What kind of background check does hospitals want - doing clinicals?

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Sep 5, 2010

my health system requires a state police background check; fingerprints if you lived outside the state in past 2 years. those who work with children + elderly must also have fbi background check. additionally, credit check is performed.

chri: criminal history record information - information collected by criminal justice agencies concerning individuals, and arising from the initiation of a criminal proceeding, consisting of identifiable descriptions, dates and notations of arrests, indictments, informations or other formal criminal charges and any dispositions arising there from. the term does not include intelligence information, investigative information or treatment information, including medical and psychological information, or information and records specified in section 9104 (relating to scope).
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&objid=4451&&pageid=491408&mode=2

this response is based on a comparison of data provided by the requester in part i of the form against the information contained in the files of the pennsylvania state police central repository only, and does not preclude the existence of criminal records which might be contained in the repositories of other local, state, or federal criminal justice agencies.

pa criminal backgound :prohibitive offenses no hiring most healthcare facility

UVA Grad Nursing · Sep 5, 2010

The requirements will vary from state to state, and perhaps from institution to institution. At our medical center, anyone who works with children, the elderly, or those with disabilities is required to have full State and FBI background check, as well as a drug check.

Very few units or clinics do not work with either children, the elderly, or people with disabilities.

N2NRSING · Sep 5, 2010

I have reviewed my schools nursing application and they do not ask if you have been convicted of anything, it simply states that you should contact the BON and inquire for a declaratory letter if you have anything in your background that might prevent you from being licensed in the future. That being said, I am wondering if once you get to the clinical rotations if this might become a problem. I have an espunged misdemeanor many many years ago and have background checked myself and nothing comes up but I think it always does in fingerprinting. Did any of you have problems with your rotations due to something in your background? Did any of the clinical sites and or schools demand fingerprinting? I know if you want to work with children or elderly you have to be fingerprinted but that does mean that for your OB rotation you have to be fingerprinted? I am looking for nurses that have gone through this personally as my real interest is to know ONLY if any of you were fingerprinted or had problems with doing your rotations and or accepting a job due to fingerprinting after being licensed. thanks so much!

morningdew · Sep 6, 2010

My particular program required FBI fingerprinting as part of pre-matriculation requirements. Without it, we can't start our clinicals.