Criminal Background Check
All applicants to the Blinn College District Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) and LVN- Transition Program are required to undergo a criminal background check (CBC). This background check now needs to be completed prior full acceptance into the Nursing program. Please note, depending on the individual and other circumstances, this process can take up to 120 days.
Applicants with a positive background check will be notified by the BON and asked to submit a petition for a "Declaratory Order." These applicants will not be required to pay a review fee up front. Until the positive background check is cleared by the BON, the applicant will not be allowed to compete for admission to the program or (if they have a “provisional” offer) be allowed to register for any ADN Program courses. If this is not resolved a week before the new semester starts, the qualified applicant will be ineligible to enter the ADN Program. The application will remain on file and the applicant may re-apply for the following semester. If results of the CBC are complete and favorable, the offer of admission to the ADN Program is considered final if all other admission requirements have been fulfilled.
Eligibility Issues
Applicants must be able to answer "No" to the following questions in order to use the online application. All other applicants may download a complete. Review of applicants with eligibility issues may take a minimum of four months to review.
For any criminal offense, including those pending appeal:
- Been convicted of a misdemeanor?
- Been convicted of a felony?
- Pled nolo contendere, no contest, or guilty?
- Received deferred adjudication?
- Been placed on community supervision or court-ordered probation, whether or not adjudicated guilty?
- Been sentenced to serve jail or prison time or court-ordered confinement?
- Been granted pre-trial diversion?
- Been arrested or have any pending criminal charges?
- Been cited or charged with any violation of the law?
- Been subject of a court-martial; Article 15 violation; or received any form of military judgment, punishment, or action?
NOTE: You may only exclude Class C misdemeanor traffic violations.
Expunged and Sealed OffensesWhile expunged or sealed offenses, arrests, tickets, or citations need not be disclosed, it is your responsibility to ensure the offense, arrest, ticket or citation has, in fact, been expunged or sealed. It is recommended that you submit a copy of the Court Order expunging or sealing the record in question to our office with your application. Failure to reveal an offense, arrest, ticket, or citation that is not in fact expunged or sealed may subject your license to a disciplinary order and fine. Non-disclosure of relevant offenses raises questions related to truthfulness and character. (See 22 TAC §213.27)
Orders of Non-disclosurePursuant to Tex. Gov't Code §552.142(b), if you have criminal matters that are the subject of an order of non-disclosure, you are not required to reveal those criminal matters on this form. However, a criminal matter that is the subject of an order of non-disclosure may become a character and fitness of duty issue. Pursuant to other sections of the Gov't Code Chapter 411, the Texas Nursing Board is entitled to access criminal history record information that is subject of an order of non-disclosure. If the Board discovers a criminal matter that is the subject of an order of non-disclosure, even if you properly did not reveal that matter, the Board may require you to provide information about any conduct that raises issues of character.
- *Are you currently the target or subject of a grand jury or governmental agency investigation?
- Has any licensing authority refused to issue you a license or ever revoked, annulled, cancelled, accepted surrender of, suspended, placed on probation, refused to renew a license, certificate or multi-state privilege held by you now or previously, or ever fined, censured, reprimanded or otherwise disciplined you?
- *Within the past five (5) years have you been diagnosed with, treated, or hospitalized for schizophrenia and/or a psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, paranoid personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, or borderline personality disorder?
- *In the past five (5) years, have you been addicted or treated for the use of alcohol or any other drug?
*Pursuant to the Occupations Code §301.207, information, including diagnosis and treatment, regarding an individual's physical or mental condition, intemperate use of drugs or alcohol, or chemical dependency and information regarding an individual's criminal history is confidential to the same extent that information collected as part of an investigation is confidential under the Occupations Code §301.466. If you are licensed as an LVN in the State of Texas and are currently participating in the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses you may answer “NO” to questions #4 and #5.
Texas Board of Nursing Criminal Background Check Process:
https://www.bon.texas.gov/pdfs/forms_pdfs/applications_pdfs/fp-generalinst.pdf
Texas Board of Nursing Criminal Background Check FAQs:
https://www.bon.texas.gov/faq_new_and_accept_student_STUDENT2.asp.html
