Frequently Asked Questions

Go to Nursys to complete this process.

It costs $1.50 per license and per employer. If the license is active there is a free online verification at www.accesskansas.org/ksbn-verifications/.

We accept cash, check and money order payments only.

Verifications are mailed out within three business days of receiving the request and payment.

Our fee is $1.50 per license so you would send $3.00 for both licenses to be verified to the employer.

We do not have a standard form. A letter for the employer is acceptable.

Yes, the fee to have a verification faxed to an employer is $2.00 per license per employer.

No, faxed employment verifications will not be processed without the fee.

Employment Verifications contain the license number, nurse name, profession, original issue date, expiration date and alert code if one exists for the license. If the license is for a LPN with IV Certification, that information will also be displayed.

Fax a request for a verification of a Temporary Work Permit to us on employer letterhead at 785-296-3929. We will fax the response back within three business days.

Your Kansas nursing license expires on the last day of the month you were born, in odd or even years based upon which you were born in.

No, we are unable to send another Notice of Renewal.

No. All CNE must be completed and approved prior to submitting your renewal. Once you receive your approved IOA form you may complete your online or paper renewal application.

Yes, we do not close during the lunch period.

You may only place your LMHT, LPN, or RN license on “Inactive” status by submitting a paper “License Renewal Application” completed according to the special instructions for an “Inactive” license. ARNP licenses may not be placed on “Inactive” status.

As of July 1, 2010 we discontinued printing license cards for license renewals. You may go to “Check Status of Application” to review your expiration date and other aspects of your license.

You may only “Renew” an “Active” license. You may “Reinstate” your license up to five years after you have held an active without having to complete a refresher course.

Submit an “Information Request” form found in the “Forms” section of our website. List specifically what information you need and mail the form to our office. A fee may be applied.

Prior to your expiration date, print the License Renewal Application from the Forms section of our website. Send in completed application with the $10.00 fee. You will NOT receive a license card and you will need to renew your Inactive status again in two years.

Prior to your expiration date, print the License Renewal Application from the Forms section of our website. Send in completed application with the $50.00 fee. You will NOT receive a license card and you will need to renew your Exempt status again in two years.

Notice of Renewal Applications are only mailed out for LMHT, LPN, & RN licenses. The advance practice licenses will be renewed automatically with the RN license.

Paper License Renewal Applications are still accepted in our office.

Access the KSBN website.

Your canceled check or credit card statement may serve as a receipt for payment of your renewal.

You must create a UserID and Password. Click Register a Person and follow online instructions.

A new system was implemented in March of 2009. This new system gives you control over your own login information. The PIN number of the past will NOT work for you.

Make sure you enter your last name correctly. Also make sure you enter your date of birth and social security number as the examples show. If you continue to be unable to renew your license please contact KSBN at 785-296-4929.

Within 90 days prior to expiration date.

Your ARNP license is automatically renewed with your RN license.

On the “Application for License Renewal” screen you must click on the word “Continue” within the profession you are trying to renew.

Because the ARNP is tied in with the RN license you should print out the paper “License Renewal Application” and mail it in to get your RN and ARNP expiration dates in sync with each other.

Some browsers do not recognize the encrypted security certificate. This is the same site used by all state agencies for various business transactions. You have the option to file a paper renewal.

If it has been over 30 months since passing the NCLEX or if you were licensed by endorsement/reinstatement and it is more than 9 months prior to the license expiration date, 30 hours of CNE will be required.

Some browsers can not read our java script and therefore can not process your payment. You may renew by using a different browser or completing a paper renewal.

When you renew online there may be some processing that will take place. Unresolved issues may delay the licensing process. Keep checking your expiration date online.

As of July 1, 2010 we discontinued printing license cards for license renewals. You may go to “Check Status of Application” to review your expiration date and other aspects of your license.

You must now complete a paper reinstatement application.

Your 30 hours of approved CNE must be completed PRIOR to submitting your application.

CNE providers approved by any state Board of Nursing or any nationally recognized Nursing organization such as ANCC or AANA or a course approved through the individual offering approval (IOA) process.

Print and complete the Reinstatement Application from the Forms section.

If you DO NOT have your 30 hours of continuing nursing education you can apply for a temporary permit which will allow you 120 days to meet the requirements. You are allowed to work with the Temporary Permit as long as long as it is active.

Yes, when requested on the application with appropriate fee, unless you have disqualifying factors. The granting of Temporary Permits is discretionary.

No, you are responsible for submitting your original certificates to KSBN.

CNE providers approved by any state Board of Nursing or any nationally recognized Nursing organization such as ANCC or AANA or a course approved through the individual offering approval (IOA) process.

Any applicant whose Kansas license has lapsed for more than five years beyond its expiration date may reinstate the license by submitting evidence of:

• Current licensure in another jurisdiction which requires completion of a number of contact hours of continuing nursing education for license renewal which are equivalent to or greater than the number of hours required in Kansas or
• Licensure in another jurisdiction sometime during the preceding five-year period, and completion of 30 contact hours of approved continuing nursing education within the preceding two-year period or
• Satisfactory completion of a refresher course approved by the board

You have 2 years from the date of your graduation to test without additional requirements.

You will receive your ATT once:

• KSBN has received completed application with fee
• KSBN has received Approval to Test before Transcript or your Degree posted Transcript
• Applicant has submitted examination fee to PearsonVue

You should check status of application to see that you have met all of your requirements.

• Visit www.ksbn.org website
• Select Check Status of Application
• Register a Person to create a UserID and Password
• Log in to see what may be missing

If you have passed NCLEX, KSBN may not have received all the required documentation.

• Visit www.ksbn.org website
• Select Check Status of Application
• Register a Person to create a UserID and Password
• Log in to see what may be missing

This may mean we are waiting on the background check information from the fingerprints you submitted. It does not necessarily mean there have been legal issues discovered.

License cards for new licensees are printed at least weekly.

It means that you passed the NCLEX exam. This does NOT mean a license has been issued yet.

Please refer to our website, www.ksbn.org, click on Forms & scroll down to Instructions for Foreign Nurses.

Please contact your school or visit the NCSBN.org website for the code which is required on the Initial License application.

The expiration date shall be the last day of the month in which the licensee’s birthday occurs and will be an odd or even year depending on which year you were born in. A license expires every two years. Refer to our License Verification Database at www.ksbn.org to see when your license expires.

NCLEX candidates may request special accommodations for taking the NCLEX examination. The instructions are available at the KSBN website.

No, the complete Petition for Permission to Test or Retest must be mailed.

• Re-apply and submit payment to PearsonVue (at www.ncsbn.org) to test
• Completed application with fee to KSBN
• If over two years after graduation date, complete Petition for Permission to Test or Retest

An incomplete application could be any of the following:

• White-out was used on an application
• Fee not enclosed
• Application not signed/notarized on the same date
• Copy received not original application
• All questions need to be answered completely including graduation date and school codes

If it has been less than 30 months since passing the NCLEX exam, you are not required to obtain CNE. You should answer no. If it has been more then 30 months and you have completed approved CNE you should answer yes.

If it has been less than 9 months since reinstatement or endorsement, you are not required to obtain CNE. You should answer no. If it has been more then 9 months and you have completed approved CNE you should answer yes.

You may be disciplined.

Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) Certificates or CNE transcripts that clearly designate the number of hours of approved Continuing Nursing Education that has been successfully completed. CNE Certificates and CNE transcripts must contain: Name of CNE offering; provider name or name of the accrediting organization; provider number or number of the accrediting organization, if applicable; offering date; number of contact hours awarded; and the licensee’s name and license number as shown on the course roster. Examples of acceptable providers are IOA forms; CNE providers approved by any State Board of Nursing or any Nationally recognized Nursing Accrediting Organization, such as: ANCC, NFLPN.

Any course not approved by a recognized CNE provider must go through the individual offering approval process. This would include all college courses and all courses provided by other health care providers.

No. All CNE’s must be completed and approved prior to your renewal. Once you receive your approved IOA form you may complete your online or paper renewal application.

No. Please retain your certificates in the event you are selected for an audit. If you are audited you must submit original certificates.

Thirty (30) hours of approved Continuing Nursing Education are required every 2 years. You must have completed your CNE before submitting the renewal application. If you hold an APRN license, all Continuing Nursing Education for renewal must be completed at the level of the APRN role you hold, ie: NP, CNS, NMS, or CRNA.

No, KSBN does not provide a list. Some courses can be found in the KSBN Nursing newsletter.

Check the accreditation and/or approval on all courses that you complete. KSBN will only accept Continuing Nursing Education that is approved or accredited by Nursing providers. Examples of acceptable providers are KSBN IOA form; CNE providers approved by any state Board of Nursing or any nationally recognized Nursing organization such as ANCC or AANA.

For APRN’s, compare the course objectives/outcomes for any CNE course you are considering with the GUIDELINES IN FINDING CNE FOR APRNS found on the home page of ksbn.org. If the objectives meet one of the APRN Guidelines, then it would be appropriate for APRN level Continuing Nursing Education.

College course are not approved for CNE contact hours without submission of an Individual Offering Approval (IOA) form, prior to renewal or reinstatement of license. Even with the submission of an IOA not all college courses are eligible for CNE contact hours. College courses acceptable for CNE with an IOA may include any of the following: any college courses in science, psychology, sociology, or statistics that are prerequisites for a nursing degree. Contact hours shall not be recognized by the board for any of the following: an incomplete or failed college course or any college course in literature and composition, public speaking, basic math, algebra, humanities, or other general education requirements unless the course meets the definition of CNE. Please note if you have successfully completed a college course within your renewal period and the course meets the definition of CNE, you must submit the course for official approval by IOA to the Board PRIOR to renewal of your nursing license.

Definition of CNE: K.S.A 65‐1117 (a) Continuing nursing education means learning experiences intended to build upon the educational and experiential bases of the registered professional and licensed practical nurse for the enhancement of practice, education, administration, research or theory development to the end of improving the health of the public.

KSBN will now accept approved Continuing Nursing Education courses for APRNs, RNs, LPNs, and LMHTs, that are 30 minutes or longer, for inclusion in the total hours needed for license renewal.

CME’s are Continuing Medical Education (CME) and not Continuing Nursing Education (CNE). These may only be used if the course is submitted for approval on the Individual Offering of Approval (IOA) form, or if the course is accredited by ANCC for nursing CNE.

No, you must submit the IOA form, and other items as noted in the instructions for completing the IOA form, online here.

One CEU (continuing education unit) = 10 contact hours. One contact hour is equal to 50 clock minutes. One contact hour is accepted by KSBN as 1 CNE hour.

You must fill out either a Single Program Providership Application or a Long-Term Providership Application depending on your needs.

If approved, a college class will be worth 15 contact hours of CNE for every one semester credit that was earned for the college class. An original transcript is necessary to prove completion of the class, along with a syllabus, the IOA form and a self addressed, stamped envelope.

Yes. Nothing in the Kansas Nurse Practice Act prevents a nurse from receiving a physicians order through an unlicensed person. The Healing Arts Act does not preclude a physician from relaying an order through an unlicensed person. A nurse still has a duty to know that it is a legitimate physician order and to question the order if it does not seem standard/correct. Some liability carriers preclude an insured from engaging in this practice because having a middleman/unlicensed individual can increase the margin for error. Check your facility policy/procedure to see if it is prohibited or allowed.

Yes. As a rule the Kansas Nurse Practice Act requires that an individual must be licensed to supervise the nursing process. A non-nurse could not supervise nursing practice. However a non-nurse could supervise basic employment issues (ie: cleanliness, appearance, time issues, etc.).

No. A non-nurse could help draft the basic schedule according to usual requirements but the final decision would be a nursing decision because patient census/acuity factors must be considered.

No. Making assignments involves the nursing process and judgment regarding patient acuity and staff skill mix.

K.S.A. 1113(d)(2) sets three qualifiers for LPN practice: 1) an LPN must have a supervisor that is an RN, someone licensed to practice medicine and surgery (M.D. or D.O.) or a dentist; 2) an LPN must function in the area of supportive and/or restorative care; 3) an LPN’s activities must be based on acceptable educational preparation. If these three criteria are met an LPN may engage in care, nursing diagnosis, treatment, counsel and health teaching , supervision, administration, teaching of the nursing process and execution of the medical regimen. These activities are most often limited by the LPN’s educational preparation. Any post basic education obtained can be considered and should meet the industry standard.

No. A nurse must accept a specific patient assignment then walk away during that work period without obtaining an appropriate relief/replacement worker to constitute patient abandonment. No call/no show may constitute job abandonment from an employment perspective.

No. K.S.A. 65-1114 makes it unlawful for any individual to practice as, hold oneself out as, use any sign/card/device or words to the effect they are licensed as an RN, LPN or ARNP unless they are duly licensed or authorized. K.S.A. 65-1122 imposes a criminal penalty for such actions.

No. The general rule of law (K.S.A. 65-1114) says they cannot. See above answer. There are some exceptions to this answer and they are found at K.S.A. 65-1124. They include but are not limited to; gratuitous nursing by friends or family, domestic servants, unlicensed people who have had a nursing action delegated to them by a nurse, etc.

Yes. The Healing Arts Act allows physicians to delegate the practice of medicine to anyone the physician deems qualified. Qualified could mean by education, licensure, or on the job training. When a physician delegates it must be appropriate (ie; a specific task for a specific patient).

Yes. K.S.A. 65-1113(d)(2) would allow that authority if the LPN had; 1) a supervisor that is an RN, MD DO, DDS; 2) the LPN is functioning in supportive/restorative care and 3) the act was based on acceptable educational preparation. The LPN would also need a physician’s order.

It is the education level and content most common to all individuals that perform the same activity. Example; a phlebotomist receives basic education on anatomy, tube selection for tests required, blood drawing procedure. An LPN or RN would have to know/learn the same information. The level of education required is not set by statute or regulation but is industry driven. Look to see what most facilities or liability carriers require.

Yes. But it must be done correctly or one will be guilty of falsifying a patient record. First, the information must be truthful. Example One cannot go back and make up vital signs and fill-in blanks because a clerk says no payment will occur without them. Second, check the facility policy and procedure and follow those directions on late entries. Third, if there is no policy or procedure it is probably most correct to identify the actual time of information addition and circle the time of the actual nursing act to show it is a late entry. Some people choose to add an “Addendum” to the chart. It is not uncommon for a nurse to forget to record something, remember it later and on return to work make a late entry. It is the normal course of business. One should never go back and change something on the original writing. Late additions/entries should be set off and placed in the next available chronological space.

Yes. Even though the legislature and Board through statutes and regulations set a wide scope of practice for nurses, an employer can choose what they will and won’t allow a nurse to do. A nurse is bound by the facility policy and procedure. K.S.A. 65-1120(a)(6) unprofessional conduct is a ground for discipline of a nurses license. At K.A.R. 60-3-110(c) unprofessional conduct is defined as failing to follow policies and procedures in the practice situation designed to safeguard the patient. You must know and follow your facility policy and procedures unless you believe it is clearly substandard.

See Helpful Links.

The Board of Nursing strongly encourages all individuals with a criminal or discipline history to be fully prepared with information regarding their background and to start the application process early.

Yes, The Kansas State Board of Nursing Page contained in the accessKansas website at www.accesskansas.org/ksbn-verifications/ is the official verification website of the Kansas State Board of Nursing. The accessKansas website receives the Kansas State Board of Nursing information directly from the Kansas State Board of Nursing database and is protected from alteration by unauthorized individuals by using encryption technology. The Kansas State Board of Nursing Page is considered a primary source for Kansas State Board of Nursing data. It is the same information the Kansas State Board of Nursing provides through other means and is true and complete to the best of our knowledge.

When the information is exported to INK.org, the license number is broken into 3 separate fields. The License Verification Database only searches for the middle license numbers.  Likewise the first 0 (zero) in the second set of numbers was dropped as part of a Licensee’s License Number.   In short when searching in the License Verification Database by license number, only search the middle five numbers as represented by X‘s in the example.  Example: 14-0XXXXX-082.

License numbers are broken down into 3 sections, the License Prefix specifies the Profession, the Middle numbers are a randomly generated identifier and the License Suffix specifies the month and odd or even year of renewal. View the License Prefix Professions Meanings.

Yes, any Law Enforcement agency that is authorized to take prints is acceptable.

The law enforcement agency that takes the prints should mail them to KSBN in the self addressed stamped envelope you provide.

Find another law enforcement agency.

You may be charged an additional fee by the law enforcement agency for the fingerprinting service.

You may write one check for the total of the application fee and the fingerprint fee for the background check.

No, you must mail in a check or money order to cover the cost of conducting the background check.

Fingerprints will be sent to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and will be returned to KSBN within 5 -10 business days. Processing may take longer if a name search is required.

You must repeat the background check in Kansas so we can obtain a state check as well as a federal background check.

Not if the Advance Practice Application is completed within 6 months of the original fingerprints.

No, we do not have the ability to receive fingerprints from other agencies electronically.

The fingerprint card, and waiver signed by the individual taking prints, must be mailed from the police department in a 9×12 stamped envelope addressed to KSBN. The envelope is provided by the applicant.

No, the fingerprint card can not be processed if it has been bent. Contact KSBN for another fingerprint card.

Use the KSBN fingerprinting card.

Your fingerprints are good for 6 months from when they are taken. If you do not successfully pass the NCLEX within the 6 month timeframe your fingerprints will need to be re-taken.

Yes, the school must mail the fingerprints to the KSBN office.

Any law enforcement agent who is authorized to take fingerprints.