Can an individual with a felony become a licensed nurse in Iowa?

A. In order for an individual to become licensed in Iowa, they must first graduate from a state board approved nursing program, at which time they can then apply for licensure. If they have answered yes to the felony question on the licensure application they must appear before the Iowa Board of Nursing to be approved for licensure. The applicant has the option to sit for the NCLEX exam before or after they have received approval for licensure. The applicant will be asked to submit the following written materials to the board office at the time of application.

a. Send a copy of the Court records; i.e. trial information, judgment entry and sentencing order with the application.
b. A written assessment of your life before, at the time of, and after the conviction.
c. Parole/Probation Officer’s assessment if currently under active supervision or a letter from your parole/probation officer stating that you completed the requirements of your probation.
d. Employment history (please include in your written assessment).
e. Enclose copies of all substance abuse evaluations with treatment discharge summary and aftercare recommendations.

Letters of recommendation may also be included.

The website for the board of nursing is:   http://www.state.ia.us/nursing

The URL for the FAQ page on licensure as a nurse is: http://www.state.ia.us/nursing/faq/licensure.html

For more general information about employment issues you might have because of your felony conviction, I would also suggest contacting your local job services office to see what they might be able to tell you: http://www.iowaworkforce.org/centers/files/offices.htm. 

Finally, for other general questions about felony convictions, you might try contacting the State Law Library at:  http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/services/law-library/index/

The above information was provided by:

Leslie E.W. Hickey
Iowa Code Editor
Legislative Services Agency
(515)281-8871
leslie.hickey@legis.state.ia.us

I posted this in the hopes that it would aid someone out there who wants to improve their life and help others.  Best of luck to you!