Illinois Nursing Programs Do Not Admit Students Who Have a Public Record (Unsealed) of a Conviction
Do you know that a criminal conviction – any conviction – will disqualify you from attending nursing school (or any other licensed health care worker program) in Illinois?
Fortunately, for Illinois residents, we have a law that authorizes the sealing of most criminal convictions. In those cases where a conviction can’t be sealed (e.g., domestic battery), there is another remedy: seeking a pardon from the governor (and permission to expunge).
Nursing Programs Are Not Criminal Record Friendly
Although the state’s licensing laws were revised several years ago to make it easier for someone with a criminal background to obtain a healthcare worker license, you would think that the schools responsible for educating future Illinois healthcare workers have never heard of these legislative changes.
Over the years, I’ve counseled a handful of aspiring nurses, as well as other healthcare professionals, and observed a reoccurring problem.
College admissions personnel fail to inform prospective students at the outset that having a public record of a conviction will disqualify them from attending nursing school. A recent situation highlights the problem (prompting me to write this article).
A client, who I will refer to as Janice, recently applied and was admitted to a for-profit nursing school. She was all set to begin on-line classes shortly. However, there was just one minor detail left: she needed to undergo a criminal background check.
Upon learning she would need to undergo a background check, Janice told the admissions counselor that she had something on her record (she has a pending petition to seal it).
The admissions counselor told Janice that her department did not review background checks but opined that the results were reviewed on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the nature of the offense. NOT TRUE. The admissions counselor encouraged Janice to go ahead with the background check.
The same day Janice was scheduled to do the background check, I told her she would be dropped from the nursing program. Why? Because she wouldn’t “pass” the background check. Her background check report would come back with a “hit” -- meaning a record of a conviction.
One Day Too Late
I knew this to be true because several years earlier I’d encountered a similar situation with another client, whom I’ll call Kim. Six months prior to the start of the school year, Kim learned that she would have to “pass” a background check before she could officially enroll in the college’s nursing program.
Kim had one misdemeanor conviction on her record. She petitioned to seal it. Had everything gone right, Kim’s record would have been sealed in time for her to take and pass the background check before classes began.
Unfortunately for Kim, the circuit clerk’s office failed to mail out her court order. When we discovered the error, I contacted the Illinois State Police and pleaded with them to process Kim’s court order. The order was processed one day too late, leaving Kim no choice but to drop out -- or be kicked out.
In the end, things eventually worked out for Kim, largely due to her refusal to give up on a career in nursing. Kim reapplied, got in, and started nursing school a year later than planned. Today, Kim is a nurse.
A Happy Ending
The moral of the story: A happy ending is possible even if you have a criminal record, provided that you don’t apply to nursing school until after you’ve sealed (or pardoned/expunged) your conviction(s).