Nurse Aide continued...
In a medicare/medicaid certified nursing facility, a nurse aide must have completed a state approved 75 hour nurse aide training course and competency evaluation program (a competency evaluation consists of passing a written test and a skills test) and be listed on the nurse aide registry. Nurse aides who work in licensed nursing homes that are not medicare or medicaid certified must have completed a state approved 75 hour nurse aide course and competency evaluation. In an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded (ICF-MR), a nursing assistant must have completed a state approved 21 hour basic resident care course. Nurse aides that are employed outside of these types of facilities, who meet the requirements may request to be placed on the registry, but registry placement is not required.
Top of Page
Requirements for Placement on the Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry
To qualify for placement on the Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry an individual must:
- Be at least 16 years of age;
- Be able to speak and understand the English language; and
- Successfully complete, within 120 days of employment, a state approved 75 hour nurse aide training and competency evaluation program or 21 hour basic resident care course for intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded.
- Cannot have been convicted of a crime rationally related to the role of a nurse aide involving moral turpitude. (Moral turpitude has been defined as an act or behavior that violates accepted moral standards and in legal terms means anything done contrary to justice, honesty, modesty, good morals and with the intent to defraud.)
Top of Page
Procedures for Placement on the Nurse Aide Registry:
An individual who successfully completes a state approved nurse aide course and competency evaluation program or a basic resident care course through either a facility or non-facility based program, does not need to complete an application. The individual’s name is automatically added to the registry within 30 days after the department is notified of successful completion of both the written and skills exams.
An individual who is a nursing student must submit:
- Cover letter asking to be placed on Registry based on nursing school courses. The cover letter must include your name, address, phone number, social security number or I-94, and date of birth.
- A signed copy of your transcript.
Some nursing programs automatically send in the names of students who have completed the courses required to meet the nurse aide training requirements. In this case the transcript is not required. Please check with your specific nursing program to determine if this has been done.
Abuse Inservice Documentation
Some nursing programs include this information in their courses and others do not. You will be notified if this inservice will be needed for placement on the registry. - Documentation of successful completion of a state approved written and skills exams, if grades in any of the required courses were less than 70%.
An individual who has had military training must submit:
- Cover letter asking to be placed on Registry based on military training. The cover letter must include your name, address, phone number, social security number or I-94, and date of birth.
- A copy of the training records if the individual is still active in the military or a copy of the DD214 if the individual is discharged from the military.
- Abuse Inservice Documentation
After receipt of above information, the department will review for medical training and if applicable, status at time of discharge. If the individual’s training meets the requirements of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 71-6039, the individual will be required to pass a state approved written and skills exams prior to placement on the Nurse Aide Registry.
An individual who has been trained as a foreign nurse must submit:
- Cover letter asking to be placed on Registry based on foreign nursing training. The cover letter must include your name, address, phone number, social security number or I-94, and date of birth.
- A copy of their certificate of graduation and/or copy of their license translated to English if necessary.
- Abuse Inservice Documentation
- Successful completion of a state approved written and skills exams.
- If applicable, a copy of results of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools exam (CGFNS) or Canadian Nurse Licensing exam. If an individual has taken and passed either of these exams, the state approved written and skills exams are not required.
An individual who has an inactive/lapsed RN or LPN license must submit:
- Cover letter asking to be placed on Registry based on a lapsed/inactive LPN/RN license and indicating the last time you worked as a nurse. The cover letter must include your name, address, phone number, social security number or I-94, and date of birth.
- Abuse Inservice Documentation.
- If it has been longer than 24 months since the individual performed nursing or nursing related services for monetary compensation, documentation of successfull completion of a state approved written and skills exams.
- Copy of inactive/lapsed license if license was from a state other than Nebraska.
Top of Page
Examination
To register to take the state approved written and clinical skills examinations following completion of a Nebraska facility-based training course, contact one of the following postsecondary education providers approved to conduct the examination. For retesting, please see "Reactivation from Lapsed to Active Status".
Nebraska Health Care Learning Center
1200 Libra Drive, Suite 100
Lincoln, Nebraska 68512
Phone: (402) 435-3551
Nebraska Health Care Learning Center
Providence Health Care Institute
4600 Valley Road, Suite 401
Lincoln, Nebraska 68510
Phone: (402) 326-2792 or 364-2330
www.providencehealthcareer.com
Grades will be forwarded to the Nurse Aide Registry by the examination providers. The information will be entered on the Registry.
Fees for examinations are determined by the examination provider and must be remitted to the examination provider.
Questions regarding testing should be directed to the examination provider.
The Licensure Unit will continue to review and approve the Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Programs.
Top of Page
Name and Address Change
To request an address change, you may fill out the address change form or contact Nancy Stava at (402) 471-0537. Or email Nancy at nancy.stava@nebraska.gov. Please be sure to include your name and social security number if you mail, fax, or email your address change.
In order to change your name on your nurse aide/medication aide record, you must mail the name change form along with a copy of one item of documentation. Acceptable documentation includes: marriage certificate, divorce decree which states the name has been changed, court order of legal change of name, copy of driver's license, or social security card. (If you have both a nurse aide and a medication aide registration, you only need one name change form to change your name on both registrations.)
Please do NOT send any money with your name change form as we do not issue any licensure documents for nurse aides in Nebraska. If you need a duplicate Medication Aide licensure card, there is a $10.00 fee and you will additionally need to fill out a Reissuance of Medication Aide Registration Card(s) Form.
If you are not able to print off the name change form, you could submit a written request which includes your old name, new name, Social Security Number, mailing address, phone number, reason for name change, and notarized signature. Be sure to include one item of documentation. You can also change your name when you are renewing your medication aide registration at no cost by crossing out the old name at the top of the renewal form and submitting a copy of the documentation with your renewal form. Your renewed registration card would show the new name and there would not be a $10.00 fee.
Top of Page
Accessing the Nurse Aide Registry
To access the Nurse Aide Registry on our website, click here.
Once the License Information System comes up on the screen, you will want to click on "License Search" and then on the next screen, click on "Individual" to bring up the search screen. You will always want to change License Status to "All" on the search screen so it will bring up the aide's record even if it is not active (such as "Lapsed" or "Ineligible".) This is very important because nurse aides with findings of abuse, neglect, misappropriation, or conviction under Disciplinary/Non-Disciplinary Information will have an "Ineligible" status.
Enter the first and last names of the aide OR the license number and click "Search Individuals". You do not need to enter all of the items on the search screen. In fact, if you enter all of the information on the search screen, it is more likely that it will not be found. If you are not able to find the record, you may want to try any previous names, full names, or nicknames. You can place an asterisk * after part of the name, i.e. Jeff* and it will bring up Jeff, Jeffrey, Jeffy, etc.
Once the desired record comes up on the screen, move your cursor over the name and click on it to bring up License Details. If you would like to print a License Verification, click on "Generate a Verification of This License" at the top of the License Details screen.
To be "Active" on the website, a nurse aide must have employment reported to the Registry by the employer in the last two years OR must have passed the written and clinical competency exams in the last two years. (If written and clinical exams were not held on the same day, the latest date is used.) Exam dates are shown under "Examinations" and are listed as "Comp Eval—Written" and "Comp Eval—Clinical". It must show either "Pass" or "Waive" under Score. We do not have employment on the website, so if the exam dates are more than two years old and the status is "Active", you can assume that we have employment on file in the last two years.
We do not have expiration dates on the website, but an aide remains active for two years from the last exam date OR the last date of employment that has been reported to the Registry, whichever if later. As long as an aide continues to work and does not have a two-year gap in employment as a nurse aide, he/she will remain "Active" indefinitely. (If you are an aide and you absolutely need an expiration date and you are currently working, the current date plus two years can be used as the expiration date.) Nurse aides are not on a renewal system—they are kept active by employment that is reported to the Registry by the employer using the Nurse Aide Registry Form and Termination Form (see links below).
A "Lapsed" status means that the aide does not have exam scores or employment reported in the last two years. You can go back and click on "Reactivation from Lapsed to Active Status" on the nurse aide forms website for more information on reactivating a nurse aide record.
An "Ineligible" status means that the aide has a finding of abuse, neglect, misappropriation, or conviction and is not eligible to work in a certified nursing facility. See "Disciplinary/Non-Disciplinary Action" on the website. Contact the Registry for more information on an aide who is "Ineligible."
In order to satisfy survey requirements, employers who are placing nurse aides in direct care positions in Medicare/Medicaid certified nursing facilities must obtain verification from the website that shows an Active status on the date the aide begins employment. They must also report employment to the Registry by completing a Nurse Aide Registry Form and Termination Form. Effective April 1, 2008, a Registry Letter from the Nurse Aide Registry is no longer required to be obtained for aides whose examination dates are more than two years old.
However, if an aide's application does not indicate any employment in the last two years and it has been more than two years since he/she tested and their status on the website is "Active", you will want to report this to the Registry. It is possible that his/her last employer may not have submitted a Termination Form and we will want to correct our records. On the same hand, if the aide's application does indicate employment in the last two years and the status on the website is "Lapsed", you will also want to report this to the Registry as the last employer may not have submitted a Nurse Aide Registry Form to the Registry. It is very important that employers report start dates and termination dates to the Nurse Aide Registry as soon as possible after the event so that the website can remain accurate.
For more information, you may contact the Registry by phone at 402-471-0537 or by fax at 402-471-1066 or by e-mail at nancy.stava@nebraska.gov .
The Registry is open from 8:30 AM to Noon and 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM Monday through Friday, central time. You can not leave a message on the registry phone.
Top of Page
Maintaining Your Registry Status
Once an individual is placed on the nurse aide registry their status remains active until such time as 24 months has lapsed since the individual stopped working as a nurse aide. If an individual does not provide nursing or nursing related services for monetary compensation for more that 24 months, their status becomes lapsed. This requirement is that a Nurse Aide be active only for medicare/medicaid certified nursing facilities.
There are no inservice or continuing education requirements for maintaining an active status on the nurse aide registry. There is a requirement for medicare/medicaid certified and licensed nursing facilities to provide nurse aides with 12 hours of inservice. This inservice requirement is a facility requirement and not a nurse aide registry requirement.
Top of Page
Requirements for Reactivation from Lapsed to Active Status
An individual who has performed nurse aide duties for monetary compensation that was not reported to the Registry may submit an Employment Verification Form which is a statement from the employer that verifies the name and address of the employer, dates of employment, and that nurse aide duties were performed. This form may be used to update employment as long as there is not a two-year gap in employment since the last test date or last date of employment shown on the Registry. Since employment is not shown on the website, you may need to contact the Registry at (402) 471-0537 to determine the last date of employment shown on the Registry.
An individual who has performed nurse aide duties for a State-licensed facility or agency in Nebraska does not need to have the notary section of the Employment Verification Form completed. If you worked for anyone else (private duty, or a non-licensed facility or agency) the notary section does have to be completed.
An Individual who has not worked as a nurse aide for two years and who has taken an approved 75-hour nurse aide course may reactivate his/her registration by retaking the written and clinical exams. (This individual is not eligible to work in a medicare/medicaid certified nursing facility until they have successfully completed these exams and the results have been posted to the Registry or the facility has been provided with copies of the exam results.)
FOR RETESTING:
THROUGH ONE OF THE POST SECONDARY EDUCATION PROVIDERS (updated 5/16/13) APPROVED TO DO RECOMPETENCY TESTING FOR A FEE DETERMINED BY THAT PROVIDER--You will usually complete both the written and clinical exams on the same day and you will know that same day if you passed or failed both exams. The provider will then forward your test scores to the Registry. It takes about three weeks to update your records once we receive them from the provider. If you wish to sign up to take the exams through one of these providers, you will need to contact the provider directly to sign up. You will need to give them a printout of your registry information from the website to show that you completed a 75-hour nurse aide course and that you are eligible to retest.
An individual who took a 30-hour nurse aide course prior to 1989 and was "grandfathered" onto the Registry is not eligible to retest. He/she must successfully complete an approved 75-hour nurse aide course and competency evaluation program to be reactivated on the Registry.
Any questions about reactivation from lapsed to active status or eligibility for retesting should be directed to the Registry at (402) 471-0537.
Top of Page
Rules and Regulations/Statutes
Regulations and Standards Governing The Approval Of Training Programs For Nursing Assistants - 172 NAC 108
Medicaid Regulations - 471 NAC 12-002
Statutes Relating to Nursing Assistants (Nursing Homes)
42 CFR 483.75-483.158
Top of Page
Moving from Nebraska to Another State
If you are on the Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry and are moving to another state, you will need to contact the Nurse Aide Registry of that state to find out what is required to transfer your nurse aide. You can obtain the phone number of the Nurse Aide Registry in another state at the National Council State Boards of Nursing website at https://www.ncsbn.org/179.htm. Go to search box and type in "nurse aide registries", and a map will open for you to click on the state you want. Also many websites can be found by googling them.
Some states have a verification form that you will need to complete and forward it to us to complete the verification section. Nebraska does not have forms required by other states. You will need to contact that state to obtain their forms. We do not issue certificates or licensure cards for nurse aides. You can obtain a verification from our website. See Accessing the Nurse Aide Registry for more information. We do not charge a fee to complete this form. We usually process your application the same day it is received. It is mailed directly to the State Board of the state you are moving to unless that State Board requests that it be sent back to the aide. If you need it faxed to the other state’s registry, you will need to indicate this on your request and indicate the fax number of the state board it is going to.
If you are faxing your application to us, make sure it is on white paper. (Colored paper does not fax well—if it is on colored paper, you will need to make a copy of it and use the white copy when faxing.) It can be faxed or sent to:
Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry
ATTN: Nancy Stava
PO Box 94986
LincolnNE 68509-4986
FAX 402-471-1066
You may want to contact the Nebraska Registry at 402-471-0537 or by e-mail at nancy.stava@nebraska.gov to make sure your status is Active before you contact the other state’s registry. You could also check your status via our website at http://dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/Pages/lis_lisindex.aspx. Click on “License Search” and then “Individual” to bring up the search screen. If you have trouble finding or printing your record, please see Accessing the Nurse Aide Registry.
In Nebraska your nurse aide registration will remain active for two years from your last test date or last date of employment as reported to the Registry. Expiration date and employment information is not shown on the website, however. If you are currently working as a nurse aide and you know it has been reported to the Registry, you can use two years from the current date as your expiration date. If you have tested in the last two years and have not worked as a nurse aide, you can use two years from your last test date as your expiration date.
If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Stava at 402-471-0537.
Top of Page
Moving to Nebraska from Another State
If you are a nurse aide in another state and want to work in Nebraska, you must be on the Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry before you are eligible to work in a certified nursing facility. We process applications in order received and it can take up to two weeks to process your application once we receive it. To transfer your nurse aide registration from another state to Nebraska, you must submit:
1. Application for Interstate Endorsement Form and copies of any nurse aide certificates or licensure cards you have.
2. If you were initially trained in Iowa, you must also attach a photocopy of the actual certificate you received to prove you successfully completed a 75-hour course. This is not a copy of your Iowa licensure card and it is not the copy of your written or skills testing results. It must say that you completed a 75-hour nurse aide course and give the date completed and bear the name of the college or facility where you received your training. If you do not have this copy, you will need to contact the college or facility where you received your training to get a duplicate.
3. All nurse aides coming to Nebraska from another state need to complete a minimum one hour of training in procedures for reporting suspected abuse or neglect, even if similar training was completed as part of another state's requirements. The training can be obtained from one of the following:
A prospective Nebraska employer if the employer has the required training information and meets requirements to provide the training
Online training for a fee is available through Providence Health Career Institute, www.providencehealthcareer.com, or through Southeast Community College, jgreen@southeast.edu.
One of the following post-secondary education providers, approved to conduct the training for a fee determined by the provider:
Central Community College, Hastings 402-461-2441
Southeast Community College, Lincoln 402-437-2707
Clarkson College, Omaha 402-552-6148 or 6123
Western Nebraska Community College, Scottsbluff 308-635-6705
Nurse aides needing to complete the training need to make arrangements for the training with one of the above options. Do not contact the Nurse Aide Registry to make arrangements for the training. The nurse aide is responsible for any costs associated with receiving the training.
Your employer or the post-secondary education provider conducting the training will complete the Abuse In-Service Documentation Form and fax it to our office at 402-471-1066. You can print this form and take it with you when you apply for jobs. You do not need to send this form in to our office with your Application for Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry by Interstate Endorsement, but we must receive the completed Abuse In-Service Documentation Form before we can finish your application and issue your nurse aide registration number.
4. If we are not able to verify completion of an approved nurse aide course of at least 75 hours by contacting the Registry in the state in which you received your training, you may be required to submit verification of course completion before we can finish processing your application. You can obtain the phone number of the Nurse Aide Registry in another state at the National Council State Boards of Nursing website at https://www.ncsbn.org/179.htm. Go to Search at the top of the screen and type in "nurse aide registries". Click on the link that comes up. It should bring up a US map. Click on the state to bring up the Nurse Aide Registry address, phone number, and web address (if they have one). You may want to go to their website or call them to verify your status is active and to see if they can verify your training. If we are not able to verify you had a course of at least 75 hours, you will be required to retake the course in Nebraska. See "Approved Nurse Aide Courses."
5. If you have not worked or tested in the last 24 months, you will need to retest once we have reviewed your Application for Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry by Interstate Endorsement and determine you are eligible to sit for the exams in Nebraska. See "Reactivation from Lapsed to Active Status" and click on "Post-Secondary Education Providers" for more information. We must authorize you to retest, so you will need a letter from us stating you are eligible to test. If you were grandfathered on to the Registry without taking exams, you will be required to take them in Nebraska.
You may fax or mail your application to:
Nebraska Nurse Aide Registry
ATTN: Wanda Vodehnal
PO Box 94986
Lincoln NE 68509-4986
FAX: 402-471-1066
We will contact the Nurse Aide Registry in the state in which you received your training and any other states in which you have worked as a nurse aide.
We do not issue licensure cards for nurse aides. You may check the website which is updated daily at http://dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/Pages/lis_lisindex.aspx. Click on “License Search.” See Accessing the Nurse Aide Registry for detailed instructions on finding or printing your record.
If you have any questions, please call Wanda Vodehnal at 402-471-4971.
Top of Page
Fees
Nebraska does not charge any fees for placement on the nurse aide registry.
Top of Page
Applications
Abuse Inservice Documentation
Address Change Form
Course Notification
Employment Verification Form
Federal Application for Training Program Approval
Interstate Endorsement Form
Name Change Form
Registry form
State Application for Training Program Approval
Termination form
Top of Page
Role of the Nurse Aide
Nurse aides may perform nonspecialized tasks related to the personal care and comfort of residents, including activities of daily living. Nurse aides are to be competent to provide the tasks they are assigned to do.
According the to Nurse Practice Act, Registered Nurses are allowed to delegate noncomplex activities to unlicensed persons if done in accordance with 172 NAC 99 Regulations Governing the Provision of Nursing Care.
In Nebraska, any unlicensed person who provides medication in a licensed facility must meet the requirements of the Medication Aide Act.
Top of Page
Disqualification on the Registry
An individual can be disqualified for employment in a medicaid/medicare certified nursing facility if:
- They lapse due to no employment for more than 24 months;
- They have a conviction that has been entered onto the registry that is rationally related to the position of a nurse aide involving moral turpitude;
- A substantiated allegation of resident abuse, neglect or misappropriation of resident property in a medicare/medicaid certified facility that has been entered onto the registry.
When the department is made aware of a conviction for an individual who is listed on the nurse aide registry, court records are requested and the conviction is reviewed to determine if the conviction was for a crime of moral turpitude rationally related to the role of a nurse aide. If so determined, then the individual is notified of the department’s intent to place a finding of conviction on the registry. The individual is offered an opportunity for an administrative hearing and must request this in writing within 30 days of the notification. A finding of conviction is only entered onto the registry after either the individual does not appeal the decision or if all appeal rights have been resolved in favor of the department. A finding of conviction can be appealed once the conviction is no longer rationally related.
Department substantiated findings of resident abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of resident property in a certified nursing facility is entered after either the individual has not appealed the decision or all appeal rights have been resolved in favor of the Department. Findings of resident abuse or misappropriation of resident property are permanent findings. A finding of resident neglect may be appealed if the occurrence of neglect was a singular occurrence and may be done after a year has lapsed since the finding was placed on the registry.
The department looks at every conviction on an individual basis and cannot give definitive answers to whether a conviction would meet the criteria indicated above until the records have been reviewed. Specific questions regarding resident abuse, neglect, misappropriation of resident property or findings of convictions should be addressed to Anna Harrison by e-mail at anna.harrison@nebraska.gov or call her at (402) 471-2354.
Top of Page
Contact Us