You don’t let just anyone walk into a hospital room with a box of pills – or trust a résumé at face value when the job involves patient lives, prescription drugs, and high-stakes decisions made under pressure. In healthcare, especially nursing, background checks aren’t just a box to tick – they’re vital to trust, safety, and compliance.
However, not all nursing background checks are created equally. Depending on the state, employer, and role, the process can be straightforward or a mess of tangled regulations, board requirements, and federal watchlist.
For this reason, we’ve created this guide to walk you through what to check, how to stay compliant, and why getting it wrong isn’t an option.
What Is a Nursing Background Check?
A nursing background check is a specialized screening process that examines a candidate’s criminal history, education, employment record, professional licensing, and eligibility to work in federally funded healthcare programs.
Unlike general pre-employment checks, nursing screenings are tailored to the healthcare industry’s unique demands, where regulations and risk run high.
Most checks start with the basics: confirming the nurse’s identity and criminal background. But for licensed nurses, especially those working in hospitals, clinics, long-term care, or home health, that’s just the beginning. Employers often need to verify state nursing licenses, search exclusion databases like the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and SAM, and run drug screens for safety-sensitive positions.
In short, a nursing background check is a multi-layered process designed to protect patients, meet legal obligations, and ensure that every nurse hired is exactly who they say they are- and fully fit to practice.
Why Should Employers Run Background Checks on Nurses?
Nursing is one of the most trusted professions in the world – but that trust has to be earned and protected. Every few years, a true horror story emerges that shows that nursing is just as susceptible to the depths of humanity’s dark heart as other industries.
To Protect Patient Safety
This one’s obvious, but it’s also non-negotiable. Nurses work directly with patients, administering medication, handling emergencies, and sometimes caring for people who can’t advocate for themselves. A single bad hire can cause real harm, and background checks help catch red flags before they become disasters.
To Comply with State and Federal Law
Depending on the state, many employers are legally required to screen nurses before hiring. And if your facility bills Medicare or Medicaid, you’re federally obligated to check exclusion lists like the OIG and SAM databases. Miss this step, and you’re not just risking a fine – you could lose funding or your license to operate.
To Avoid Liability and Negligent Hiring Claims
You could be held accountable if a nurse you hired without proper screening injures a patient or breaks the law on the job. Courts don’t tend to be forgiving if it looks like the employer didn’t do basic due diligence. A background check helps you prove you took every reasonable step.
To Uphold Trust and Reputation
Your hospital, clinic, or care facility is only as good as the people who represent it. One public scandal – a nurse with a history of abuse or fraud that went unchecked – can quickly erode public trust and damage your brand.
When your name has been dragged through the mud and labeled with a distinctive black cross, it can be difficult to come back from. Thorough checks help you protect not just your patients, but your reputation too.
What Does a Nursing Background Check Include?
A healthcare background check goes deeper than your average employment screening. These roles carry enormous responsibility – and often legal oversight – so the checks need to be airtight. Here’s what a thorough nursing background check typically includes:
Criminal Background Checks
Depending on the role and employer, these cover local, state, and federal records. Criminal checks scan national sources for serious offenses, charges involving violence, abuse, fraud, or drug-related crimes are red flags, especially in healthcare settings.
Education and Credential Verification
These checks aren’t just about checking if someone went to nursing school. Employers need to confirm that degrees, diplomas, and certifications are real, relevant, and match what’s listed on the application. This step also includes license verification through the state board of nursing.
Employment Verification
People can often get creative on résumés. Verifying past employment helps confirm titles, duties, dates, and reasons for leaving. If someone claimed to be a charge nurse but was actually a tech assistant, this is where that comes out.
OIG & SAM Exclusion List Checks
Nurses who’ve committed healthcare fraud, patient abuse, or certain criminal offenses can be banned from participating in federally funded programs like Medicare and Medicaid. That’s where exclusion databases come in. Employers must check the OIG list (Office of Inspector General) and the SAM (System for Award Management) list.
Sex Offender Registry Search
This is essential for any role involving vulnerable populations. These searches flag registered offenders and offer context about the offense, but it varies from state to state; some require this step outright, while others strongly encourage it.
Drug Screening
Nursing is considered a safety-sensitive position. In this role, an employee’s performance directly affects the safety of themselves and others, which means that drug testing is often mandatory.
Employers want to know that their staff are sober, safe, and able to make critical decisions under pressure. When it comes to handling cases where care means the difference between life and death, not many people would grumble about this.
Identity & SSN Trace
It all starts here – making sure the person applying is who they say they are. I-9 can verify legal work status; SSN Trace can detect aliases, and can even uncover hidden addresses that can lead to finding more criminal records.
Nursing Background Check Requirements
Nursing isn’t just a job – it’s a licensed profession regulated by state boards, federal rules, and employer policies. That means background check requirements aren’t just optional add-ons – they’re usually legally required. But like most things in healthcare, the rules can vary based on where you’re hiring, who you’re hiring, and who’s paying the bill.
Most states require criminal background checks as a condition of initial licensure and sometimes during renewal or reinstatement.
Beyond government mandates, many healthcare organizations add their own layers of checks:
Drug screens for safety-sensitive positions
Sex offender registry searches for those working with vulnerable populations
License verification directly from the state board of nursing
Confirmation that all certifications and continuing education meet current standards
And yes, some states even require Child Abuse Registry or Elder Abuse Registry checks for nurses working in long-term care, pediatrics, or home health.
In short, compliance isn’t optional, and it’s not always straightforward. The safest route is to build a repeatable, legally sound screening process tailored to the specific nursing role and facility type.
How to Get a Nursing Background Check
Running a nursing background check the right way involves more than plugging names into a search box. Here’s what the process typically looks like when you’re doing it properly – and legally.
Partner with a healthcare-specific background check provider
Don’t DIY it with generic tools. You need a provider that understands compliance, nursing board requirements, and federal healthcare law, and the best way to do this is by working with a background check provider with a proven track record in the healthcare industry.
Get written authorization from the candidate
It’s a legal requirement under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). No signature, no check. We can’t stress this enough, because whatever happens, if this hasn’t been done, everything quickly unravels.
Run an SSN trace and identity verification
Confirms the candidate’s identity, flags aliases, and provides address history to guide deeper searches.
Search federal exclusion databases
Run OIG and SAM checks to ensure the applicant isn’t barred from working in federally funded healthcare programs.
Conduct a criminal background check
This includes state-level checks and federal sources. Make sure you follow state-specific licensure board rules here.
Verify nursing licenses and credentials
Contact the appropriate state board of nursing to confirm the license is active, in good standing, and free of disciplinary action.
Confirm employment history
Reach out to past healthcare employers to verify roles, responsibilities, and dates of employment. If the nurse was terminated or left under investigation, this is where it usually comes out.
This is one area where a little patience might be needed, as you’re very much at the whim of other people’s schedules – our advice: wait the few extra days. Peace of mind is worth it.
Conduct drug screening (if required)
This step is essential for hospital and clinic roles, or where the nurse will administer medication.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Prevents You From Being a Nurse?
Felony convictions, falsified credentials, drug test failures, OIG/SAM exclusions, or disciplinary actions can disqualify a nurse. Some state boards allow exceptions for older, non-violent offenses.
How Long Does a Nursing Background Check Take?
A nursing background check typically takes 3-7 business days. Timing depends on the type of check and third-party response times. OIG checks are fast; employment verification and drug tests may take longer.
How Far Back Do Nursing Background Checks Go?
Convictions can appear indefinitely. Non-convictions are limited to seven years under FCRA, unless salary or state laws allow more. Expunged records are legally excluded.
Final Thoughts
In nursing, lives aren’t just impacted – they’re literally in your employees’ hands. One false move and it’s over. That’s why background checks in this field aren’t optional, and they’re not something you want to approach with a cut-and-paste process.
Nurses work in high-pressure environments where trust, ethics, and quick thinking matter. If you get a hire wrong, the ripple effects hit fast – patient safety, legal exposure, team morale, and public perception all take a hit. That’s why smart healthcare employers don’t just run checks – they run the right checks. They verify what matters, check every required database, and follow state and federal law.
At ScoutLogic, we make that process seamless. Our background screening solutions for healthcare are tailored to the realities of your industry. We provide fast turnaround times and full compliance with licensure boards and federal programs to provide flexible screening packages built for hospitals, clinics, and care facilities of all sizes. Let us help you hire confidently so your nurses can focus on what matters—caring for those who need it the most.
David Garcia, co-founder and CEO of Scout Logic, is an industry leader in the bulk background check world. With his strategic acumen and expertise in the HR sphere, specifically in hiring, recruiting, legal compliance, background checks, and resume screening, he’s an invaluable asset and consultant.
David's counsel extends across the boards of ScoutLogic, YipitData, and Supplier.io, drawing from his impactful stints on the boards of Infutor and Avetta. With an extensive 25-year journey, he champions unparalleled B2B commercial leadership within data & analytics, significantly shaping the HR landscape.
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