When you receive a charge for driving while intoxicated in Texas, you may face fines, possible jail time and other consequences in the aftermath. If you also make your living as a nurse, your drunk driving arrest may have professional implications if it winds up leading to a conviction.
A first-time Texas DWI does not automatically mean you must turn over your nursing license. However, it does make it a possibility. Typically, you have to renew your Texas nursing license every two years with the Texas Board of Nursing. When doing so, you must answer questions about any misdemeanor or felony convictions you received during that time.
Reporting the DWI
It is worth noting that you do not have an obligation to report DWI charges if they have not yet resulted in a conviction. However, if you do end up with a drunk driving conviction, avoid trying to hide it, as doing so may lead to even harsher sanctions. Instead, it may benefit you to be forthcoming about it while explaining how this one-time error is not an accurate reflection of you as a person.
Investigating the DWI
If the Texas Board of Nursing moves forward with an investigation, it may review your conviction to determine whether the details of the event raise questions about moral turpitude and your ability to perform duties as a nurse.
If you are a first-time offender and the DWI charge you face is not a felony one, you may have a better shot at retaining your nursing license.