License question

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Brand new nurse here. So new that I just got my actual paper license in the mail last week. My question is.... My employer asked for it. I gave them a copy. HR lady was like, "No, we need the original. We keep them in a box here." Is this normal? This place I work has been doing lots of things that make me scratch my head. People are shocked that I question their policies, but that has always been me. If something doesn't feel right, I want an explanation for it. There was no explanation for why she wants my original copy, but there was other people in the room and I was on my way home after a rough full moon night.

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I have never had anyone ask to keep my original license, and I would never agree to that. The current standard (for all the regulatory agencies) is to verify licenses on the BON website, not to check or copy the original licenses (which can be forged). When I was a hospital surveyor for my state and CMS 17 years ago, if a hospital had copies of everyone's licenses in their personnel folders, but didn't have evidence that they had verified the licenses on the website, we cited them for failing to verify licenses.

I will say that, in the past (back in the days of making copies of licenses), employers would require that you bring in your original license and the employer would then make a photocopy for the files -- they wouldn't just accept a photocopy of the license from the nurse. But, again, I've never (in 30+ years of nursing) had any employer want to keep my actual, original license. If that's what the HR lady was actually saying (and not that she needed the original so that she could make a copy to "keep in a box"), that's weird.

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Specializes in Home health, Addictions, Detox, Psych and clinics..

That sound terrible and almost unlawful! I have never been asked to relinquish the original copy of anything for "their" safe keeping.. not good. Runaway! Shady nursing practices= no Bueno!

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For sure NO. And I work for the federal government. No one gets my original license except for me.

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Specializes in TBI and SCI.

WTF you will NEVER need to give an original anything to an employer. There is no need for them to keep it, like mentioned above, online verification is all an employer needs. They can photocopy the license, BLScard, ID and that's about it.

I suggest you don't even talk to them again, is this a home health agency?? Does not seem like a legitimate, well run business. Continue to look for a job, don't be desperate!

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Thank you everyone. I have not heard back for her after I gave her my copy so i won't be pressing the issue. It is a LTC or "Continuing Care Community" and I am still questioning if I should of taken on this position as my first one fresh from nursing school. I know that I should give it at least 6 months, but there is a lot of things that just make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. *sigh* is this normal?

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So they want to control your original license so that you can't look for work elsewhere without them knowing about it? So that they can threaten you with the fact that they have physical possession of your license? Based on that and your spidey sense, I would resume a job search if I were you.

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So they want to control your original license so that you can't look for work elsewhere without them knowing about it? So that they can threaten you with the fact that they have physical possession of your license? Based on that and your spidey sense, I would resume a job search if I were you.

Most places I worked never asked to see the actual hard copy excerpt for a few agencies who made copies. I lost my wallet once that had my nursing license in it. I needed the physical license for a job for them to copy and I got a replacement in the mail a few days after paying a small fee online. This company may think that they are holding on to the nurse's license, but the nurse can easily get a replacement card.

I do agree that I would not allow them to keep the original, especially "in a box". That's just weird. I would find a different place of employment.

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Every place except one has asked for a COPY of my license. None have ever asked for the original, nor would I allow anyone to keep the original.

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