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Background Checks for Nursing and Allied Health Students

Many nursing and allied health programs require a criminal background check before you start, and many name a specific screening company to run it. If yours does, use that company. If your program accepts a report from any provider, you can order a Pact background check, run by Checkr, and name your program to receive it. Either way, federal law gives you the right to see what is in your file and to dispute information you believe is wrong. This guide explains how it works. It is not legal advice.

Updated October 16, 2026 · Checked against the official sources listed at the end

Why programs require a background check

Clinical training happens at hospitals and other healthcare sites, and those sites can say no. The University of Memphis Loewenberg School of Nursing requires all students to complete a criminal background check before enrollment. Its form says that if a contracted healthcare facility denies a student entrance because of information in the check, the student will not be able to complete the course requirements, and that failing course requirements will result in termination from the program.

The same form says the student pays all costs of the check, gets the full report, and must provide documentation if the check is flagged. A school official then reviews it.

Many schools name a specific screening company

At the University of Memphis, nursing students order through a specific screening company using a program code for their campus or program. They create a profile, sign the disclosure, pay, and submit the order. The results go to the student by email and to the school.

Rutgers School of Nursing works the same way. Its instructions give students a package code for the drug test and a separate package code if they also need a criminal background check.

If your school or clinical site names a company, use it. A report from another provider may not be accepted.

Questions to ask before you order

Ask your clinical coordinator or program office. Written answers are best.

Do I have to use a specific screening company, or do you accept a report from any provider?
Which searches do you need? For example, county criminal records, a national criminal database, a sex offender registry, or a healthcare sanctions search.
How many years back must the search go?
Who must receive the report?
What is the deadline?
Does my clinical site run its own check too?
If something shows up, what is the review process?

If your program accepts any provider

Pact sells two packages, run by Checkr. Standard ($32) includes an SSN trace, a national criminal search, a sex offender registry search and a global watchlist search. Premium ($70) adds a county criminal search covering the last 7 years and a FACIS Level 3 healthcare sanctions search. If your program tells you what it needs, order the package that covers it.

After you pay, Checkr emails the person being checked a secure link. You enter your own details and sign the disclosure and authorization on Checkr's site. Nothing runs before you consent. When the report is complete, it goes to you and to the program you named at checkout.

Orders are taken now and start when Pact's Checkr account opens; Checkr then emails the person.

Some county courts charge a fee to search their records. If a search hits one, Pact says it will tell you before adding it.

Your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

The company that prepares your report is a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). For a Pact order, that is Checkr. Two FCRA rights matter most to students.

You can see your file. Under 15 U.S.C. 1681g(a)(1), a consumer reporting agency must, on request, clearly and accurately disclose all information in your file at the time of the request, subject to some limits in the law.

You can dispute errors. Under 15 U.S.C. 1681i(a)(1)(A), if you dispute the completeness or accuracy of an item in your file, the agency must reinvestigate free of charge, generally within 30 days of getting your dispute. The law allows up to 15 more days in some cases when you send relevant information during that period. For a Pact order, you dispute through Checkr, the consumer reporting agency.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes a plain-English Summary of Your Rights Under the FCRA. It is worth reading before your check runs.

When a report is used for a job

The FCRA adds rules when a report is used for employment purposes. The law defines that as a report used to evaluate a person for employment, promotion, reassignment or retention as an employee (15 U.S.C. 1681a(h)).

In that case, the employer must give a clear written disclosure, in a document that consists solely of the disclosure, and get the person's written authorization before getting the report (1681b(b)(2)). Before taking adverse action based on the report, the employer must give the person a copy of the report and a written description of their FCRA rights (1681b(b)(3)).

Whether a school's or clinical site's use of your report counts as employment purposes is a legal question. Some schools describe their own process. The University of Memphis form, for example, says students get a chance to challenge information through an adverse action process. If you have a record, a dispute, or a question about state law, talk to an attorney.

Common questions

Do nursing students need a background check?

Many programs require one before clinicals, but each program and clinical site sets its own rules. Ask your clinical coordinator what you need and who must run it.

My school names a screening company. Can I order from Pact instead?

No. Use the company your school names. A report from another provider may not be accepted.

Can I see my background check report?

Yes. Under 15 U.S.C. 1681g, a consumer reporting agency must disclose the information in your file when you ask. For a Pact order, you can see your report through Checkr.

What if something on my report is wrong?

Dispute it with the consumer reporting agency. Under 15 U.S.C. 1681i, the agency must reinvestigate free of charge, generally within 30 days. For a Pact order, that is Checkr.

Which Pact package has a healthcare sanctions search?

Premium ($70). It adds a FACIS Level 3 healthcare sanctions search and a 7-year county criminal search to the Standard package.

Who pays for the background check?

It depends on the program. The University of Memphis, for example, says the student pays all costs of the check. Ask your program.