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Individuals who
are considering entering the nursing profession as a Certified Nursing
Assistant (CNA) and who may have a criminal history often ask about
potential barriers to licensure following successful completion of an
approved training program. While it would be nice to know this prior to
making a decision to enter the program, obtaining that information is
not possible under current Florida law.
The Board of Nursing makes decisions about licensure based upon a number
of questions on the application and on an individual basis. The
application (or the background screening) that indicates a criminal
history is considered a non-routine application and must be reviewed by
the board staff and possibly referred to the Board of Nursing for
action.
Each application is reviewed on its own merits. The Board of Nursing has
created guidelines for specific offenses to be cleared in the board
office; however, the staff cannot make determinations in advance as laws
and rules do change over time. Violent crimes and repeat offenders are
required to be presented to the Board of Nursing for review. Evidence of
rehabilitation is important to the Board Members when making licensure
decisions.
The Board may issue a certification under conditions such as probation,
supervision, or additional education, or the Board may deny your
application. If drugs or alcohol are a concern, the board may require
the applicant to undergo an evaluation and to sign a contract with the
Intervention Project for Nurses (800-840-2720).
Each training program makes independent decisions about admissions into
the program and may require a criminal background screening as part of
that process. Clinical facilities may limit or prohibit students with
criminal histories from participating in clinical experiences. Other
options may not exist for the student to complete required clinical
hours in order to obtain a nursing degree; thus, such a student may not
be eligible for certification in Florida.
The certification application requires disclosure of any criminal
history and the disposition of all cases prior to board review. Entry
into the training program is the prospective student’s decision based
upon the knowledge that he/she may, or may not, be granted a
certificate. All of the above factors should be taken into consideration
prior to making a decision about a nursing career.
For more information, obtain the Florida Nurse Practice Act and Rules of
the Board of Nursing, along with an information packet, via web site at
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa or by contacting the Call Center at
850-488-0595. |
