10Sep

Nevada State Board of Nursing To Expand Criminal Background Checks

Beginning in approximately September of 2010 the Nevada State Board of Nursing will require all renewal applicants identified by the Board to submit to an FBI and State of Nevada Criminal background check. The Board will begin with those who were initially licensed/certified by the Board prior to January 1, 2000. However, eventually all renewal applications will be subject to criminal background checks periodically as directed by the Board.

In 1994, the Board began fingerprinting all initial applicants for licensure for criminal background checks. In addition, all nurses and nursing assistants must answer the following screening question on initial and renewal applications submitted to the Board: “Have you ever (or, Since your last renewal have you…) had a criminal conviction, including a misdemeanor or felony, or had a civil judgment rendered against you?” According to Nevada State Board of NursingNews, “statistics suggest that during the past five years approximately 10% of all initial nurse applicants and 22% of all initial CNA applicants have a positive criminal background.”

If you have been convicted or arrested for a crime you may be eligible to petition the court to seal all records relating to the arrest or conviction. If the court orders the record to be sealed, this order applies to the court, the police and the District Attorney’s office, as well as all other courts and agencies that may have your record on file, including the FBI. Once sealed from your record, you can truthfully state on your renewal application that you do not have a criminal conviction or arrest.

To be eligible for record sealing, you must have completed the waiting periods listed below:

• Category A or B Felony 15 years

• Category C or D Felony 12 years

• Category E Felony 7 years

• Gross Misdemeanor 7 years

• Misdemeanor 2 years

• Misdemeanor DUI 7 years

• Misdemeanor Domestic Violence 7 years

• Arrest without a conviction after dismissal or acquittal