Alabama Board of Nursing Regulatory Questions

It is important for nursing students to know about the Alabama Board of Nursing's regulations on the review of candidates for eligibility for initial and continuing licensure. In order to practice nursing, ADN graduates must make application with the appropriate state board of nursing to sit for, and pass, the National Certification for Licensure by Examination. Applicants for licensure in Alabama do this through the Alabama Board of Nursing, students seeking licensure out of state will make application though the appropriate professional nursing regulatory agency in the state in which they wish to practice. The Alabama Board of Nursing has provided the following as an example of the questions to which applicants for licensure in the state of Alabama will need to respond to. The Alabama Board of Nursing may deny licensure based on any history of issues as outlined in the following questions.

  • Have you ever been arrested for, been charged with, been convicted of, entered a plea of guilty to, entered a plea of nolo contendere or no contest for, received deferred prosecution or adjudication for, had judgment withheld for, received pretrial diversion for, or pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity or mental defect to any crime other than a minor traffic violation in any state, territory, or country? A crime related to driving while impaired or while under the influence of any substance is not a "minor traffic violation."
  • In the past five years, have you abused alcohol, drugs (whether legal or illegal, prescribed or unauthorized), and/or other chemical substances or received treatment or been recommended for treatment for dependency to alcohol, drugs (whether legal or illegal, prescribed or unauthorized), and/or other chemical substances?
  • Have you ever been arrested or convicted for driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol?
  • In the past five years, have you had, or do you now have, a physical or mental health problem that may impair your ability to provide safe nursing care?
  • Has the licensing authority of any state, territory, or country denied, revoked, suspended, reprimanded, fined, accepted your surrender of, restricted, limited, placed on probation, or in any other way disciplined your nursing and/or any other occupational license, registration, certification, or approval?
  • Is the Board of Nursing or other licensing authority of any state, territory, or country, including but not limited to the Alabama Board of Nursing, currently investigating you?
  • Is disciplinary action pending against you with the Board of Nursing or other licensing authority of any state, territory, or country, including but not limited to the Alabama Board of Nursing?
  • Have you ever been placed on a state and/or federal abuse registry?
  • Has any branch of the armed services ever administratively discharged you with any characterization of service besides "Honorable" and/or court-martialed you?

Questions about personal issues that appear to relate to any of the above should be directed to the Alabama Board of Nursing, or to the appropriate out-of-state professional nursing regulatory agency.