Driving Under the Influence and Nursing License Complications

When a person gets convicted of driving under the influence, the consequences include risks to their driver’s license, fines, and in some cases, jail time. The process can be stressful, frightening, and confusing. To make matters worse, there are some situations in which the conviction may impact a person’s professional life.

Nurses work hard to complete their education, training, and to acquire their licenses to practice in the state of Missouri. If you are a nurse, or trying to become a nurse, and have been convicted of driving under the influence, or driving while intoxicated, it is important that you contact an attorney to learn how to protect your license and livelihood best.

Drunk Driving Impacts on Nursing License

For registered nurses, a conviction for a drunk driving-related offense will create certain mandatory notification requirements. The offense will have to be reported when the nurse applies to have her license renewed. The Missouri State Board of Nursing has the option of disciplining nurses in certain circumstances. When an offense is one that impacted the individual’s functioning, qualifications, or duties as a nurse, or if the illegal act is a crime involving moral turpitude, repercussions will follow.

While Missouri courts determined driving while intoxicated is not a crime involving moral turpitude, it is possible that some sets of facts may differentiate a case. If a nurse has been convicted multiple times, or other aggravating factors surround the conviction, then there is a greater chance of the Board choosing to take action against the professional’s license. A nurse may find that his or her license is at risk of being revoked because of the conviction.

New Professionals Seeking Licenses

If you are convicted or driving under the influence before applying for your nursing license, you are required to provide the board with a list of any convictions, no contest please, or guilty pleas that are on your record. If you have previous drunk driving convictions, other crimes, either felonies or misdemeanors, they must all be submitted to the Board for their review.

The Board will make a determination on the application after reviewing all of the information provided. If the conviction is old and the candidate has undergone rehabilitation, the Board will factor that in, along with how severe the offenses were and the types of crimes. Having a prior conviction is not necessarily going to prevent a nursing student from becoming licensed, but he or she may need to convince the board of his or her rehabilitation.

In these cases, the applicant will not be able to receive a temporary license until the review is completed.

Beyond Licensing Complications

Even in situations where a nurse is able to keep his or her professional license, the consequences of a drunk driving conviction could impact that individual’s career. Potential employers may see the conviction on the candidate’s records and therefore choose not to hire the person. Employers may make judgment calls about a candidate’s professionalism, reliability, or maturity based on these factors. Getting a conviction removed from a record can take many years.

It is important to remember that these convictions can have far-reaching consequences even after the technical issues are handled.

If you are concerned that a DWU or DUI on your record may impact your Missouri nursing license, it is important for you to contact a Kansas Professional Licensure Defense Attorney. Contact Sanger Law today at (785)-979-4353 to discuss your case.

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