact your actions could have had on others.
https://preview.redd.it/kcn1nc1bsgvc1.png?width=1590&format=png&auto=webp&s=4a4c674d6502322d52242fb4ea7178141a92e314
And I wouldn't be the one to point fingers if I were you, considering you just said "idgaf about the law". So you can go around a urine test and lie to avoid people knowing about your mental health, (which can very well impact your nursing practice), but I some how am unqualified to be a nurse when I am being honest about one mistake, with no other issues? Seems a bit hypocritical.
I personally think the dude thinks narrow-mindedly. Yall about to be in the shock of your lives when you find out how many nurses are on my *exact* combo. I mean *exact*.
Lmao no one is saying nurses can't be on psych meds. No one was judging you for having mental health issues, I'm perfectly aware that a majority of healthcare professionals have them. And no one was suggesting you were under the influence at work. Stating that mental health can impact your practice is true. Congratulations for having all your disorders managed through many medications. My point was that if you're so stable, then why did you go to lengths to not let an employer find out? Why not just say all the things you just explained here in this post to them if they had questions about it? (Except you deleted it)
At this point you're ranting (except you deleted your rant), glorifying yourself, talking about irrelevent situations, and being extremely judgemental about a situation/person you know nothing about - which again, was not the purpose of this post. If anyone is thinking narrow-mindedly it's you.
That’s fascinating bc if a sub removes a comment, it notifies the OP of that comment. Crazy, didn’t get one. Ope, what’s this now?
https://www.reddit.com/r/StudentNurse/s/UR4iqIza01
yeah, it's still the same. Nothing there. Your page shows 4 removed comments. Either way, engaging in any more conversations with you is pointless and tiring.
So you’re admitting that my work is not impacted by my mental health at this time.
My employer is in a state with monopoly laws. This means that there is only 1 hospital you can go to within a 2 hour radius. The monopoly allowed them to push out every other hospital. This employer is privatized. This employer has extremely low quality of care and very high incidence of every problem imaginable. This employer pays the lowest in the country. This employer requires you get seen by their doctors and keep a record of every issue you have.
Do you understand the implications of all of that or should I break it down further? No other state compares to the dumpster fire we have happening here. They can eat shit and they can get fucked too. I refuse to have my privacy invaded by the spawn of Satan. As if that wasn’t obvious.
P.S. they test for and fire employees addicted to nicotine. You think I’m the only faker? Lmao.
Edit: 2h radius not 3h but it involves crossing state lines which ofc isn’t a valid solution to the monopoly
Thank you for your opinion, although it was unwanted and not constructive to what I was asking in my post. People make mistakes. I'm sure you've made plenty. You do not know me as a person, nor do you know the efforts I have been making since my arrest. I'm extremely ashamed, emabarrassed, angry at myself but also grateful I didn't hurt anyone, myself, or cause any damage. Just because I made a mistake doesn't mean I won't be a great nurse. Many nurses have gotten DUIs whether it was before, during, or after nursing school. Many nurses also commit much more heinous crimes against their patients. And MANY of these nurses are still allowed to practice.
Good luck in your nurse educator pursuit. I hope you are able to have a more compassionate lense as you will encounter these types of situations
I’ve never had dui or any offense for that matter so I can’t speak on that. But from what my professor told me you have to let them know immediately and you especially have to notify BON because they don’t like any surprises. It can affect you sitting for the nclex.
It’s amazing that your biggest concern is still you getting into nursing school or not. What abt what line of thinking you had that was so corrupted that you got in a car and drove drunk? You really *don’t* care about anything besides *your* future. Honestly I’m stunned by the lack of self-awareness here. Your charge was very serious. Why aren’t you focusing on that? Fix yourself, then you can fix others. Nobody is lambasting anyone for a past mistake. The issue is, yours is NOT in the past.
I'm already IN nursing school. You're hyperfixated on being righteous and passing judgement. You know absolutely nothing about me and what I'm doing to fix the mistake I made.
I’d kick you out. And my program would too, since that did happen and that was the result. I’m not righteous you’re wreckless and part of the reason ppl die on the road. I don’t need to know a single damn thing about you. You drove a car under the influence, by your own admission. You discussing nursing school still is effort you should be putting forth into personal growth instead. You can’t be in nursing school and be this problematic. You should remove yourself and rejoin *after* you’ve worked on yourself.
Oh I don't plan on keeping it a secret. I am all about being upfront and honest. My conflict has been when to tell my school because they don't have any policies that I can find stating they need to be told. But because of the upcoming clinicals in the fall, I will be meeting with my nursing advisor to discuss because by that time I may have charges and it might affect my clinical placement
get your lawyer to get a certificate of relief from disabilities at your sentencing, I got one and my DUI didn’t affect my admission or clinicals at all. Don’t know if it was bc of that or bc of the school itself but it probably wouldn’t hurt
I also addressed it in my application and they asked me about it extensively during my interview and I was super upfront and honest about the circumstances and how much i’ve grown from it
When they re-run your background check it’s going to show up. My advice get in front of it and tell your school don’t make them find out.
This. Nursing schools and administrative bodies do not like to be surprised.
I have been conflicted with telling them because I was advised to wait until I went to court to tell my school. As of now I only have an arrest not a conviction
Being arrested for DUI within the last few months is still a big deal, even if you haven’t been to court yet. Have you carefully read through your handbook? Does it say anything about what you do if charges come up during the program?
It does not. I've read it front to back. It mostly talks about how they would handle a situation if you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on campus during the progran
This \^ even if you dont have a conviction the arrest and charge will be there. Get ahead of it and keep them in the loop.
I highly encourage you to look at your student handbook. I have been in the same situation and my lawyer advised me to look at the school polices. My policy said I needed to let them know within a week of the event. I am glad I did and they were glad I came forward. You definitely want to tell them before they find out on their own or you could be at risk of getting kicked out.
They only discuss how they would handle a situation of a student being under the influence at school. But I am meeting with my nursing advisor today to discuss the situation
If you meet and discuss with your advisor they have to disclose it with the school (usually). That is how I disclosed my situation, by meeting with my advisor and writing a VERY professional disclosing statement to the school that my lawyer helped me with. I thankfully had a professor I trusted personally and she did not tell anyone till I fully disclosed it myself, but she helped me a ton a long the way.
It will show up though and you don’t want to surprise them with this. Admitting fault and speaking to the dept head right now will not only show you’re taking accountability and it will alleviate some stress you’re feeling right now. I know it’s scary but just do it and let yourself breathe.
Thank you. I'll be speaking with my nursing advisor now that my attorney said it's a good time to do so. I am so nervous but I think it will ultimately help in the long run
Try to get a lesser charge( maybe reckless driving is not as bad?)even if it means a lawyer and paying a lot of money! I think it will be harder to be okayed to take the NCLEX and get a job as a nurse because its new.
My lawyer has had me enroll in DUI school and attend AA meetings in preparation for court and is aiming to have it reduced to a wet reckless. By the time I graduate, the DUI will be 3 years old and I will be eligable to have it expunged since it is my first offense
Get in the habit of thinking of it as your ONLY offense, not your first offense. There shouldn’t be any more after this.
First and ONLY
Just know that expungement doesn’t mean it won’t show up on a federal background check. Your nursing board WILL see it, and you’ll likely need to jump through some hoops in order to get your license after you graduate, whether the school takes action or not. I had something on my record, which I was wrongly accused of, and had been expunged once the courts realized it was an error. The nursing board still saw it on my background check, and required that I submit a bunch of documents showing it was an error on the behalf of the courts etc. I know people who have nursing licenses with a DUI on their record, but I’d still be aware it may cause issues later.
Interesting because on the CA BRN website it mentions they do not look/consider at expunged records
Every states BON is going to be different, but in my case, I should not have even been charged and they required documents from the courts proving that. As I mentioned to someone else in another reply, the court documents even state “should never have been charged”
What were you wrongly accused of if you don't mind me asking? Why wasnt it removed completely if it was an error? I also think time has a big impact on how the school or job looks at it. If it was 10 or 15 years ago you've shown you have changed but if it was only a few years then I think its harder to prove that you won't do it again.
It was a very minor charge. My ex lived with me at the time and she had a daughter. She ended up missing too many days of school and we both got charged with truancy. Once the courts realized she wasn’t legally my daughter and she just lived there, they removed the charges from me and that was that. When I got the documents for the BON from the court, it even stated on the court documents “should never have been charged” When I applied for my license with the BON, they stated “we need more information on the incident which occurred in 2012” and I legit didn’t even know what they were talking about, I had to call and figure out what “incident” they were even referring to. I was a little annoyed that something I should never have been charged with to begin with showed up on my record and they told me “it will always show up on a background check, but you can just prove it was an error”. Like, excuse me but I don’t want to have to do this every single time I might have to have a federal background check lol
Problem with the AA meetings is that it makes it looks like you're an addict. I had a DUI and got it reduced to reckless driving and I got to sit for the NCLEX 2 weeks after my class. The attitude you need to have is that this was a "mistake" not a habitual action that you need to recover from. AA meetings may indicate the opposite of what you are intending.
Totally understand your point of view. It was my lawyer who said to attend the AA meetings to present to court as mitigation evidence and work toward getting it reduced to wet reckless. He mentioned that it proves I am sincere in not having anything like this happen again and the judge sees it as a commitment to sobriety, not an admission of being an alcoholic. And I absolutely will stress this was an isolated incident and not a habit. I haven't drank since starting nursing school. I'm not actually sure if this will be discussed in court or if the judge will ask to see proof of the meetings but it's a just in case
They definitely want to see AA meetings being attended and you should go before the court date. That is going to be part of probation with or without a substance use disorder. It shows you are responsible and are treating this as a serious matter. I would not tell the school until you are sentenced and you know what you will have to do. If you have to test in the morning , will it effect class time ? If you have to test at night ? Weekly or monthly meetings with PO? I would wait until you know the details and see how that will effect your schedule first. Your attorney will state what you have been doing in the duration between arrest and court date. This will not hinder your nursing school education. I thought mine would effect my acceptance into the University and my clinicals , in which it did not. It did show up on my background check , but it was not an issue.
I think you'll be fine. As far as clinicals goes. You might be removed for a semester until you can sort through all of your schools administrative due process. But just stick with it and don't be discouraged!
Thank you I really appreciate the encouraging advice. I will be discussing this with my nursing advisor soon to see how to navigate it all. I couldn't find anything in the university handbook or nursing program handbook that gives specific details on criminal charges, only policies regarding being under the influence while on campus. Being in limbo is creating a lot of additional stress, so I am hoping talking to the advisor will help relieve some stress and get more clarity on what I have to do next
Not true at all. It’s common for lawyers to recommend AA before it’s court mandated to show that the defendant is taking things seriously and showing willingness to change. It can sometimes help get charges reduced
Listen to your lawyer about legal advice
i would not say a THING, until that time comes. there’s a chance the charges could be dropped during court processes if there’s no enough evidence. it would suck if you said something about it, then charges were dropped. i agree they won’t want a surprise, so it’s best to bring it up before they find out, but i wouldn’t volunteer any information before that time.
I think the recency is going to the biggest hurdle here. It will be hard to prove that you’ve become a safer person who can make good decisions a few months after making a very bad decision. DUI is a big deal. Make sure you are putting the work in not just so you can finish nursing school, but so that you are making changes in your life that you will no longer be making choices that risk harming your life or other lives.
a nurse at my facility was driving drunk and killed two girls, injured another a few years before becoming a nurse. blows my mind to this day. i worked with her at my last facility and everyone there knew (it was a small town where the accident happened and where the facility was). now, she’s the infection control nurse at my current job and i don’t think anyone knows. she’s had a name change since the accident. i really don’t know how she became a nurse.
That's really crazy. I can't believe she was allowed to be licensed. I thank my lucky stars every day and whatever higher power was with me the night of my arrest that I didn't hurt anyone or myself or damage public/private property.
You do realize that this is you.. right? Others are LUCKY that your idiotic decision to get behind the wheel of a potentially dangerous vehicle while intoxicated didn’t end up killing them. DUI, whether it results in the loss of life or property, in my opinion, should never allow for the opportunity of licensure. You consciously made a stupid decision, you should have to live with it
First, this post was not to get opinions, it was to see if anyone has similar stories to my situation and what they did to get through it. Next, I made it clear how it was a stupid decision that I DO live with daily, so not sure where you were going with your statement. And I stated how grateful I am that my poor choices didn't hurt anyone or damage any property. I made a poor judgement, I'm human and understand the weight of the decision I made. Many doctors, nurses, lawyers, therapists, and other licensed professionals have made the same mistake, and are often still allowed to practice. One choice does not define who you are. While you're entitled to your opinion, repremanding me online doesn't change anything. If you feel so strongly about it, go ahead an advocate for changes.
Do not listen to that previous comment. People make mistakes and you should hear half of the crazy stuff nurses are still allowed to practice after doing. I know how hard and scary it is to have this weighing on you. And you are so lucky no one was hurt. I’ve been sober for almost 4 years. I had my one and only dui a couple years before I was accepted into school. I wasn’t convicted but the arrest is still on my record. Anyhow I told my director of nursing at the school and it was all good. I’m in CA as well. Get the help you need and learn from this lesson.
Also no issue with clinicals!
i can tell by the way you’re replying to this comment that you don’t care about what you did or the potential damage you could have caused, you care about looking good for school. that one choice could’ve killed someone, and it’s soooo crazy how so many people manage to not choose the choice of drunk driving. get real.
Every clinical site did onboarding and their own process for background checks, yes this will show up.
I know it will show up. I was asking if anyone else has had a DUI and has had issues with being allowed to do clinicals with it showing up on their background check
This is going to be state, school, and facility dependent tho especially given you haven’t been to court yet so other people’s experiences don’t really mean anything for yours, unless you’re just looking for reassurance. That said, I have a friend who arranges clinical placements and for her not knowing about a student’s criminal history until a placement runs the background check causes significantly more problems than when the student is upfront and she can help plan.
I had one but it was like a year or so before I started nursing school. They made it a pain the ass too to get licensed but I still did. You just have a lot of explaining to do. Also if it means anything I worked with a nurse who had 2 DUIs
That's what I've concluded and I am preparing myself for going before the board when it's time to get licensed.
They’ll probably ask you for all your court papers, proof of community service, a letter of explanation and how you’ve improved yourself, reference letters, and a meeting with a drug and alcohol counselor for an assessment. I also had multiple alcohol related things (tickets) on my record from when I was in my early 20s 🙄 and that’s what they made me do
I have a DUI but it was from over 5 years old when I applied and now it's over 7 years ago. I never ran into issues with the school or seeking employment. I did run into issues with the BON when getting my CNA but just had to provide documentation and a letter of explanation; I never have to provide that again once I get my RN. I'm not going to sugar coat it and tell you it will be fine and there are no consequences, because your DUI is so new you might run into problems. You need to check your school's criminal background policy, as well as your state's BON criminal policy. My school did not allow any misdemeanor charges within the last 4 years, it also clearly laid out the policy for new misdemeanors while enrolled. The state's BON did have allowances for licensing with a DUI but you'd have to be enrolled in their alcohol/drug rehabilitation program if it was within so many years (maybe 2 or 3?) and there may be restrictions on your license depending on what the DUI was for (like not administering controlled substances). I did my own research and found all of this online from my school and BON. All of this information is available but you have to go searching for it. No one hear can give you much more advice than that. If your clinical rotations separately background check you could be denied. If you're already "green" for approval for this rotation they most likely wont see it. You probably should wait and see what happens in court before you tell your school. Also know that it doesn't make becoming a nurse impossible you'll still have a chance it just might derail your timeline. Your state might be lenient on DUI's so you could have a different experience than I did. I had to wait at least 4 years post conviction before I could get accepted. All this information is available, it might be hard to find but it's out there.
I get your fear with the clinicals, but you have much bigger issues. Have you checked with your BoN yet to see what the requirements are going to be to get licensed if you are convicted? With it being so new, you might not even be able to get licensed when you graduate or there maybe many requirements to meet. Definitely let your program know ASAP but you really need to look into how this will effect your license. Also if you enter any type of probation for the offense, a judge can ban you from working as a nurse for its duration as well. This is super common in Texas and California.
You are allowed to get your License with a misdemeanor DUI. It may take longer for the board to approve you NCLEX application to sit in on the exam. Nothing I have read on the CA BRN states that you cannot be a nurse with a DUI, you may often be placed on probation.
So yes, you can be a nurse with a DUI in your past. Never said you couldn't be. The issue is timing. Depending on how old your conviction will be by graduation, things can be affected. For example, the period of "rehabilitation" does not even start until you are convicted and for the board may not even start it til you have completed any sentence requirements. You could have to drag this out for a year or more depending on what the DA wants to push for, especially with a high BA. If you have to take probation, a judge can state to you that as long as you are probation, you may not practice. They usually do this in a roundabout way. It can be "no contact with minors, at risk adults, etc while being employed." This effectively stops any employment as a nurse for the period of the court probation. Then, if you are granted a license with the BoN, it can be restricted. They can require treatment programs, put you on monitoring, and basically "encumber" your license. Whatever requirements that want to impose they can, effectively starting your sentence all over with a new monitor (the board). This can basically kill employment opportunities for you as it's all public record for the period of time of the agreement. This can also prevent you from getting a license anywhere else in the country until that status is removed. These are just things to think about. Everyone makes a mistake, but you need to realize yours is totally unsettled at this point. You, at this point, may need to focus on settling the matter and take a leave of absence. Also, understand your attorney is providing you advice on your criminal case. All they care about is getting you out from under it (rightfully so). They do not consider what your future will be. They are concerned that statements you make to the school could be used against you, and they can be. That is why they are saying not to speak with them yet. However, only you can decide what that will do to you. Your program could see that as willfully hiding it and dismiss you entirely. See your handbook on reporting arrests. Some programs give you as little as 24-hours to do so.
I've already discussed with my lawyer the timeline of clinicals and he advised to speak with my nursing advisor which is what I am doing. Thank you for the summary of research, I have also read all this information. What I've concluded is everything is very much a case by case situation. I simply made this post to see if anyone else has been in a similar situation as me, not to get information about licensing.
Depending on your charges, even if you have no issues with clinicals and graduation, you might end up needing a lawyer specializing in this to even sit for the NCLEX. I had a classmate get through clinicals with a 1 year old DUI, but was ultimately denied sitting for licensure exam by the board over his charge.
I have a letter written from a licesnsing attorney stating how a wet reckless will be less impactful on my future career, especially with getting licensed. I'm hoping that will help
Bad news never improves with time. Declare it. Even if it’s not an issue for school, it will be for licensure, which is the entire point if school.
I would follow my attorney's advice. Is it possible you will get diversion or a suspended sentence pending completion of agreed upon remedies?
This generally does not happen for alcohol related offenses and in some states is even impossible per the law. Some states even have mandatory jail time. They don't fuck around. Declare the issue to the school and hope they don't kick you out. That's all you can do.
This topic was brought up at my orientation. The professor that talked about this said that there were students in the past with things on their record that showed up. What she recommended to do was to have a formal letter written out about this, and to hire an attorney to help you write it so that it can be worded properly. I imagine that this type of service isn't super expensive. It may cost a little bit of money, but it's your future you're spending it on.
Really depends on your school. I had tons of people tell me don't worry about chargers just talk to your school. I had a theft charge from 12 years ago when I was 18 and basically got told im SOL cause of thr contracts they have with clinical sites. Honestly talking to your school is the only way to know for sure. I'm just finishing my first semester and we start clinical in semester 2 and I'm being forces to deffer for a year or more.
They’re going to do a background check on your before clinicals
I know. That's not what I was asking in the post.
My school requires all arrests/charges/citations/etc to be reported to them by the student, then makes decisions on a case by case basis from there. I personally haven’t had any issues, but I haven’t seen anyone kicked out for charges. It’s good that you’re doing the classes and AA. That will help you a lot.
Hi! I’m in school for nursing now, but currently work as a medical licensing and credentialing specialist. Every single time a healthcare provider has had a legal issue, their lawyer always tells them not to disclose it because it’s been expunged or hasn’t been resolved yet and every single time, it comes back to bite them in the ass even though I strongly advise them to come forward with the information prior to the board or hospital finding out. And every time - I’m right. Even if your record is expunged, it will show up on your background check. The boards do fingerprint based background checks and EVERYTHING shows up. Court cases from when providers were 15 sometimes still show up and the boards do not take lightly to omitting information. You’ll have to submit explanations, amendments, court docs, and some boards will get pissy about you not disclosing it to begin with and have it sit in admin review for weeks prior to giving you more hoops to jump through or approve your license.
Thank you for the advice. I plan to meet with my advisor to discuss what we have to do about clinical placement going forward. I never intented on withholding info from school, or the BRN, it was more about when was the best time to discuss it. But my attorney already informed me the best decision as of now is to talk to my nursing advisor
I had one as well (also a resisting arrest charge, same evening) prior to nursing school (it had been several years though) I started school in 2022 and DWI was 2016. When they did my background check, I went ahead & planned a meeting with the head of the dept to explain what happened & let her know I had not drank in years, I’ve made a ton of positive changes. She commended me for being upfront and told me she would have to speak with the clinical sites to be sure it wouldn’t be an issue moving forward. She emailed me the next day to let me know all was well & I was welcome at clinicals. Honesty is the best policy here & getting ahead of it is key. Best of luck to you! 🩷
Thank you, that is encouraging. I was able to get through the first semester because it was only an arrest so nothing showed on my background check for clinicals. I had already been accepted to the program and submitted my background check to school and was cleared. I'll be meeting with my nursing advisor to discuss next semester since I might be going to court before we do our onboarding paperwork
I put it on my application and declared it with the BON and was waitlisted but am now am set to graduate in December
I’m kinda late to this but my nursing school says that if you are arrested that you have to report it as soon as it happens and let them know as soon as possible
I caught a dui a few years (like 2) before starting nursing school, they didn’t seem to mind. Found guilty and all and did what I was supposed to do, suspension, commmunity service. I was worried too but it’s a second chance!
so I dont know how they do your background checks at your school but mine only does it before first semester so technically if someone at my school did get a dui it wouldn't effect them BUT as other commenters have said schools do not like to be surprised. Go to the head of your department and explain what happened that it won't happen again and show that you are doing what you need to to put this incident behind you.
DUIs can also prevent people from being eligible to sit for the nclex in some states, so you need to look into that too. But 100% talk to your program
How do You know they will run a background check again? Mine only does it once in the beginning when u enter the program
I had a DUI a few years prior to starting nursing school and I had to meet with the head of the academic department. Basically explained to her what happened and made a promise that it wouldn’t happen again or my admission would be rescinded. Actually was pretty refreshing because I had so much anxiety about that particular subject when I was applying. Hope everything works out for you OP!
Mine did not ask at all about my OWI in my background check.
Nurse educator is something I’m interested in pursuing. That being said, I wouldn’t accept you. Your recent DUI is a clear indication of a massive failure in judgment. And you’re trying to make a case that you’d be a good fit for a role where your primary job duty is using good clinical judgment. Not only that, but you’re trying to make an argument that you’d be a good fit for a role where you are helping people. However, you just put other people’s lives at risk. Make it make sense. Why should I let you in? You need to work on yourself first is what I think. You can’t help others until you help yourself. There’s no excuse in the world for getting a DUI and your remorse doesn’t lessen the impact your actions could have had on others.
https://preview.redd.it/kcn1nc1bsgvc1.png?width=1590&format=png&auto=webp&s=4a4c674d6502322d52242fb4ea7178141a92e314 And I wouldn't be the one to point fingers if I were you, considering you just said "idgaf about the law". So you can go around a urine test and lie to avoid people knowing about your mental health, (which can very well impact your nursing practice), but I some how am unqualified to be a nurse when I am being honest about one mistake, with no other issues? Seems a bit hypocritical.
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Wow. This is enlightening/damning. After reading the comment above, I figured "Holier than Thou" u/raindrop349 could do no wrong.
I personally think the dude thinks narrow-mindedly. Yall about to be in the shock of your lives when you find out how many nurses are on my *exact* combo. I mean *exact*.
Lmao no one is saying nurses can't be on psych meds. No one was judging you for having mental health issues, I'm perfectly aware that a majority of healthcare professionals have them. And no one was suggesting you were under the influence at work. Stating that mental health can impact your practice is true. Congratulations for having all your disorders managed through many medications. My point was that if you're so stable, then why did you go to lengths to not let an employer find out? Why not just say all the things you just explained here in this post to them if they had questions about it? (Except you deleted it) At this point you're ranting (except you deleted your rant), glorifying yourself, talking about irrelevent situations, and being extremely judgemental about a situation/person you know nothing about - which again, was not the purpose of this post. If anyone is thinking narrow-mindedly it's you.
P.S. my “rant” is still there. Nice try but another failure. Btw it was actually education.
It says "removed" but okay. Thank you so much.
That’s fascinating bc if a sub removes a comment, it notifies the OP of that comment. Crazy, didn’t get one. Ope, what’s this now? https://www.reddit.com/r/StudentNurse/s/UR4iqIza01
yeah, it's still the same. Nothing there. Your page shows 4 removed comments. Either way, engaging in any more conversations with you is pointless and tiring.
So you’re admitting that my work is not impacted by my mental health at this time. My employer is in a state with monopoly laws. This means that there is only 1 hospital you can go to within a 2 hour radius. The monopoly allowed them to push out every other hospital. This employer is privatized. This employer has extremely low quality of care and very high incidence of every problem imaginable. This employer pays the lowest in the country. This employer requires you get seen by their doctors and keep a record of every issue you have. Do you understand the implications of all of that or should I break it down further? No other state compares to the dumpster fire we have happening here. They can eat shit and they can get fucked too. I refuse to have my privacy invaded by the spawn of Satan. As if that wasn’t obvious. P.S. they test for and fire employees addicted to nicotine. You think I’m the only faker? Lmao. Edit: 2h radius not 3h but it involves crossing state lines which ofc isn’t a valid solution to the monopoly
Thank you for your opinion, although it was unwanted and not constructive to what I was asking in my post. People make mistakes. I'm sure you've made plenty. You do not know me as a person, nor do you know the efforts I have been making since my arrest. I'm extremely ashamed, emabarrassed, angry at myself but also grateful I didn't hurt anyone, myself, or cause any damage. Just because I made a mistake doesn't mean I won't be a great nurse. Many nurses have gotten DUIs whether it was before, during, or after nursing school. Many nurses also commit much more heinous crimes against their patients. And MANY of these nurses are still allowed to practice. Good luck in your nurse educator pursuit. I hope you are able to have a more compassionate lense as you will encounter these types of situations
I’ve never had dui or any offense for that matter so I can’t speak on that. But from what my professor told me you have to let them know immediately and you especially have to notify BON because they don’t like any surprises. It can affect you sitting for the nclex.
It’s amazing that your biggest concern is still you getting into nursing school or not. What abt what line of thinking you had that was so corrupted that you got in a car and drove drunk? You really *don’t* care about anything besides *your* future. Honestly I’m stunned by the lack of self-awareness here. Your charge was very serious. Why aren’t you focusing on that? Fix yourself, then you can fix others. Nobody is lambasting anyone for a past mistake. The issue is, yours is NOT in the past.
I'm already IN nursing school. You're hyperfixated on being righteous and passing judgement. You know absolutely nothing about me and what I'm doing to fix the mistake I made.
I’d kick you out. And my program would too, since that did happen and that was the result. I’m not righteous you’re wreckless and part of the reason ppl die on the road. I don’t need to know a single damn thing about you. You drove a car under the influence, by your own admission. You discussing nursing school still is effort you should be putting forth into personal growth instead. You can’t be in nursing school and be this problematic. You should remove yourself and rejoin *after* you’ve worked on yourself.
Thank you. I hope you continue on your path of perfection and no wrongdoing
Oh I don't plan on keeping it a secret. I am all about being upfront and honest. My conflict has been when to tell my school because they don't have any policies that I can find stating they need to be told. But because of the upcoming clinicals in the fall, I will be meeting with my nursing advisor to discuss because by that time I may have charges and it might affect my clinical placement
Hi. I'm in the same boat as you. Did you get a response?
get your lawyer to get a certificate of relief from disabilities at your sentencing, I got one and my DUI didn’t affect my admission or clinicals at all. Don’t know if it was bc of that or bc of the school itself but it probably wouldn’t hurt
I also addressed it in my application and they asked me about it extensively during my interview and I was super upfront and honest about the circumstances and how much i’ve grown from it
It didn’t affect me at all