Background Check & Drug Screening

Certain criminal offenses preclude students from participating in patient care. In addition, some professional licensure boards prohibit licensure for those convicted of specific offenses. Thus, students from professional programs are subject to the statutory and/or regulatory requirements independently imposed by law, or as required by affiliating entities.

Students must meet any and all requirements of the clinical facility, which may be more extensive than required by Eastern Florida State College (EFSC). This policy is designed to provide a safe environment for patients, visitors, faculty, employees and students at Eastern Florida State College, Nursing & Health Sciences Institute and its affiliated institutions. Certified criminal background checks (CBCs) and Drug Screens (DS) allow the Health Sciences Institute programs to evaluate whether students possess the character and fitness to participate in clinical education activities.

The Nursing & Health Sciences Institute Programs do not guarantee that state licensure boards will ultimately issue a license to an individual with or without a criminal record.

For more information about Florida's background check requirements, see the Florida State Statutes on the Florida Legislature web page as well as on the State of Florida employment screenings statutes web page.

Students admitted to any Health Sciences Institute programs will be informed of this policy and its requirements at the time of conditional acceptance. At this time the student will be required to complete a criminal background check and authorize release of the results to appropriate academic and/or clinical personnel. A successful criminal background check will be considered a condition of acceptance and it must be completed prior to the start of classes.

Students currently enrolled in Health Sciences Institute programs will be required to complete a successful criminal background check and authorize release of the results to appropriate academic and/or clinical personnel before starting their clinical rotation.

Any disruption in enrollment may require the student to undergo an additional criminal background check.

Students will be required to report any criminal convictions subsequent to completion of the initial criminal background check. Failure to comply with this policy will preclude participation in clinical rotations. As a result, the student will not be able to complete the requirements of the educational program and will result in dismissal from the program.

1. Prospective students for any of the Health Sciences Institute programs are notified through the admissions process and website program pages that if admitted they would be required to complete a criminal background check and authorize release of the results to appropriate academic and/or clinical personnel after admission.

2. Students accepted for conditional admission will be notified that matriculation is contingent upon the evaluation and acceptable outcome of all required CBCs.

3. Students will be notified verbally, by letter or e-mail of the deadline for completion. EFSC will provide students with the name of vendor with which the Health Sciences Institute has established reporting relationship. Students will be given instructions on obtaining and reporting the results of their CBC. Students will be responsible for all costs associated with completion of a criminal background check.

4. The program coordinator will have access to the results that will be maintained on a secured electron site maintained through the vendor.

5. In the event a record of conviction is found, the record will be screened as to severity by the vendor and the program coordinator will be notified, who will then notify the student. At that time, the student will be denied admission or dismissed from the program.

*Students claiming inaccuracies in their CBC will be referred to the entity completing the initial CBC for procedures as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Some criminal offenses preclude students from participating in patient care. In addition, some professional licensure boards include specific offenses which constitute those crimes for which licensure are prohibited. Major offenses are those that indicate clear potential threat or harm to the community and constitutes an automatic failure of the CBC. Prospective students with any of these offenses will be denied admission into any programs in the Health Sciences Institute, and students currently enrolled in any programs will be dismissed from that program. Prior to entry into any Nursing & Health Sciences Institute Programs, the prospective student and/or applicant will be required to complete the Criminal Background Check.

All felony cases listed below will be posted as an Automatic Fail:

• Assault and related offenses when resulting in a felony
• Battery and related offenses when resulting in a felony
• Arson, Attempted Arson
• Child abuse, aggravated child abuse, neglect of a child, exploitation of a child
• Endangering the welfare of a child
• Theft and related offenses resulting in a felony
• Contributing to the delinquency or dependency of a child
• Fraud
• Credit Card Crimes; Credit Card Fraud, Credit Card Theft, Illegally use a Credit Card
• Hate Crimes and related offenses
• Sale, Distribute, Deliver controlled substances and related offenses when resulting in a felony
• Possession of a controlled substance when resulting in a felony
• Animal Abuse
• Kidnapping, False Imprisonment
• Killing of an unborn child by injury to the mother
• Lewd and Lascivious Behavior when resulting in a felony
• Murder, Maiming, Manslaughter, Attempted Murder, Attempted Maiming, Attempted Manslaughter
• Malicious Wounding, Unlawful Wounding
• Obscene literature
• Prohibited acts of persons in familial or custodial authority
• Prostitution, Sexual Solicitation
• Rape, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, Incest
• Sexual Misconduct
• Sexual Assault, Sexual Battery and other Sexual Offenses
• Robbery and related offenses resulting in a felony
• Vehicular Homicide, Vehicular Assault, Hit and Run
• Breaking and Entering
• Weapon Crimes and related offenses
• Embezzlement

If a student does not have any of the offenses listed above on their record, but does have a record of other types of convictions; an administrative review must occur between the appropriate Health Sciences Academic Discipline Chair and the program coordinator prior to final admission into the program.  An administrative review is a review of the conviction record and the factors listed below.

The Health Sciences Academic Discipline Chair and program coordinator will review the criminal history background check and discuss the factors listed below:

• Applicant's age at the time the offense was committed
• Mitigating factors at the time the offense was committed
• Number of offenses for which the individual was convicted
• Efforts and success at rehabilitation
• The amount of time since the offense was committed
• The likelihood the offense will be repeated Individual's employment related references (history) since committing the offense
• The relationship between the program and the offense committed
• The training, structure and supervision available in the program.

After evaluation of the listed factors above, the Health Sciences Academic Discipline Chair, will make a recommendation regarding program entry.

Prospective students seeking admission to Health Sciences Institute programs will be informed of this policy, with its requirements  posted on the website.

Students admitted to any Health Sciences Institute programs will be informed of this policy and its requirements at the time of conditional acceptance. At this time the student will be required to complete a drug screen and authorize release of the results to appropriate academic and/or clinical personnel. The drug screen check will be considered a condition of acceptance and it must be completed prior to the start of classes.

Students currently enrolled in Health Sciences Institute programs will be required to complete a successful drug screen and authorize release of the results to appropriate academic and/or clinical personnel before starting their clinical rotation. Any disruption in enrollment may require the student to undergo an additional criminal background check and drug screening. Failure to comply with this policy will preclude participation in clinical rotations. As a result, the student will not be able to complete the requirements of the educational program and will result in dismissal from the program

Students may be required to undergo additional CBCs and/or DSs during their tenure as a Health Sciences Institute student, as deemed necessary by the academic and/or clinical facility. The cost of all CBCs and DSs shall be the responsibility of the student. Further, the student will be responsible for completing all CBCs and DSs in a timely manner.

Failure to comply with this policy will result in dismissal from the student's program.

Failure of either the CBC or DS will result in dismissal from the student's program.

Decisions are subject to right of appeal.

Results of all background checks and drug screens will be privileged and confidential, will be maintained in a secure electronic file on the vendors secured site, and shall not be released or otherwise disclosed to any person or agency, other than (1) individuals involved in Health Sciences Institute programs admissions and student services; (2) persons who have a legitimate need to know, as determined by the Dean of the Health Sciences Institute; (3) upon direction of a court order; (4) any affiliated entity providing clinical training; or, (5) with the written consent of the student. Records will be maintained on students until graduation or end of matriculation.

1. Prospective students for any of the Health Sciences Institute programs will be notified through the website that if accepted, they will be required to complete a drug screen and authorize release of the results to appropriate academic and/or clinical personnel.

2. Students accepted for conditional admission will be notified that matriculation is contingent upon the evaluation and acceptable outcome of all required drug screens.

3. Students will be notified verbally and by letter or e-mail of the deadline for completion of the drug screening. The School will provide students with instructions on obtaining an authorized drug screen. Students will be responsible for all costs associated with completion of a drug screen.

4. The program coordinator will have access to the results that will be maintained on a secured electronic site maintained through the vendor.

5. In the event that a student fails a drug screen, the program coordinator will notify the Health Sciences Academic Chair and the student. Students may also be notified directly by the vendor. At that time, the student will be denied admission or dismissed from the program.

*Students claiming inaccuracies in their drug screen will be referred to the vendor and/or authorized laboratory completing the drug screen.

*Refer to Eastern Florida State College Student Handbook for Student Code of Conduct Policies.