APPLICATIONS - GENERAL INFORMATION
- How long will it take to process my application?
- I have a criminal conviction. Will the Board still issue me a license or certificate?
- How can I inquire about the status of my application?
- Can I send my application by overnight mail to expedite its processing?
APPLICATIONS - RN/LPN/CNA
- When will I receive my ATT?
- Can I work as a graduate nurse?
- I am international graduate. How can I be licensed in Nevada?
- I don't have a Social Security number. Can I apply for a Nevada license/certificate?
- I passed the NCLEX exam. Why hasn't my license been issued?
- Can I challenge the RN/LPN exam?
- How do I apply for reciprocity?
- How do I transfer my CNA license?
- How do I apply for a temporary license?
- Can I renew my license online?
- I don't have a computer. How do I renew my license/certificate?
- I renewed my license/certificate. When will I receive my card?
- What does date last practiced mean? I'm still working.
- Why is my license/certificate expiring so soon?
VALIDATION and VERIFICATION
- I am moving to another state and need my Nevada license verified. How do I do that?
- How often is the verification system updated?
INACTIVE STATUS
- How do I place my license on inactive status?
- My license has been on inactive status. How do I re-activate it?
EDUCATION
CONTINUING EDUCATION
- I am a recent graduate. Am I required to earn CEs?
- Do I have to take a "bioterrorism" course?
- How many CEs are required to renew my license/certificate?
- How do I submit my CEs to the Board?
- Where can I find an approved provider for my CEs?
- What continuing education courses can I take?
- How many CEs does a course equal?
DISCIPLINE/COMPLAINTS
- Can I get a license if I have a criminal convication?
- How do I file a complaint against a nurse or nursing assistant?
- How do I find out if an impaired nurse was reported to the Board?
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
- How can I find out if I'm practicing within the law?
- Can my employer specify my work hours and breaks?
FINGERPRINTING
- Where can I get my fingerprints captured?
- Why am I being asked to submit fingerprints to renew my license/certificate?
MISCELLANEOUS
- How do I change my address?
- I would like to be removed from the Board's mailing list. How do I do that?
- How can I advertise in the Board's magazine?
- Is Nevada a compact state?
How long will it take to process my application?
If your application is complete and meets the criteria for issuance of a license/certificate, we can generally issue your temporary license/certificate within one week of receipt of your application. The timeframe for issuing your permanent license/certificate will depend on whether or not we have all required documentation, including your fingerprint reports. It can take up to 4 months for the Board to receive your fingerprint reports.
If your application is complete and meets the criteria for issuance of a license/certificate, we can generally issue your temporary license/certificate within one week of receipt of your application. The timeframe for issuing your permanent license/certificate will depend on whether or not we have all required documentation, including your fingerprint reports. It can take up to 4 months for the Board to receive your fingerprint reports.
I have a criminal conviction. Will the Board issue a license/certificate to me?
Unfortunately, we can't tell you in advance whether or not your application will be accepted by the Board. Fortunately, the Board considers each case individually, and considers factors such as evidence of rehabilitation when they decide whether to license people with criminal convictions. For more information, please visit our website. If after you review it, you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Board toll free at (888) 590-6726.
Unfortunately, we can't tell you in advance whether or not your application will be accepted by the Board. Fortunately, the Board considers each case individually, and considers factors such as evidence of rehabilitation when they decide whether to license people with criminal convictions. For more information, please visit our website. If after you review it, you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Board toll free at (888) 590-6726.
It is recommended that you wait a minimum of one week after submitting your application before contacting the Board. You may contact our office toll free (888) 590-6726 for your application status.
You may submit your application by fax, first class mail or by overnight mail (FedEx, UPS, Express Mail, etc.). Submitting an application by an expedite method will save on mail time but will not save processing time.
You must register with Pearson VUE to take the NCLEX examination before the Authorization to Test (ATT) can be issued. Registration for NCLEX-RN or PN is available online at www.pearsonvue.com/nclex. Part of being eligible to take the exam is registering and paying Pearson VUE. If you have not registered with Pearson, you are not considered eligible to test nor will you receive the ATT.
An interim permit (IP) may be issued to graduates of nursing schools who have applied for licensure and documents of graduation have been received. An IP allows individuals, who have met the other licensure requirements, to practice as a graduate nurse only in the state of Nevada for a maximum of three (3) months. If the individual passes the NCLEX and has met all other licensure requirements, s/he is issued a permanent license. If the individual fails the NCLEX, the IP is no longer valid -- it expires when the official results are received, regardless of the time remaining on the interim permit.
To qualify for a Nevada license, you must have graduated from a nursing education program that meets Nevada's legal requirements. If you have graduated from an international school of nursing and have never been licensed in any US state, you must have your professional credentials (nursing education and professional licenses) evaluated by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). In addition, if you have graduated from a nursing program in a country or territory where the principle language is not English, you will be required to pass an an English proficiency exam.
Under Nevada law, the Board cannot issue you a temporary or permanent license/certificate without a US Social Security number (SSN). If you have passed the NCLEX but do not have a SSN, your exam results are retained indefinitely. You may be required to submit a new application if your previous application has expired. Applications are valid for one year, after which you will need to submit a new application, fee, and fingerprints.
Although applicants can pay a fee to Pearson VUE to obtain their exam results faster, the Board utilizes official results only. Official results take 2-3 weeks to be received the Board.
Can I challenge the RN/LPN exam?
Nevada nursing law requires ALL candidates for nurse licensure to have graduated from an accredited nursing education program. There is no mechanism for review or waiver of this law for medical doctors or other health care workers.
Nevada nursing law requires ALL candidates for nurse licensure to have graduated from an accredited nursing education program. There is no mechanism for review or waiver of this law for medical doctors or other health care workers.
Nevada uses the term licensure by endorsement. You will need to complete an application for licensure by endorsement. The nonrefundable fee is $105 for RN and $95 for LPN.
Nevada issues certificates, not licenses, to CNAs. You will need to apply for a CNA certificate by endorsement. For more information.
All applicants for licensure in Nevada must apply for a permanent license. As a courtesy, Nevada issues a temporary license/certificate to qualified applicants who apply for permanent licenses, while we await receipt of other documents, including fingerprint results from the Nevada Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Therefore you will need to apply for a license/certificate by endorsement.
If you want to renew your license via the Internet, visit the online renewal section of our website. Online renewal requires a Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express credit or debit card. Your PIN is the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. You can renew your license beginning two months in advance of your expiration date. A temporary license cannot be renewed.
If you would like to renew your license/certificate online but don't have a computer, most public libraries have Internet access available to the public. You may also call our office (888) 590-6726 and we will mail you a paper renewal form. You may return the renewal form by mail or by fax. Paper renewal applications are processed within one business day of receipt
Nevada does not issue license/certificate cards. You or your employer may verify your licensure/certification status by using our web verification system or by calling the Board office at (888) 590-6726. In addition, you may print out a paper copy of your license from our verification system. As long as our verification system indicates that your license/certificate is valid, you are eligible to practice.
The practice of nursing is not limited to paid employment. It is also not limited to hands on care. You have been practicing nursing if you were hired as an RN or LPN, and you use your nursing knowledge, skill and ability on a daily basis in a paid or volunteer capacity. If you meet these criteria, you have been practicing nursing. In order to renew your license, we require you to submit the date you last practiced. We are unable to accept "presently", "currently", "still working" or other verbiage.
By law, Nevada licenses/certificates expire every second birthday. Your first renewal period may be two years or less, depending on when your birthday falls in relation to the issue date of your license/certificate.
If you have been selected to submit fingerprints on renewal of your license/certificate, your license/certificate is only renewed for 6 months pending receipt of the fingerprint reports. Please visit the FINGERPRINTING section of the FAQs for further information.
Verification of Nevada licenses are processed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing via the NURsys system. You may contact the NURsys Licensure Verification Department at (866) 819-1700 or via the web at https://nursys.com. There is a $30 fee for NURsys to verify your license for another state.
Our licensure/verification system is updated with current information every day at 5 pm.
Requests for inactive status must be received on or before the expiration date. There is no charge for inactive status and no limitation on the period of time your license may remain inactive. Requests can be completed by using our online renewal system or you may submit a written request for inactive status.
In order to reactivate an inactive license, you will need to complete the renewal process (fee, form, CEs, etc.) An inactive license cannot be renewed online. If you have not practiced nursing for five or more years, you will be required to take a refresher course before renewal can be issued.
Schools of nursing that are on provisional status meet the initial requirements of Nevada laws and regulations to offer a program of nursing education in Nevada. If you graduate from a school that has provisional rather than full approval, you will be eligible for Nevada licensure. If you are contemplating getting licensed in other states, you will have to check with those states regarding their licensure requirements.
According to NAC 632.343, licensees are exempt from the requirement to earn 30 CEs for renewal "for the first "biennial period after graduation." Therefore, new nurses who have earned their degrees within the last two years do not have to earn 30 CEs for the first renewal. However, they do need to complete the one-time, four-hour, bioterrorism CE requirement.
The Nevada State Legislature passed AB250 mandating bioterrorism CEs for license health care professionals, including nurses, in its 2003 session. CNAs are not required to take the course, but they can earn CEs/credits if they do so.
The Nevada Nurse Practice Act requires all renewing RNs and LPNs to complete 30 hours of nursing-related continuing education and all renewing CNAs to complete 24 hours of CNA-related training within the license/certificate renewal period. In addition, the Nurse Practice Act requires RNs and LPNs to complete the one-time bioterrorism course.
Rather than requiring nurses and CNAs to submit their continuing education or training certificates at the time of renewal, the renewal application asks applicants to affirm (swear) they are in compliance withy the continuing education or training requirement and reminds them to retain copies of their certificates for four years in case of audit. The Board conducts random audits to ensure compliance. Failure to complete the required continuing education within the renewal period, or failure to produce evidence of CEs or training when audited, may result in disciplinary action taken against your license/certificate.
Check with your human resources or staff development office, or try a Google or other web search, using key words like "Nurse (or CNA) continuing education." If a continuing education provider is an academic institution, has a Nevada continuing education provider number, is approved by another state nursing board or health-related board*, it is recognized by one of the organizations below, or is accepted by the Nevada State Board of Nursing.
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses
- American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
- American Nurse Credentialing Center Commission on Accreditation
- National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners
- National League of Nursing
A course which is designed to increase or improve a nurse's or CNA's knowledge, skill or ability related to the authorized scope of practice of the nurse or CNA (CNAs, please refer to the CNA Skills Guidelines).
How many CE credits does a course equal?
College credit (if taken as part of the education program to obtain a higher nursing degree, including prerequisites) - one credit (semester) equals 15 contact hours, one credit (quarter) equals 10 contact hours.
College credit (if taken as part of the education program to obtain a higher nursing degree, including prerequisites) - one credit (semester) equals 15 contact hours, one credit (quarter) equals 10 contact hours.
- 60 minutes of participation in a nurse CE equals one contact hour.
- 60 minutes of participation in CNA inservice equals one contact hour.
It is possible to get licensed/certified in Nevada. The Board considers each case individually. When considering criminal convictions, the Board looks at the type of conviction, how long ago it was committed, evidence of rehabilitation, and other factors.
The Board may only conduct an investigation regarding a nurse or nursing assistant if a complaint is received in writing, names a nurse or nursing assistant, idenfities a potential violation of the Nurse Practice Act, and is signed by the person submitting the complaint. Please include your name, address, and telephone number on the complaint.
Complaint forms are also available on our website. You may also make a complaint in letter form. You may submit the complaint by mail to Nevada State Board of Nursing, 5011 Meadowood Mall Way #300, Reno, NV 89502-6547; by fax (775) 687-7707; or by email nursingboard@nsbn.state.nv.us.
If a complaint was filed and discipline was imposed, disciplinary actions are public and can be accessed through our website. You can check for license status by using the license verification system, or you can see all disciplinary actions taken by the Board for the last year by clicking Disciplinary Actions List. If you believe an individual is working while impaired, please file complaint with the Board.
The entire Nurse Practice Act is on the Board's website. If you're still unsure, you can call our office (888) 590-6726.
There are no laws in the Nurse Practice Act regarding hours of employment or breaks. The Board would only become involved if a complaint was filed for a nurse practicing while impaired for any reason, including being too fatigued, and if there is a negative patient outcome, it could lead to an investigation of the nurse.
Address changes can be done using the address change fuction of our website. If you do not wish to use the website, your address change must be done in writing by fax, email or US mail.
Please provide your request in writing by fax, email or us mail. Your name will be removed from lists that the Board sells. You will continue to receive the NSBN News and other Board correspondence.
The Nevada State Board of Nursing News is mailed to all nurses and nursing assistants who hold Nevada licenses/certificates, one-quarter of which live outside of Nevada and who may be thinking of relocating to Nevada. To advertise, please contact David Brown, PCI Publishing, (800) 561-4686, dbrown@pcipublishing.com.
Nevada is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) and has no plans to introduce or support NLC legislation. If the Board decides to sponsor such legislation, we will be informing everyone through our website and news magazine.