A law in Illinois says that you cannot work as a nurse's aide for a hospital, nursing home or home health agency if you have certain criminal convictions. The list of crimes that will keep you from working as a CNA will be listed at the end of this document.

While this is not meant to discourage you, it is strongly recommended that, if you have a conviction for one or more of these crimes, you should not continue in this class until you apply and receive a waiver from the Department.

A waiver is NOT granted to everyone that applies. You may send in all the information requested and still not be granted a waiver. Each waiver application is reviewed completely. There are no hard and fast rules, but the following may be used as a guide.

You will probably NOT be granted a waiver if any of the following is true:

• You are still on probation, parole, or incarcerated.
• Your victim was an elderly or disabled person.
• You have several (more than two) similar crimes in the last five years.
• You have several violent crimes in the last five years.
• Your crime is any type of murder or sexual assault.
• You have less than two years clean and sober.

A waiver may be granted if:

• You have paid all your court fines and have satisfactorily completed probation.
• You only had a few (less than three) convictions more than five years ago.
• You have a single, non-violent crime in the last five years.
• You have more than two years clean and sober.

Again, this is not meant to discourage you. There is a need for responsible, hard-working, and caring nurse's aides. However, it would be a shame if you invested the time, work and money in a nurse aide class and then you were unable to get a job.

If you have a conviction, it is recommended that you discuss the issue privately with your instructor before the next class meeting.

You may request a waiver application by calling 1-217-782-2913.

Crimes that disqualify (which means that you can not work as a CNA with these convictions) you from working as a nurse's aide (these include both misdemeanors and/or felonies):

• Battery, domestic battery
• Assault
• Theft
• Retail theft
• Robbery, armed robbery, aggravated robbery
• Burglary, residential burglary
• Armed violence
• Criminal trespass to a residence
• Financial exploitation of an elderly or disabled person
• Murder, homicide, manslaughter
• Kidnapping, child abduction
• Unlawful restraint, forcible detention
• Indecent solicitation of a child, sexual expoitation of a child
• Tampering with food, drugs, or cosmetics
• Aggravated stalking
• Home invasion
• Sexual assault, sexual abuse
• Endangering the life or health of a child
• Abuse or gross neglect of a long-term care facility resident
• Criminal neglect of an elderly person
• Ritual mutilation, ritualized abuse of a child
• Vehicular hijacking, aggravated vehicular hijacking
• Arson
• Unlawful use of a weapon
• Manufacture and delivery of controlled substances (drugs)
• Manufacture and delivery of cannabis (marijuana)
• Possession with intent to deliver (either drugs or marijuana)

Please note: You may have been convicted and not sent to jail. Often people are fined or given probation, but these are still convictions. If you are unsure whether an arrrest ended up to be a conviction, contact the County in which you were arrested and speak to the people at the Circuit Clerk or State's Attorney's office or your attorney.

Some convictions that are NOT disqualifying (you can work if these are your only convictions):

• Prostitution
• Possessions of cannabis or a controlled substance
• DUI
• Deceptive practices (writing "bad" checks on your own account)

Questions: Contact Joyce Steber at John A. Logan College, Ext. 8411