Primary Source Verification
The Arizona State Board of Nursing (AZBN) is a primary source, as required by the Joint Commission, of verifying the licensure/certification status for all nursing licenses issued in the State of Arizona. The information for nurses is updated every business day and uploaded to NURSYS (APRN/RN/LPN) or the AZBN Verification Portal (CNA/LNA/CMA/LHA). The information provided on these sites is the same information provided through other means, (telephone, facsimile, email or mail), and is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is our intent to provide accurate nurse licensure information and to allow users the ability to verify licenses.
Verification of Education
The Arizona State Board of Nursing obtains primary source verification of education prior to issuance of licenses/certifications as follows:
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RN/LPN Exam Applicants
Primary source verification is sent directly to the Arizona State Board of Nursing from the educational institution.
Exceptions- Foreign graduates, one of the following organizations review transcripts and sends AZBN a report.
- CGFNS International
- International Education Resource Foundation
- Educational Records Evaluation Services
- Canadian graduates whose education was in English – Educational verification/licensure status is sent to AZBN from the Canadian Regulatory Board where they were licensed.
- Foreign graduates, one of the following organizations review transcripts and sends AZBN a report.
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RN/LPN Endorsement Applicants
- Educational/licensure status verification is sent to AZBN from the original state of licensure, or the information is accessed through NURSYS.
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NP/CNM/CNS Applicants
- Primary source verification is sent to AZBN from the educational institution. If the applicant has no graduate degree in nursing (prior to 1/1/01), verification is sent to AZBN from another jurisdiction. When national certification is required, it must be provided directly to AZBN from the credentialing agency and includes the issue and expiration dates.
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CRNA Applicants
- Primary source verification is sent to AZBN from the institution where the anesthesia program was completed. Verification of certification and verification of graduation from a school that is accredited by the Council on Accreditations of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs is sent to AZBN from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists’ Council on certification or re-certification.
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CNA Applicants
- For examination applicants, primary source verification is sent to AZBN from the contracted testing vendor who receives documentation from the Board approved nursing assistant training program validating that the examination applicant has successfully completed the Board approved nursing assistant training program, and verification that the applicant has passed the manual and skills nursing assistant examination.
- For endorsement applicants, primary source verification is obtained from the website of another state or territory of the United States to validate that the CNA is listed as active on a nursing assistant register or a substantially equivalent register. The CNA verification can be obtained through the AZBN Verification Portal.