I dont know 100%, but what I do know is that you MUST be able to pass a criminal background check/EDL check....my guess is that you might not pass....but maybe someone else here can be of more help.

It's not absolutely impossible, but you do need to build a solid record of stability and you will need to have good people who will vouch for your character now. Anything that you can do right now (volunteer organizations, working with your church) that demonstrates that you have changed will go a long way towards mitigating your past.

Thanks for your response! This is a life long dream of mine! I do believe in miracles! Just look at me! I will continue to pursue my medical career. Bless you!

nurses with records
Hi Richard, if I were you, I would write to the state board of nursing in the state you plan to live and work in and ask them that question before you go to school. Save their letter, you may need it after graduation. I have a friend who got a DUI while in nursing school and 10 years later he still could not get a lisence. There are many nurses who have done things wrong after getting their lisence and continued to work, but I dont know about before. Check with the right people, not nurses on a web site. Good Luck

I need to know if my criminal history will stop me from bein
Excuse me if I'm not responding in the correct way, this is my first time on the boards. I am responding to Richard, who wondered if his past criminal history would prevent him from a nursing career. Unfortunately, in MY younger years, I too had a flawed criminal record- nothing major, but all the same..... Since so many years had passed, I obtained the services of a lawyer and had my record expunged. I have been an LPN for seventeen years now, and no criminal history has come back to haunt me. Good luck.

Nursing with a criminal record
I would say forget nursing, especially since you are still blaming circumstances instead of yourself for those crimes. Most boards of nursing will not license with a criminal background, and alot of jobs do criminal searches now too. A few years ago I was working with a nurse who lost her license because she had a shop lifting charge. You have to be trustworthy, and honest with yourself to be a nurse. I know I'm being harsh, but your charges are too recent and you don't see the real cause for them, and personally I don't want to work with a nurse who I have to distrust, and suspect every time a narc count is off, or something is stolen.

Felony or otherwise
At our facility, we do a license check first, then criminal background going back seven years. I agree that to check with the state you live in, or surrounding states requirements for classes. Some states will transfer a license from a sister state. Even if it takes you more than a year or two to get your nursing license, stay clean, be persistent and professional. No murse is perfect and every case is different.