Kentucky Board of Nursing

Kentucky Board of Nursing (KBN) – Overview

Wondering how you start your nursing career? If so, you must get certified by the Kentucky Board of Nursing.

The best part is that the employment of registered nurses is increasing in the USA. As per BLS, there were 3,172,500 registered nursing jobs in the United States in 2022.

A specialty profession is always evolving to fulfill social needs and has a well-established reputation for compassion and dedication.

Nurses are crucial to maintaining public health because they guarantee accurate diagnoses and continue to inform the public about crucial health issues.

Due to the wide range of specializations and difficult skills needed in nursing, each nurse will have unique talents, passions, and competence.

Let’s discuss acquiring your nursing license from the Kentucky Board of Nursing.

What is the Kentucky Board of Nursing?

The Kentucky Board of Nursing is committed to safeguarding the public from dangerous practices and unprofessional behavior among nurses, ensuring safety, and certifying competent nurses who care for patients and their families.

It can be difficult to pursue a successful career in nursing in Kentucky.

The Kentucky Board of Nursing rewards nurses who strive to keep their licenses with pride, knowing they deliver high-quality care and uphold moral standards.

This post will give you all the necessary information, along with pertinent links, regarding how to get a license in Kentucky, how to renew it, what the minimum criteria are, etc.

Kentucky Board of Nursing’s Main Objective

KBN strives to provide services in healthcare regulation that are of benchmark quality and to fulfill the demands of a fast-paced, constantly evolving healthcare environment.

The Board’s fundamental objective is to create a defendable regulating approach that safeguards the public, including:

#1. Maintain improvements to the mechanisms for disciplinary action and compliance monitoring.

#2. Examine the standards for pre-licensure nursing education programs.

#3. Consider the legal implications of licensed practical, registered, and advanced nursing practice.

#4. Boost technology use to support board operations and services

#5. Encourage an organizational culture that aligns with the Board’s mission, vision, and values.

#6. Ensure that Board members and staff are constantly informed about their roles, the agency’s mission, structure, and services.

#7. Ensure that the KBN organizational structure complies with state government standards.

The KCBN disciplines and licenses include

The KBN issues the following license, credential, or certification types:

• LPN
• RN
• SANE
• APRN
• SRNA/CNA
• Dialysis Technician
• Licensed Certified Professional Midwife

How Can I Obtain a Kentucky Board of Nursing License?

The Process of getting a Kentucky Board of Nursing license is as follows:

 Temporary License

#1. Fill out an online Licensure by Endorsement application.

#2. Pay the corresponding fees.

#3. Online State Criminal Background Check

#4. Federal fingerprinting and background check

#5. Regardless of the state of initial licensure, an official transcript showing your degree and graduation date is required.

#6. Nurses will not be awarded a temporary permit until their official transcript is received.

#7. All recent graduates and California nurses should get confirmation of their nursing licenses from their original nursing board.

#8. Complete the Kentucky Jurisprudence Exam. After applying to the Kentucky Board of Nursing, click on Application Status to access the exam link. 

Permanent License

#1. Online or by postal mail, complete the Licensure by Endorsement application.

#2. Pay the corresponding fees.

#3. The Kentucky Board of Nursing will process your criminal background check within 7–14 business days.

#4. Get a fingerprint card by requesting it (mailed to you within 1-2 business days), complete the fingerprint card, and mail it with the relevant fees to the Kentucky State Police.

Electronic fingerprints are recognized. Additionally, you can get your fingerprints taken at any police or sheriff’s office or a UPS postal facility. After the card is mailed to the Kentucky State Police, allow two to three weeks for processing.

#5. You must complete the Nursys verification process, pay the required money, and choose Kentucky as the recipient of the verification if the state is a Nursys participant. If not, you must speak directly with your state board for additional guidance.

They must complete and submit the Verification of License form on your behalf to the Kentucky State Board of Nursing.

#6. Complete the Kentucky Jurisprudence Exam. After applying to the KBN, select Application Status to access the exam link.

#7. You must request that your nursing program give the Kentucky Board of Nursing an official transcript with the degree and graduation date listed if you previously held a license from Hawaii, Kansas, Connecticut, Michigan, California, Connecticut, or Washington.

#8. You must produce proof of competency if you haven’t worked 500 hours in the last five years (fresh grads are exempt from this requirement) (if applicable).

#9. Report any criminal convictions and offer supporting documentation (if applicable).

Kentucky Board of Nursing Minimum Requirements

#1. You must meet RN and LPN pre-licensing education requirements outlined by the Kentucky Board of Nursing.

#2. Complete a post-secondary program at an accredited institution leading to a nursing degree. LPNs who do not want to pursue a baccalaureate degree but still want to work as CNAs can submit an online application at https://kbn.ky.gov/, the Kentucky Board of Nursing’s official website.

#3. You must take classes on various vital subjects, Kentucky laws and regulations, and how medical errors are committed to maintaining your license.

#4. If you renew your nursing license for the first time in Kentucky, you must complete at least one hour of continuing education on HIV/AIDS.

Kentucky Board of Nursing License Renewal

Kentucky nursing licenses must be renewed every two years, and you must earn the following:

#1. Each year, license renewal requires fourteen contact hours of continuing education from a recognized provider.

#2. Within three years of obtaining your Kentucky nursing license, you must complete 13 hours of continuing education on domestic violence that the Kentucky Board of Nursing has authorized.

#3. Within three years of receiving your Kentucky nursing license, you must complete 1.5 hours of continuing education in pediatric abuse head trauma that the Kentucky Board of Nursing has recognized.

Licensing Fee Information

A recent amendment to KBN administrative rules increased specific fees. The new fees specifically are as follows:

#1. Licensure by examination (RN or LPN): $125

#2. Licensure by endorsement (RN or LPN): $165

#3. Licensure as an APRN: $165

#4. Reinstatement of license (APRN, RN, or LPN): $135

#5. Renewal of RN or LPN license: $55

#6. Renewal of APRN license: $55

#7. Renewal of SANE credential: $50

Two additional $5 fees, NISF and KARE, are mandated by law in addition to the renewal charge.

Compared to the renewal fees for other Kentucky-licensed healthcare professions, including pharmacists, dentists, physical therapists, etc., the renewal fees for RNs and LPNs are favorable. The fee for that is $50 to $295.

Requirements for Continuing Education

Overview of the Kentucky APRN continuing education requirements:

Date of the following license renewal: October 31, 2022

#1. If you obtained the certification during the licensure term, have been in effect throughout the whole licensure period, or have been renewed during the licensure period, APRNs may use their board certification to complete the fourteen contact hours required for RN license renewal.

#2. All APRNs must complete a minimum of two contact hours, including one contact hour on suicide prevention and one on chronic stress, pathways to care, systems of care, and ethical issues. These NEW one-time requirements go into effect on January 13, 2022.

#3. All APRNs must complete a minimum of 1.5 contact hours in implicit bias education, which covers the effects of historical racism, recognizing implicit bias, and steps to lessen implicit bias.

#4. For nurses with active licenses as of July 1, 2023, the hours for both new criteria must be completed by that day. These conditions must be met only once. Since they lack pharmacological content, APRNs cannot use these hours toward their annual CE requirements.

#5. All APRNs must complete at least five contact hours in pharmacology for each licensure renewal period.

#6. APRNs with a CAPA-CS must complete three contact hours on pain management, addiction disorders, or the use of KASPER. These hours might count toward the 5 CE contact hours in pharmacology necessary for APRN license renewal.

#7. Nurses with a SANE credential must complete five contact hours of forensic medicine or domestic violence during every earning period. These hours might count toward the 14 continuing education contact hours necessary for license renewal.

Steps for renewing a Kentucky nursing license

The Kentucky Board of Nursing evaluates the applicant’s Continuing Education (CE) records every three years and sends them an updated license letter.

Applicants for Kentucky nurse license renewals must use the Nursing CE Broker.

Kentucky requires verification of licensure from your original state of licensure for endorsement applicants. That state has no disciplinary charges against you on file or pending.

The steps you must take to renew your license are listed below:

#1. Complete CE requirements. You can check more information about CE requirements at https://kbn.ky.gov/Pages/Renewal.aspx

#2. Apply for renewal.

#3. Pay the fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The details mentioned above should help you learn more about the Kentucky Board of Nursing, its procedures, how licenses are renewed, where it is located, how to contact it, and so on.

We hope this article helps you achieve your passion and become a registered nurse.

See Also

Alabama Board of Nursing

Arizona Board of Nursing

Grants for Single Mothers in Alabama

Georgia Board of Nursing

Texas Board of Nursing

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