What Charges Can Stop You From Being a Nurse?

What charges can stop you from being a nurse

The regulations or statutes made by the state government can help in determining the qualifications for becoming an RN or registered nurse. But the admission of nurses can be stopped due to certain embarrassing principles related to the profession of nursing like doubtful character and criminal record etc.

But what charges can stop you from being a nurse?

Some of the promising nurses can also be prevented to be an RN on the basis of education as one has to complete a four-year degree course for nursing to be a registered nurse.

You can get information about the requirements of becoming an RN from the board or some other state agency that maintains the record of registered nurses.

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However, before taking admission to a nursing school it is necessary to know what charges can stop you from being a nurse?

What charges can stop you from being a nurse?

What charges can prevent you from being a nurse

Here is a list of four different reasons that can prevent you from being a nurse.

Academic reasons

One can be an RN with three education options.

One should either pursue a degree of associate nursing, a diploma for nursing from an approved program or a bachelor’s degree in nursing science to be a registered nurse.

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You cannot be eligible to be a registered nurse even if you have got the credit of the required number of hours if either you have been prevented from graduating or failed to complete the courses required for this purpose.

According to the statute of the state, a nurse must also pass the exam of NCLEX-RN successfully.

You can be disqualified to become a registered nurse even if you have a degree in nursing if you fail to pass this exam.

So, you will have to obtain passing marks in the NCLEC-RN exam to be an RN.

That wasn’t directly related to what charges can stop you from being a nurse. But don’t you worry, that’s coming up next.

Criminal record

Criminal record of Al Capone
Criminal record of Al Capone

Before issuing a license to be a registered nurse every state checks the record of the criminal background of the candidate.

However, every application is reviewed individually as it is not necessary that the license can be prevented on the basis of a previous criminal record.

The circumstances of committing a crime like abuse of substance, dishonesty, breach of trust, sexual offense, physical harm or danger for the safety of the public, etc. will be reviewed by the interested members of the nursing board of the state.

In some states, the candidates are required to give in an explanation letter to explain the circumstances for committing a crime.

History of discipline

The nursing board of the state can also disqualify the candidates for the license of RN due to their unfavorable history of the discipline.

The nursing board of the state specifically focuses on the conduct of the nurses.

If they do not meet their standards of discipline the nurses can be disqualified from being RN.

A candidate can be disqualified from the profession of nursing and his/her license can be canceled completely on the basis of their public and private discipline.

Their discipline can be judged on the basis of their unsuitable relationships with the patients, abuse of prescription medicines, or doing acts that can be dangerous for the patients.

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Other reasons

The license of an RN becomes inactive automatically if it is not renewed on the due date and the RN can be disqualified from the job of nursing unless the license is renewed.

If the RN fails to attend the continuing courses of education as per the rules of the state government, even then they will be disqualified for the job of nursing.

See also: Is Nursing a Public Service Job?

But an RN cannot be disqualified by any state on the basis of their gender, race, and origin, etc.

But wait, there’s more on what charges can stop you from being a nurse.

What crimes prevent you from being a nurse?

What crimes prevent you from being a nurse

It is not easy to answer what crimes prevent you from being a nurse appropriately as one can become an RN even if he/she has a criminal record.

There are many factors that can influence the answer to this question.

These factors can include the time of committing a crime, the state you live in, the expungement of your criminal record, etc.

Your potential to get the license of nursing can also be affected due to your involvement in the crimes that show that you are unethical or dishonest like felonies and serious crimes like kidnapping, rape, selling illegal drugs, murder, theft, and arson, etc.

You may not get admission to a nursing school in some cases whereas in some cases nursing board of the state may not issue you a license even if you have completed the nursing course from a recognized nursing school.

So, this question cannot be answered very precisely.

It is better to go through the state regulations in this regard to get a more accurate answer.

See also: Correctional Nurse Interview Questions

Variable criminal backgrounds

Now we dig in deeper on what charges can stop you from being a nurse.

In many states, one can get a license for nursing if she is not found guilty of a crime or criminal offense.

Various types of breaches including possession of drugs, shoplifting, homicide, and rape, etc. can be considered by the nursing board of the state while reviewing the criminal background of the candidate for RN license.

See also: Do Nurses Get Drug Tested?

You can be denied for the license of nursing due to involvement in several types of crimes like child abuse, adult abuse, a violent assault or sexual harassment, etc. Multiple arrests due to offenses of traffic can also be recorded in the criminal record of the candidate in some cases.

In order to determine the acceptance of the candidates, many schools of nursing also check their backgrounds.

According to various universities, the ability of a candidate to get admission in a school for nursing can be affected by having a charge pending or the conviction for a crime on their criminal record.

Protection of the public

Nursing practices are regulated in each state by the board of nursing of that state.

The main aim of these boards is to provide protection to the public.

An RN who can be susceptible to harm, fraud, or abuse can look after elders, children, and other patients.

However, while applying for the license of RN, the applicants with the history of crime will have to provide more information as compared to other candidates to clarify their position.

For instance, they will have to provide the record of the court as well as the record of investigations about their crime. To determine the eligibility of a candidate for the license of nursing the board of nursing can use many options.

They can declare any candidate incompetent or unsuitable and deny the license of RN on a number of grounds.

Variations in state regulations

What charges can stop you from being a nurse? And do they vary based by the state you are living in?

The license for practicing as a registered nurse is issued by the nursing board of the state.

These boards check the criminal background of all the candidates when they apply for a license. They consider every case individually while evaluating the criminal background of each candidate.

In some cases, the license is automatically denied by the board regardless of the circumstances of the crime.

In some states, a person cannot be eligible for the license of nursing if she has been convicted as an adult for crimes like manslaughter or murder, child abandonment, kidnapping or rape, etc.

But, the circumstance of a crime can be considered by the nursing board in some other states while issuing a license for nursing.

However, you may not be disqualified for this license if you have been convicted for a theft many years ago or the circumstances were mitigating.

Improve your chances

According to law experts, a nursing candidate can improve her chances to get the license of RN by providing truthful information about the background of the crime committed by her in detail to the board of nursing of her state.

For instance, the board of nursing can also ask the candidate to submit information about the criminal case that includes military conviction, occurred before the age of 18 years, or has been removed or expunged from the record.

In such cases, you can file an appeal if your application for the license of RN is rejected by the board.

Clear your record

You can clear your criminal record and your employer can never get any information in this regard.

You can file a petition in the court to seal your record if you have been arrested for a crime but are neither tried nor convicted by the court.

Moreover, if your conviction has been expunged, even if you were convicted in a case, your record can be sealed by the court.

However, though your crime has been removed from your record by the court even then you should inform the nursing board of your state about your crime because it is a legal process and there is nothing to hide.

See also: Legal Nurse Consultant Interview Questions

You should be prepared to answer the queries of the board when they will find any crime in your past record, even if you have expunged or sealed it through the court.

You can also consult a local attorney if you want to become a registered nurse even with a criminal history.

Thankfully, the state nursing boards have a number of ways to grant a license for RN if they want to.

See also: Can You Be a Nurse in the Marines?

Now it’s time to wrap-up the subject “What charges can stop you from being a nurse“.

Conclusion: What charges can stop you from being a nurse?

Even after getting the license for RN from the board of nursing of your state, it is not necessary that you get a job as a nurse if you have a criminal record.

Employers usually check the criminal background of the staff while hiring them as they are more concerned about the safety of their patients.

Still, there are chances to get a license of RN if you can satisfy the board of nursing of your state.

Now you know all about what charges can stop you from being a nurse.

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About Ida Koivisto, BSN, RN, PHN

Ida is both a registered nurse and public health nurse. Her passion is to provide as much valuable information about nursing to the world as possible. In her spare time from work and blogging, Ida loves to work out at the gym and spend time with relatives.