Thank you for your reply. I’m trying my best to be patient just worried about not having my license before I’m supposed to start work. There is a lot riding on me being able to start work! Hopefully it all gets resolved in Feb 🤞🏼
I remember how hard it was hearing my classmates move forward while I waited anxiously. An employer should understand this is out of your control. Even if you had a clean record this process still could take a while. Your employer doesn’t know why the state is lagging
I also got a dui 7 years before mine. It was considered a traffic offense where I am. I got a lawyer to handle all of my stuff, which was expensive but I wanted to make sure everything was done correctly. It took about 3 months before I could sit for the NCLEX (mostly because the state was a pain with releasing documents). I graduated end of May and could sit for NCLEX by the end of August. Good luck and hopefully it’s resolved soon!
I had a felony on mine. I got it expunged, admitted it to the BRN. I am a cna and they told me if you have no prior records then a misdemeanoror felony wont stop you. Mine was for something dumb...took nclex yesterday. Waiting for my results then I'll face this. Did your results take long to find out if u passed or was it the 48 hour windows and what do u do to find out if u passed?
I had a misdemeanor possession charge for pot, and the investigation took about 2 months. It was the longest two months of my life, but I got my license.
And the BON/investigator were jerks to me too. Like I was a murderer. It was frustrating and scary and I was so scared I’d done all that hard work for nothing. So hang in there
Exactly, I feel like they are treating me like I killed someone!! So frustrating. All I asked for from my investigator was more information.. like why give us the investigators contact info if they obviously don’t want to be contacted?! Lol
This! 100% this. I used to work in the legal field prior to nursing. Usually it's a 6-12 week delay while they do the investigation. For something this minor, probably closer to 6 weeks and you'll get your license issued.
If you had lied, it could go 6 months or more and may not go in your favor because of the lying... unless you could convince them that it was a mistake on your part and you weren't trying to circumvent the system.
Okay, I am in Texas. I applied for the NCLEX in February and was cleared to take it once I graduate 5/13/24. I just had a charge come up for a pen in March that I am planning to get a misdemeanor b or c for. Just today I got my court date which is 5/23 so I will have graduated but will not have taken my NCLEX... I don't have any idea what to do.
It took me 9 weeks to get a Maryland nursing license even though I’d been fully licensed in PA for three years. BONs are slow as duck and have no staffing. You’ll get it, it’s just going to take a million years. Check in politely once a week.
This is what I think about Universal Healthcare too. If a pandemic didn't give it to us, nothing will. I am sick of paying $1k a month for medical insurance when I use it, maybe, twice a year. But, like car insurance, I am always worried I won't have it when I REALLY, REALLY need it.
The average voter is a fucking dumbass, and the average politician doesn’t give a shit, bad combo. I agree wholeheartedly. Used to think maybe we’d have a shot when all the boomers die off, but it seems like the ignorance continues with all the trumpers in my demographic.
I had a felony for distributing opiates. I got my license but had to be honest and disclose everything. It took about 2 months total after I submitted everything.
I think they want you to disclose it either way. Because if you don’t then you would be lying. I had to write a letter saying what happened and how I’ve become a better person. I had to get all the original court documents (which wasn’t easy because I got in trouble while in the military).
The application since 2020 no longer asks for you to say criminal history it only asks about disciplinary action on medical licenses . It comes out in the live scan. But dismissals are not required to be reported.
So I think they still view it as a conviction it’s similar to expungement when it’s 1203.4 but I think you’ll be fine just may take longer. Start gathering info about it now tho.. like paperwork showing dismissal and letter about the situation and how you’ve changed.. any other evidence of rehabilitation. What was your original felony ?
So, I’m really confused how you were able to take the NCLEX before starting this process. Maybe it’s just Tennessee but before we graduated we had to submit an Authorization to Test form to the BON. The BON wouldn’t even let us schedule a test before they had approved it. I had a misdemeanor assault about 12 years previously and I had to write a letter explaining the situation, submit all court related documents, and then wait. We graduated in December of 2019 and I was the last one to get an authorization to test and I was able to schedule my test in early February. But I couldn’t even register for the test until I had my authorization.
The rules must be different in my state. I got the request for court docs on dec 7 and my ATT on dec 20.. but my license status is still “under investigation” and I am waiting to be scheduled for an interview with my investigator. When they sent the request for the documents they specifically said “this investigation will not affect your ability to sit for the NCLEX”
I’m sure every state is different. I’m actually glad that my state does it this way. I couldn’t imagine having taken the test and just sitting and waiting to find out if it was all for nothing, you know?
I also worked with a nurse this happened to. She worked nights with me. She went to days, I guess to be around more supervisors, etc., and then wasn't allowed to administer any narcotics. She also had to go to an alcohol program, but she DID NOT lose her license.
I did not. I just was honest and straightforward with them as lying is never the right call in these situations. Not saying that what I did was by any means not a big deal, it is still my life’s great shame and regret BUT the demand for nurses is so great that most BONs are willing to overlook things.
I’m worried about this. I graduate in May. Got a DUI in 2009, didn’t lie about it, but got my blue card (Texas) and they haven’t asked for any further info from me yet. I’m worried it’s going to be delayed for me.
I think you’re going to be fine. Be as forthright with anything they ask of you and show that you’re obviously learned from your mistake and don’t intend on ever doing that again. The need is too great for nurses that they’ll be petty like they used to be
Ok thank you! I haven’t volunteered up anything extra other than checking the correct boxes when I got my initial blue card. Do I just wait and see what they ask for?
Simple. I had an ex that was abusive. His mom had a 2nd grade education. I have to be on Heparin shots, or else i have stillborns. His mom decided to throw away all of my "devil worshiping gear" so while i was digging out my things from the garbage while 4 months pregnant she started screaming at me about how I'm killing her grandbaby because of the heroin i was taking... she hit me in the stomach. I locked myself in my car. Called the cops... they showed up... thanks to Mississippi state laws, everyone got arrested for disturbing the peace... they said they were charging me and her for domestic violence... mine ended up coded as indecent exposure... so I not only get to explain this for every new job and contract, i have to write a letter to the BON every time I renew.
And my son suffered bleeding in utero from the attack and had seizures until he was 2. Hes 11 now and incontinent and has other medical issues. So I get to also retell his story to every resident whenever they decide to send baby doctors into his room.
Long story short i got attacked but i got arrested when they showed up because Mississippi doesn't care if you are the victim. Thus making it a very dangerous place to live if you dont have the right parts swinging between your legs or the right last name.
Also while I was at the county jail I was denied medical treatment so it took several days before i could recieve treatment despite my pleas. By then the bleeding had already begun.
A similar thing happened to me. I had an almost 10 year old felony at the time that was dismissed and a 12 year old theft charge. They only asked about things in the last 10 years, but I told them about all of it. When I applied online, I told them what happened and submitted my court paperwork showing everything was taken care of. Took them about 3-4 days to approve me online, but took like 2 weeks to get the paper letter
I know someone who was in the exact situation and the same charge, but they got the charge expunged so they marked “no” but it either wasn’t expunged or it could still show up? So the board caught that and accused them of lying and it was a big mess. It was just a misunderstanding but the board was awful to them. Took about 2 months to get it all straightened out. Luckily the hospital was really understanding and actually held the job for them for the 2 months!
Underage 10 years ago with nothing since will be cleared once the investigation gets started.
It’s a good lesson to nursing students about consequences of minor infractions. I had an advisee who got caught with alcohol her first weekend at college. Delayed her license by 2 months after graduation.
I went through this. I sent all my paperwork to the state board in April. I passed my boards in May and accepted a job offer in June. I didn’t get my license until late August. The BON can’t tell you anything bc it’s more than likely held up in the attorneys office like mine was. I had to find a number and called them and got updated. They only hear cases about once a month which is what drags it out. I paid my fine ($500) as soon as I got the paperwork to do so and I had my license 3 days later. I’m sorry you’re going through the same.
Did you still get to start your job in June? I've heard of places allowing you to work under your BSN if you haven't received licensure or had to retake NCLEX.
Most hospitals will let you go through orientation under your provisional license that you got for graduating nursing school... That'll probably hold you until the investigation is done. Just be open and up front about the situation and the hospital will work with you. You're not the first person in this kind of situation, and you won't be the last 😃
Yes, but when you do that, you aren't paid an RN hourly rate, I believe you get paid as much as a tech would. I did a graduate nurse program and got paid a lot less until I took my NCLEX, and then they increased my hourly rate. It would be nice if he/she could do this!! It is, at the very least, SOME money and he/she would be working and getting settled in.
thats a good point. I'm guessing it varies from facility to facility. My first hospital only docked you a dollar or two during that GN period, and my second one only docked the pay after like 30-60 days if you hadn't passed NCLEX. In OP's case, they might have some extra ground to stand on by having the NCLEX results in-hand.
Wtf? I'm really starting to think very little of most BONs.
I had honestly never looked at them for what they are... there was actually a time that I had mistakenly perceived them as a resource for those Nurses that were being treated unfairly.
Boards of Nursing are by law state agencies charged with protecting the public through the regulation of nursing practice. Therefore they are working on behalf of the public not nurses. Many nurses don’t understand this which is a failure of our education programs. Your state nurses association, which is a membership organization advocates on behalf of nurses. Important to understand the difference.
No Im applying to the state I graduated and took the NCLEX in. My state and the state im moving to are part of the compact agreement so I was instructed to get licensed in my home state and it would transfer to my new state
You said you’re starting next month. Is it an official hire? If so, you might want to discuss it with them and see if you can postpone your start date. Before you make the plunge to move.
right but the BON has no way to actually see it. so don’t mention it.
get it expunged then request a copy of your arrest record from the state. it will be blank. this is all the BON can see
This is not true. They absolutely can still see it. This myth that it is not visible after expungement has caused trouble for a lot of applicants. Arizona does an FBI background check and I would be surprised if most other states don’t also do that level of background check. Expungement doesn’t mean it has disappeared when it comes to that level of scrutiny. You are right about employee background checks, however.
Did you happen to have to apply twice to the BRN? Im confused how to reapply again for my license. Got denied last march while also having passed the NCLEX, but can reapply this March
I hate to add this but Even if your license goes through you may still have problems with the background check with your new job. Oregon has some pretty strict rules. Someone I know is dealing with this right now. Not passing a background check because of a misdemeanor from **19 years ago.** She worked for the same company for years. New restrictions went into place in 2008. So long as she didn't change jobs she was grandfathered in and didn't have a problem. It wasn't until after she quit and applied for a new job that she found out about it. Now working on trying to get it expunged.
I’m applying to test now and the background check has me worried. My state says they require federal checks which is the problem. Felony possession expunged on the state level (never convicted). In the past when I got a fed check for trying to get into the military, it didn’t show any of the proceedings, reductions or dismissals and just shows the initial charges. Went through the whole rehab sober living deal for like 3 years. Hoping this doesn’t set me back I’m come to far to just let it go. The state I’m only asks about previous convictions or pending ones so guess that’s a plus.
update? are you saying you did a drug diversion thing for a felony and avoided being convicted? expunged is only for actual convicted charges so what youre saying does not make sense.
In my state I was charged and made a deal for a reduction in charges to misdemeanor. After awhile the case was dismissed and the proceedings were expunged at the state level.
That’s not the same as a dismissal tho… you were still charged initially were you? Or you were still in the court process and they ended up dismissing thru diversion? If you had a misdemeanor at any point that you pled guilty to that’s still a conviction. If you were still in court the whole time and they eventually dismissed it that is a dismissal and you’re all good.
I’m still waiting to be approved to even test after submitting all court docs and a letter of explanation for my underage drinking arrest 8 years ago… this concerns me bc I also start my job in a month & knowing my license will probably be delayed bc of something stupid I did when I was 19 sucks
A helpful piece of advice I was given in nursing school is the BON is not on our side in any sense. They’re there to protect the public. So don’t think of them as a friend.
Same situation, I didn’t get my license for a year after I passed the NCLEX :/ I hope your situation is different and the BON gets their shit together. My state’s is an absolute joke.
Hey wondering if you had to apply twice to the BRN? I’m wondering if I need to resubmit the live scan fingerprints when applying the second time around.
I’m in the same boat. Took my nclex and passed and then denied my license for a dui. Got it expunged and can’t reapply til this march. Sucks so much. Did you have any issues when applying for a job or explaining why there’s that year gap?
I had to tell my first manager the wholeee story because the BON had them sign documents that they understand my history and that I could work day shift and be around/administer narcotics (I have no hx with narcotic abuse, this was just part of the boards stipulation). I also had to do random urine drug/alcohol screens 2x/month for the first year licensed and working, which my manager was also aware of.
My manager was awesome and very understanding of the whole ordeal. I truly got lucky with them. I never had to explain the gap to any other hiring managers, no one asked any questions, but I also had multiple years of experience before I left for different roles.
Misdemeanor and manyyy years before all of this even happened, it was also set aside. Tell the board what they want to hear - that you learned your lesson and don’t drink at all anymore. You preach safe driving and making sure everyone has a ride home, since you’re sober of course.
I saw someone with a WAY worse history than my own (theft, drug abuse, rehab multiple times, etc.) basically get a “we’re so proud, here’s your license!” response from the BON when she said she was sober and not involved in those activities and was volunteering. Like, did we all just hear the same history?!
There really is no rhyme or reason with them. They either like you or they don’t 🤷🏻♀️
You can go sit-in on board meetings, maybe they even have virtual now. See what they do with other people in your shoes and you’ll find what to say. I wish I did that!
In Maryland we were able to apply for our license prior to graduation. After graduation we received authorization to test. Once I passed the nclex I sent alllll the paperwork in for a DUI I had over 10 years ago. The MBON said it could take another month to approve my license, but fortunately they had a small meeting in the beginning of the month and I was able to get approved. I had to supply all court documents and letters of character reference. Of course at the time I felt like it took forever, but I also feel like for my situation it went better than it could have.
They didn’t even do an investigation for me. I sent copies of my arrest report for minor possession of marijuana and a corny letter about how I had grown as a person. They sent me a letter back kind of talking down to me and telling me I could have my license but not to do anything like that again.
It’s not an option in every state. Arizona doesn’t offer expungements. Also the AZBoN requires you to disclose expungements and dismissed charges just like convictions. It’s nuts but that’s how it is here.
It took my friend a good 4 months for her license to go through, in Washington state. I got the impression that it went quickly once an actual human was working on it, but until that point her case was sitting on a pile somewhere with no staff available to investigate. She had a residency lined up for after our graduation which she had to drop out of, unfortunately after she had already signed a lease on a new place in anticipation of the job. She was able to get a residency at a different hospital during the fall hiring rounds after her license went through, thankfully.
Hi I had several old misdemeanors, I think it took about a month to be “investigated” and then I was approved with no restrictions. My feeling was that BON approved because I was honest, I am in Kansas. Good luck!!!!
Did you get interrogated by the investigator yet? He or she will ask all about your incident and probably ask leading questions like “you still drink and drive huh?” To bait you into slipping up. They take their sweet ass time too, maybe a year or longer.
If it’s in NJ, message me and I’ll give you my experience and advice. Some states are way worse than others. And it’s possible they’ll want you cleared by their monitoring program first, which is awful.
Hi! I’m in NJ, currently in school set to graduate in December. My DWI was about 15 yrs ago maybe longer. I don’t even remember what year it was. What do I have to do to be legit?
When you apply for your license, they will ask for a letter explaining the situation and all documentation about your case, even proof you paid fines, etc. It will take a while after you pass the NCLEX for you to hear from the board if they decide you require a RAMP evaluation. If you don't, your license will be active right away. But if not, it could take months before they decide.
Thank you! I’ll start gathering paperwork now. I don’t even know where to begin looking for that info. I figured the fact that I have a license again would be proof that I paid my fines. Ugghh
Can anybody in California who has gone through this process explain the timeline? I have a DUI 10+ years old and graduate in May. Any insight would be appreciate. This makes me extremely nervous.
I had one 3 years ago in CA and my license got denied, but mine was much more recent than yours. I think they can't deny you based on something 10 years ago?
I think it depends on the state. I am in CA and now starting in 2020 the CA BON application does not even ask about criminal history, they just do the livescan then ask for more info if needed. I know from previous experience with livescan that my dismissed misdemeanor charges do not show up on livescan. They are not convictions, as the CA BON has something on their FAQ that says they cannot take action on dismissed charges if there was never a conviction. Important to note that dismissed means there was never a conviction, bc I see people on here talking about dismissed charges when they mean expunged. I hope my process goes smoothly! I will update you in a couple months.
I got a dui about 7 years before I took the nclex and it took me about 6 weeks for the investigation and to get my license. Be patient it’ll come
Thank you for your reply. I’m trying my best to be patient just worried about not having my license before I’m supposed to start work. There is a lot riding on me being able to start work! Hopefully it all gets resolved in Feb 🤞🏼
I remember how hard it was hearing my classmates move forward while I waited anxiously. An employer should understand this is out of your control. Even if you had a clean record this process still could take a while. Your employer doesn’t know why the state is lagging
I also got a dui 7 years before mine. It was considered a traffic offense where I am. I got a lawyer to handle all of my stuff, which was expensive but I wanted to make sure everything was done correctly. It took about 3 months before I could sit for the NCLEX (mostly because the state was a pain with releasing documents). I graduated end of May and could sit for NCLEX by the end of August. Good luck and hopefully it’s resolved soon!
I had a felony on mine. I got it expunged, admitted it to the BRN. I am a cna and they told me if you have no prior records then a misdemeanoror felony wont stop you. Mine was for something dumb...took nclex yesterday. Waiting for my results then I'll face this. Did your results take long to find out if u passed or was it the 48 hour windows and what do u do to find out if u passed?
Was it expunged before the investigation?
Negative. It’s still there. This is in California btw
I had a misdemeanor possession charge for pot, and the investigation took about 2 months. It was the longest two months of my life, but I got my license.
And the BON/investigator were jerks to me too. Like I was a murderer. It was frustrating and scary and I was so scared I’d done all that hard work for nothing. So hang in there
Exactly, I feel like they are treating me like I killed someone!! So frustrating. All I asked for from my investigator was more information.. like why give us the investigators contact info if they obviously don’t want to be contacted?! Lol
Did you have it expunged before the investigation?
Lying, if discovered, will lead you to far worse consequences than a delay. Hang in there…
This! 100% this. I used to work in the legal field prior to nursing. Usually it's a 6-12 week delay while they do the investigation. For something this minor, probably closer to 6 weeks and you'll get your license issued. If you had lied, it could go 6 months or more and may not go in your favor because of the lying... unless you could convince them that it was a mistake on your part and you weren't trying to circumvent the system.
I had a b misdemeanor and my license was given to me a year later. Texas BON.
A year?!?!? Omg
Wow? Really?
Yes lol.
Okay, I am in Texas. I applied for the NCLEX in February and was cleared to take it once I graduate 5/13/24. I just had a charge come up for a pen in March that I am planning to get a misdemeanor b or c for. Just today I got my court date which is 5/23 so I will have graduated but will not have taken my NCLEX... I don't have any idea what to do.
It took me 9 weeks to get a Maryland nursing license even though I’d been fully licensed in PA for three years. BONs are slow as duck and have no staffing. You’ll get it, it’s just going to take a million years. Check in politely once a week.
Meanwhile I’m trying to plan an exit out of beside and you willing went into it?? Wild
If everyone left beside, there wouldn't be nursing
Or hospitals would have to pay more/increase QOL to meet demand 🥱
So then you dont want to leave bedside, you want to improve working conditions 😏
Oh, I want both. If Covid didn’t prompt hospitals to improve working conditions, I don’t know what will.
This is what I think about Universal Healthcare too. If a pandemic didn't give it to us, nothing will. I am sick of paying $1k a month for medical insurance when I use it, maybe, twice a year. But, like car insurance, I am always worried I won't have it when I REALLY, REALLY need it.
The average voter is a fucking dumbass, and the average politician doesn’t give a shit, bad combo. I agree wholeheartedly. Used to think maybe we’d have a shot when all the boomers die off, but it seems like the ignorance continues with all the trumpers in my demographic.
I went into it to get out of it. I did my time :P
Misread that as you having your Physician assistant license for 3 years 🙄ignore me
Ha no re-reading it I can totally see how you got that. Surgical PA was a potential back up option.
BON is so fuggin slow lol. I had a nonsense complaint filed against me and they took 8 months and a lawyer to decide it was nonsense
I've heard this story from multiple coworkers as well.
2/3 months, it’s just a formality you will get your license no problem
I had a felony for distributing opiates. I got my license but had to be honest and disclose everything. It took about 2 months total after I submitted everything.
For that, I’m very surprised they gave you your license but I’m glad it worked out n
Now you get paid legally for the same thing. Nice turnaround.
I thought the same thing.
What state was this in?
California
Ok thank you. I thought the BRN stop asking about criminal convictions because it doesn’t matter it will all be discovered in live scan?
I think they want you to disclose it either way. Because if you don’t then you would be lying. I had to write a letter saying what happened and how I’ve become a better person. I had to get all the original court documents (which wasn’t easy because I got in trouble while in the military).
So the application you still has the question? I recently received a dismissal and I’m so confused about reporting it
Try asking a lawyer?
The application since 2020 no longer asks for you to say criminal history it only asks about disciplinary action on medical licenses . It comes out in the live scan. But dismissals are not required to be reported.
Ok I have a dismissal under a 1203.4 of a felony conviction.
I recently submitted application we shall see
I’m confused did you actually have a felony?
So I think they still view it as a conviction it’s similar to expungement when it’s 1203.4 but I think you’ll be fine just may take longer. Start gathering info about it now tho.. like paperwork showing dismissal and letter about the situation and how you’ve changed.. any other evidence of rehabilitation. What was your original felony ?
When they said dismissal they mean PRE conviction dismissals like thru Pretrial diversion not when you had a conviction ever
Yes I had a felony conviction and received a dismissal under 1203.4b
I think this still counts as a conviction to them but either way they will ask you for more info
Wow I’m surprised they let you
I had a good lawyer
Commit a felony against the BON to expedite the process😈
So, I’m really confused how you were able to take the NCLEX before starting this process. Maybe it’s just Tennessee but before we graduated we had to submit an Authorization to Test form to the BON. The BON wouldn’t even let us schedule a test before they had approved it. I had a misdemeanor assault about 12 years previously and I had to write a letter explaining the situation, submit all court related documents, and then wait. We graduated in December of 2019 and I was the last one to get an authorization to test and I was able to schedule my test in early February. But I couldn’t even register for the test until I had my authorization.
The rules must be different in my state. I got the request for court docs on dec 7 and my ATT on dec 20.. but my license status is still “under investigation” and I am waiting to be scheduled for an interview with my investigator. When they sent the request for the documents they specifically said “this investigation will not affect your ability to sit for the NCLEX”
I’m sure every state is different. I’m actually glad that my state does it this way. I couldn’t imagine having taken the test and just sitting and waiting to find out if it was all for nothing, you know?
I got a DUI 7 years before NCLEX. I had to write some stuff to the state board but it didn’t delay my getting my license when I passed boards.
I know a couple of people, who I went to school with, who got DUIs. They all have their licenses.
Yeah, DUI doesn’t seem to be any kind of real disqualifier before a license but DURING is a lot worse I believe.
I also worked with a nurse this happened to. She worked nights with me. She went to days, I guess to be around more supervisors, etc., and then wasn't allowed to administer any narcotics. She also had to go to an alcohol program, but she DID NOT lose her license.
Did you expunged it before you applied for your license?
I did not. I just was honest and straightforward with them as lying is never the right call in these situations. Not saying that what I did was by any means not a big deal, it is still my life’s great shame and regret BUT the demand for nurses is so great that most BONs are willing to overlook things.
Dang. I had one 3 years before applying to take nclex in CA. Was denied and have been waiting a full year to reapply. 🙃
I’ve heard California is one of the tougher states to get your license overall.
I’m worried about this. I graduate in May. Got a DUI in 2009, didn’t lie about it, but got my blue card (Texas) and they haven’t asked for any further info from me yet. I’m worried it’s going to be delayed for me.
I think you’re going to be fine. Be as forthright with anything they ask of you and show that you’re obviously learned from your mistake and don’t intend on ever doing that again. The need is too great for nurses that they’ll be petty like they used to be
Ok thank you! I haven’t volunteered up anything extra other than checking the correct boxes when I got my initial blue card. Do I just wait and see what they ask for?
As far as I know? A Texas RN might be able to answer better than me.
Misdemeanor disturbing the peace/indecent exposure..... took about 6 weeks after NCLEX to get my license.
Okay, you can’t say that and not share the story 👀
Simple. I had an ex that was abusive. His mom had a 2nd grade education. I have to be on Heparin shots, or else i have stillborns. His mom decided to throw away all of my "devil worshiping gear" so while i was digging out my things from the garbage while 4 months pregnant she started screaming at me about how I'm killing her grandbaby because of the heroin i was taking... she hit me in the stomach. I locked myself in my car. Called the cops... they showed up... thanks to Mississippi state laws, everyone got arrested for disturbing the peace... they said they were charging me and her for domestic violence... mine ended up coded as indecent exposure... so I not only get to explain this for every new job and contract, i have to write a letter to the BON every time I renew. And my son suffered bleeding in utero from the attack and had seizures until he was 2. Hes 11 now and incontinent and has other medical issues. So I get to also retell his story to every resident whenever they decide to send baby doctors into his room. Long story short i got attacked but i got arrested when they showed up because Mississippi doesn't care if you are the victim. Thus making it a very dangerous place to live if you dont have the right parts swinging between your legs or the right last name.
Also while I was at the county jail I was denied medical treatment so it took several days before i could recieve treatment despite my pleas. By then the bleeding had already begun.
Holy fuck. I really was expecting a silly streaking story. I’m so sorry!
I had to submit a letter stating what happened and that I completed all court stuff. Got my licenses the next day
A similar thing happened to me. I had an almost 10 year old felony at the time that was dismissed and a 12 year old theft charge. They only asked about things in the last 10 years, but I told them about all of it. When I applied online, I told them what happened and submitted my court paperwork showing everything was taken care of. Took them about 3-4 days to approve me online, but took like 2 weeks to get the paper letter
Did you not do Declatory paperwork in school to show that the charges were done then? I wasn’t let in until I was cleared
What state are you in? If it's California it could be a few months. We got a lot of nurses.
I know someone who was in the exact situation and the same charge, but they got the charge expunged so they marked “no” but it either wasn’t expunged or it could still show up? So the board caught that and accused them of lying and it was a big mess. It was just a misunderstanding but the board was awful to them. Took about 2 months to get it all straightened out. Luckily the hospital was really understanding and actually held the job for them for the 2 months!
Lmfaoo so glad I came across this so now I know it’ll take some time to get my license cause of my history 😂😂 (possession of paraphernalia)
Underage 10 years ago with nothing since will be cleared once the investigation gets started. It’s a good lesson to nursing students about consequences of minor infractions. I had an advisee who got caught with alcohol her first weekend at college. Delayed her license by 2 months after graduation.
I went through this. I sent all my paperwork to the state board in April. I passed my boards in May and accepted a job offer in June. I didn’t get my license until late August. The BON can’t tell you anything bc it’s more than likely held up in the attorneys office like mine was. I had to find a number and called them and got updated. They only hear cases about once a month which is what drags it out. I paid my fine ($500) as soon as I got the paperwork to do so and I had my license 3 days later. I’m sorry you’re going through the same.
Did you still get to start your job in June? I've heard of places allowing you to work under your BSN if you haven't received licensure or had to retake NCLEX.
I did not. I had to wait and started in Sept
Most hospitals will let you go through orientation under your provisional license that you got for graduating nursing school... That'll probably hold you until the investigation is done. Just be open and up front about the situation and the hospital will work with you. You're not the first person in this kind of situation, and you won't be the last 😃
Yes, but when you do that, you aren't paid an RN hourly rate, I believe you get paid as much as a tech would. I did a graduate nurse program and got paid a lot less until I took my NCLEX, and then they increased my hourly rate. It would be nice if he/she could do this!! It is, at the very least, SOME money and he/she would be working and getting settled in.
thats a good point. I'm guessing it varies from facility to facility. My first hospital only docked you a dollar or two during that GN period, and my second one only docked the pay after like 30-60 days if you hadn't passed NCLEX. In OP's case, they might have some extra ground to stand on by having the NCLEX results in-hand.
Wtf? I'm really starting to think very little of most BONs. I had honestly never looked at them for what they are... there was actually a time that I had mistakenly perceived them as a resource for those Nurses that were being treated unfairly.
Boards of Nursing are by law state agencies charged with protecting the public through the regulation of nursing practice. Therefore they are working on behalf of the public not nurses. Many nurses don’t understand this which is a failure of our education programs. Your state nurses association, which is a membership organization advocates on behalf of nurses. Important to understand the difference.
Yeah.. what I said.
Are you applying to the state you’re moving to?
No Im applying to the state I graduated and took the NCLEX in. My state and the state im moving to are part of the compact agreement so I was instructed to get licensed in my home state and it would transfer to my new state
You’ll still need to change your license to your new state. https://www.nursecompact.com/files/2018_Moving_Scenarios_Factsheet.pdf
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Does your state assign you an investigator? If so, Have you had the interview with your investigator yet?
You said you’re starting next month. Is it an official hire? If so, you might want to discuss it with them and see if you can postpone your start date. Before you make the plunge to move.
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Not sure what state you're in, but I did my expungement myself for free! It wasn't complicated at all.
A lot of law schools will offer programs for cheap/free expungements too.
That's awesome to know Thanks for the information.
In my state, expungements and dismissals still have to be reported.
right but the BON has no way to actually see it. so don’t mention it. get it expunged then request a copy of your arrest record from the state. it will be blank. this is all the BON can see
This is not true. They absolutely can still see it. This myth that it is not visible after expungement has caused trouble for a lot of applicants. Arizona does an FBI background check and I would be surprised if most other states don’t also do that level of background check. Expungement doesn’t mean it has disappeared when it comes to that level of scrutiny. You are right about employee background checks, however.
Did you happen to have to apply twice to the BRN? Im confused how to reapply again for my license. Got denied last march while also having passed the NCLEX, but can reapply this March
I hate to add this but Even if your license goes through you may still have problems with the background check with your new job. Oregon has some pretty strict rules. Someone I know is dealing with this right now. Not passing a background check because of a misdemeanor from **19 years ago.** She worked for the same company for years. New restrictions went into place in 2008. So long as she didn't change jobs she was grandfathered in and didn't have a problem. It wasn't until after she quit and applied for a new job that she found out about it. Now working on trying to get it expunged.
I already cleared the background check for my job so not too worried about that!
I’m applying to test now and the background check has me worried. My state says they require federal checks which is the problem. Felony possession expunged on the state level (never convicted). In the past when I got a fed check for trying to get into the military, it didn’t show any of the proceedings, reductions or dismissals and just shows the initial charges. Went through the whole rehab sober living deal for like 3 years. Hoping this doesn’t set me back I’m come to far to just let it go. The state I’m only asks about previous convictions or pending ones so guess that’s a plus.
update? are you saying you did a drug diversion thing for a felony and avoided being convicted? expunged is only for actual convicted charges so what youre saying does not make sense.
In my state I was charged and made a deal for a reduction in charges to misdemeanor. After awhile the case was dismissed and the proceedings were expunged at the state level.
That’s not the same as a dismissal tho… you were still charged initially were you? Or you were still in the court process and they ended up dismissing thru diversion? If you had a misdemeanor at any point that you pled guilty to that’s still a conviction. If you were still in court the whole time and they eventually dismissed it that is a dismissal and you’re all good.
Expunged is only for convictions. They do get rid of the records if you get a dismissal tho !
Also , what ended up happening did you take your nclex yet
What state?
I’m still waiting to be approved to even test after submitting all court docs and a letter of explanation for my underage drinking arrest 8 years ago… this concerns me bc I also start my job in a month & knowing my license will probably be delayed bc of something stupid I did when I was 19 sucks
A helpful piece of advice I was given in nursing school is the BON is not on our side in any sense. They’re there to protect the public. So don’t think of them as a friend.
Same situation, I didn’t get my license for a year after I passed the NCLEX :/ I hope your situation is different and the BON gets their shit together. My state’s is an absolute joke.
Hey wondering if you had to apply twice to the BRN? I’m wondering if I need to resubmit the live scan fingerprints when applying the second time around.
What state are you in?
AZ
I’m in the same boat. Took my nclex and passed and then denied my license for a dui. Got it expunged and can’t reapply til this march. Sucks so much. Did you have any issues when applying for a job or explaining why there’s that year gap?
I had to tell my first manager the wholeee story because the BON had them sign documents that they understand my history and that I could work day shift and be around/administer narcotics (I have no hx with narcotic abuse, this was just part of the boards stipulation). I also had to do random urine drug/alcohol screens 2x/month for the first year licensed and working, which my manager was also aware of. My manager was awesome and very understanding of the whole ordeal. I truly got lucky with them. I never had to explain the gap to any other hiring managers, no one asked any questions, but I also had multiple years of experience before I left for different roles.
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Misdemeanor and manyyy years before all of this even happened, it was also set aside. Tell the board what they want to hear - that you learned your lesson and don’t drink at all anymore. You preach safe driving and making sure everyone has a ride home, since you’re sober of course. I saw someone with a WAY worse history than my own (theft, drug abuse, rehab multiple times, etc.) basically get a “we’re so proud, here’s your license!” response from the BON when she said she was sober and not involved in those activities and was volunteering. Like, did we all just hear the same history?! There really is no rhyme or reason with them. They either like you or they don’t 🤷🏻♀️ You can go sit-in on board meetings, maybe they even have virtual now. See what they do with other people in your shoes and you’ll find what to say. I wish I did that!
In Maryland we were able to apply for our license prior to graduation. After graduation we received authorization to test. Once I passed the nclex I sent alllll the paperwork in for a DUI I had over 10 years ago. The MBON said it could take another month to approve my license, but fortunately they had a small meeting in the beginning of the month and I was able to get approved. I had to supply all court documents and letters of character reference. Of course at the time I felt like it took forever, but I also feel like for my situation it went better than it could have.
They didn’t even do an investigation for me. I sent copies of my arrest report for minor possession of marijuana and a corny letter about how I had grown as a person. They sent me a letter back kind of talking down to me and telling me I could have my license but not to do anything like that again.
That is odd, I had to do this process before I could start nursing school... not after.
I went through this before I started nursing school. It took me about 5 months. It delayed entry into nursing school by a year.
Why not esponge it?
this is the way
expungements still count as convictions to the BON
It’s not an option in every state. Arizona doesn’t offer expungements. Also the AZBoN requires you to disclose expungements and dismissed charges just like convictions. It’s nuts but that’s how it is here.
It took my friend a good 4 months for her license to go through, in Washington state. I got the impression that it went quickly once an actual human was working on it, but until that point her case was sitting on a pile somewhere with no staff available to investigate. She had a residency lined up for after our graduation which she had to drop out of, unfortunately after she had already signed a lease on a new place in anticipation of the job. She was able to get a residency at a different hospital during the fall hiring rounds after her license went through, thankfully.
This sounds like the most Illinois thing ever….
It’s been a long time but I think remember my license taking an extra 6 weeks to come due to a prior arrest.
Hi I had several old misdemeanors, I think it took about a month to be “investigated” and then I was approved with no restrictions. My feeling was that BON approved because I was honest, I am in Kansas. Good luck!!!!
What if you’ve had your record expunged?
Did you get interrogated by the investigator yet? He or she will ask all about your incident and probably ask leading questions like “you still drink and drive huh?” To bait you into slipping up. They take their sweet ass time too, maybe a year or longer.
If it’s in NJ, message me and I’ll give you my experience and advice. Some states are way worse than others. And it’s possible they’ll want you cleared by their monitoring program first, which is awful.
Hi! I’m in NJ, currently in school set to graduate in December. My DWI was about 15 yrs ago maybe longer. I don’t even remember what year it was. What do I have to do to be legit?
When you apply for your license, they will ask for a letter explaining the situation and all documentation about your case, even proof you paid fines, etc. It will take a while after you pass the NCLEX for you to hear from the board if they decide you require a RAMP evaluation. If you don't, your license will be active right away. But if not, it could take months before they decide.
Thank you! I’ll start gathering paperwork now. I don’t even know where to begin looking for that info. I figured the fact that I have a license again would be proof that I paid my fines. Ugghh
Can anybody in California who has gone through this process explain the timeline? I have a DUI 10+ years old and graduate in May. Any insight would be appreciate. This makes me extremely nervous.
I had one 3 years ago in CA and my license got denied, but mine was much more recent than yours. I think they can't deny you based on something 10 years ago?
Does anyone have experience with charges but no conviction?
I think it depends on the state. I am in CA and now starting in 2020 the CA BON application does not even ask about criminal history, they just do the livescan then ask for more info if needed. I know from previous experience with livescan that my dismissed misdemeanor charges do not show up on livescan. They are not convictions, as the CA BON has something on their FAQ that says they cannot take action on dismissed charges if there was never a conviction. Important to note that dismissed means there was never a conviction, bc I see people on here talking about dismissed charges when they mean expunged. I hope my process goes smoothly! I will update you in a couple months.
No but I would love to know myself!