How Long Does a Nursing Background Check Take?

Michelle Wilson - March 4, 2022

Nurses play a critical role within the healthcare system. They’re responsible for patient care, and poor hiring decisions can pose disastrous consequences. A background check can help build a reliable and trustworthy team. The background check can help ensure patient safety overall while mitigating risk.

What is a Nursing Background Check?

A nursing background check is a screening tool to verify an individual’s identity, education, previous employment, and professional license. These screenings can help nursing schools, employers, and licensing boards make educated decisions about hiring individuals, particularly as they relate to nursing roles. The screening may include drug use, current sanctions, and criminal history.

What is Included in a Background Check?

Most nursing background checks are comprehensive, including different screening areas to protect patient safety and compliance overall. A nurse background check may include the following screenings:

Social Security Number Trace

This item searches the national credit bureaus to verify a Social Security number is valid. It also confirms the candidate’s legal name and date of birth. Employers will find any associated names, aliases, and counties on record for the SSN.

Nationwide Criminal Databases Search

Thousands of digital databases across the United States will report any criminal activity by the applicant. This report includes any infractions, misdemeanors, pending cases, or felony convictions at the county or state level.

Sex Offender Registry Search

 All background checks verify applicants against a sex offender registry across all US states and territories. This registry includes hundreds of thousands of offender records nationwide.

Domestic Watch List Search

The background check scans US government lists for any criminals on the run from the law, including the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) No Fly List and the FBI’s Most Wanted.

County Criminal Court Search

Individuals are searched at the county level, and the report returns any infractions, felonies, and misdemeanors. The results include assault, DUIs, DWIs, burglary, and theft.

Professional License Verification

This search verifies all domestic professional licenses for nurses, including the license issue date, expiration, credential, and status.

Education Verification

The background screening will verify attendance dates, majors, and degrees earned for high school, university, college, or vocational school in the US.

Employment Verification

This screening will confirm any previous employment, including the position, dates employed, and the working job title.

Drug Screening

This investigation checks for the presence of commonly abused prescription and illegal drugs in an individual’s system.

Healthcare Sanction Check

This record will search more than 1,000 government sources and list any suspensions, penalties, punitive or disciplinary actions against a healthcare worker. These results will include the System for Award Management (SAM), Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) lists, and the federal Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) Exclusion.

How Long Does a Background Check Take?

The turnaround times for a nursing background check can vary significantly, depending on the number of searches ordered, geographic location, and relevant county court record digitization. The turnaround times may also vary by provider, with some offering instant reports and others requiring manual confirmation.

For the entire background check, most applicants should receive the finalized report within seven to ten business days. On average, a background report will confirm the following components of your screening within the following time frames:

• Social Security Number Trace: Instant Result

• Nationwide Criminal Databases Search: The results are instant if clear or confirmed in 1-3 business days.

• Sex Offender Registry Search: The results are instant if clear or confirmed in 1-3 business days.

• Domestic Watch List Search: The results are instant if clear or confirmed in 1-3 business days.

• County Criminal Court Search: The results are available in one to three business days.

• Professional License Verification: The results are available in three to five business days.

• Education Verification: The results are available in three to five business days.

• Employment Verification: The results are available in three to five business days.

• Drug Screening (10 panels): The results are available in three to five business days.

• Healthcare Sanction Check: The results are available in one hour if clear or confirmed in one to three business days.

State and Federal Laws to Know

Screening a potential applicant within the medical field requires many steps. Every verification must comply with federal, state, and local regulations and laws. Currently, local, county, and state ban-the-box laws dictate how and when an employer can ask about criminal records. New drug laws and marijuana legalization have regularly posed implications for drug-screening processes.

All employers must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) when using third-party screeding to perform nursing background checks. The FCRA dictates an employer must provide authorization and disclosure forms before running a screening. Should an employer consider denying or terminating an employee based on the results, they must follow the adverse action process. This process includes providing a potential applicant or employee with a copy of the background check results.

Having a screening policy in place can ensure the organization uses background checks compliantly and consistently to make informed and educated hiring decisions.

How to Perform a Background Check

There are several available ways to get a nursing background check. These include visiting the county or state superior court or sheriff’s office, checking the OIG sanctions database, or using an accredited provider.

County or State Superior Court or Sheriff’s Office

Any employer can contact the local superior court to request a criminal record search report for that specific county. These records will exclude any criminal activity in other areas, and not all state departments contribute criminal record information to the centralized state database. This method also fails to check any federal database, potentially leaving you vulnerable as a healthcare facility.

Review OIG Sanctions Database Online

The OIG’s Sanctions database can help identify individuals with listed exclusions. Due to the discrepancies inaccessible information, this screening may pose serious disadvantages in your verification process. SSN isn’t available for every entry, and candidates may falsify the SSN to avoid detection. Occasionally, employers can verify results with Social Security numbers, but not consistently.

Using an Accredited Background Screening Provider

The easiest option to get a comprehensive nursing background check is using an accredited provider. These companies will adhere to all screening regulations and compliance standards, bringing a fair and consistent screening practice for your healthcare setting. This service allows a hiring manager to make better-informed decisions and maintain universal compliance with all screening processes.

Conclusion:

A nurse is a valuable member of the healthcare setting. They are responsible for maintaining professional standards and directly connecting with patients and vulnerable members of society. As such, running a nursing background check is crucial to the hiring process. These reports highlight any significant issues with a potential hire, including disqualifying sanctions or criminal history.

By establishing a core baseline for your background checks, you’ll meet any county, state, and federal guidelines around hiring and terminating employees. Your company will also minimize any extended risk by maintaining a safe work environment for employees and patients alike.