You worked hard to earn your nursing license. All the years of schooling and clinicals were tough to achieve, but you did it and have every right to be proud of your achievements.
But, you had one lapse of judgment that could erase all your hard work in one fell swoop. You partied a little too hard with friends after work one evening and made the mistake of trying to drive yourself home. When the Honolulu police officer pulled you over for suspicion of drunk driving, you realized that your nursing career now hangs in the balance.
What can you do?
Nurses who get convicted of DUIs face a tough future. The Board of Nursing takes a hard stance against any nurse who gets convicted on drunk driving charges. You could very well lose your license to practice nursing. Without your livelihood, you could lose your home, your reputation and even your family.
The time to act is now. Don’t let any more time pass before beginning to work on your defense. You and your criminal defense attorney may face an uphill battle to avoid a conviction, but it is possible to prevail.
Should you try to hide your arrest?
It’s a tough call to make. Some nurses choose to wait until their cases have been adjudicated before alerting the Nursing Board and their employers. But even failing to alert your employer to the arrest could be grounds for termination. It’s best to review the hiring and firing policies of the facility that employs you to determine your best course.
Examine the circumstances of the arrest
Did you get caught up in a holiday checkpoint after leaving a party? Or did you plow into another vehicle and injure others? That could make a meaningful difference in the way you approach your defense. If you were just a little over the limit in a checkpoint, your defense attorney might be able to challenge the calibration of the Breathalyzer that you used.
In the latter situation, however, it could be much tougher to fight the charge. In fact, you could face additional and even more serious charges than a DUI. In those cases, seeking a pleas bargain might be in order.
Convictions are not guaranteed (but neither are acquittals)
With so much at stake, you have every right to fight tooth and nail to avoid a conviction on charges of DUI. A Honolulu criminal defense attorney can best advise you of your options after an arrest for drunk driving.