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Individuals
who are considering entering the nursing profession and who may have a
criminal history often ask about potential barriers to licensure
following successful completion of an approved nursing 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.
There are no permanent barriers to licensure, each circumstance is reveiwed on a case by case basis.
The Board
may issue a license 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
nursing 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 licensure in Florida.
The
licensure application requires disclosure of any criminal history and
the disposition of all cases prior to board review. Entry into the
nursing education program is the prospective student’s decision based
upon the knowledge that he/she may, or may not, be granted a nursing
license. All of the above factors should be taken into consideration
prior to making a decision about a nursing career.
For addition information review the Frequently Asked Questions.
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