Clinician FAQ

No. If your healthcare license/certificate has expired, you cannot request and complete shifts until it's renewed. Please contact your state licensing or certification entity for more information on renewals. 

Because you are an independent contractor and not an employee for Nursa, we cannot sign off on any hours towards your license renewal. However, we can provide you with a record of your work and payment history for the shifts you’ve completed at facilities. Contact our support team at 801-695-9609 or support@nursa.com.

As an LPN and an RN with a compact or multi-state license, you can work in states outside of your initial licensed state as long as that state is part of the Nursa Licensure Compact (NLC).

However, if you move to a new state and your nursing license expires, you will need to renew the license in your new permanent state. For further clarification on renewal, transfers, and other application processes for compact and non-compact states, please visit the national NLC website.

The NLC provides a helpful map that shows which states fall within the NLC Jurisdiction and Status.

Yes. Arizona requires a fingerprint clearance card to work within the state. In Arizona, the fingerprint is just as essential as your license, and you cannot have a license without also having the fingerprint card, even if working with a compact license from another state.

It is your responsibility to apply, pay for, and ultimately obtain a fingerprint clearance card. Facilities may check the status of your fingerprint clearance card through the Department of Public Safety website at any time.

Please refer to this state website for any and all FAQs regarding this process including how to apply and any additional information required by the state of Arizona.
 

Nursa is not aware of any facility that offers any type of light-duty or work-restricted shifts. As an independent contractor, please use your best professional judgment to ensure that you can fulfill the requirements of any particular shift before you request it. If you have any questions regarding a particular shift or its requirements, please contact that facility directly.

There are no travel contracts on the Nursa App because we focus on local PRN and per diem healthcare shifts.

If you are interested in travel contracts, we have a sister company whom we work closely with called Elite Speciality Staffing. You can reach out to Elite's recruiter:

Amanda Burnett
amanda@elitespecialtystaffing.com
+1 (208) 202-5665

When reviewing the pay rate on a Shift Card, the pay that you see is the pay that you will receive. That pay already includes variables like weekends, nights, and holidays. Facilities may choose to add a bonus to a shift, but that is completely up to their discretion. If a facility chooses to add a bonus either before or after the shift, it will show as a different line item on the Shift Card and be in addition to the pay rate.

When you pick up shifts with Nursa, you are paid as a 1099 independent contractor. This means that overtime hours do not apply – you choose how much you work or how little you will work. Nursa always encourages you to use your best professional judgment on how much you work to ensure patient safety and avoid your own personal burnout. Again, the pay rate on the Shift Card is what you will be paid.

Nursa defers to CDC guidelines for COVID-19 protocol and vaccines for healthcare workers. When reviewing a Nursa shift request, facilities will be able to see if you have provided proof of a COVID-19 vaccine. 

While Nursa itself does not require that you have the Covid-19 vaccine, there are many states and facilities that do. Facilities will include this requirement in their Screening List, and it is your responsibility to thoroughly read shift details to ensure you are in compliance. 

If you have received your COVID-19 vaccine, please add it into your Nursa profile for facilities to review.

If you do not have the vaccine in your profile and you try requesting a shift at a facility that does require it, your chances of being hired are decreased.

Covid Vaccine Exemption

You may upload a vaccine exemption to your Nursa profile under "Other Credentials" (not under the "COVID - 19 Vaccine Card" Essential Credential). Facilities may or may not accept the exemption as per their own facility policies. 

Nursa does not provide a vaccine exemption form in any state, rather we encourage you to contact your state health department for more information.

For more information on COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare professionals, you can review the Federal Register document “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination.”

No. Nursa does not request any credit score or credit report information in relation to your background check. Nursa's background checks (which are ran through a third party) are considered “soft” inquiries, which do not affect your credit score calculation.

You can learn more about the background check process in our Clinician Background Checks article.

Does Nursa Require a Background Check?

Yes, all clinicians will have a background check done at the federal/national/state/county level. Some states may also require an additional state-level registry or other background check.

Do I Have to Pay for the Background Check?

Nope! You’ll never have to pay for a background check with Nursa. We cover every clinician’s federal/national/state/county level check, as well as any additional checks required by specific states.

Do I Have to Request a Background Check?

You don't have to request anything! The background check process automatically begins on our end when you request your first shift, so don't wait to start requesting!
 

However, please ensure that you have uploaded your Drivers License or State ID to the app as well as completed your Wallet before requesting your first shift. That information is necessary for the background check.

How Long Do Background Checks Take?

The processing time for background checks is 5 to 7 days for both federal and state. However keep in mind that the 5 to 7 day timeframe for federal checks only begins after you have provided all of the necessary information to First Advantage. They will reach out to you by email separately, so keep an eye on your email!

Please note that if it has not been at least 5 days since you requested your first shift to begin the background check, please give us a little more time before contacting support about it. We're on it!

If you have questions about the shift or anything else you would like to ask a Facility, you can contact them by phone or by in-app chat.

1. From your Schedule, tap on More Details on the Shift Card

2. To contact a Facility through chat, tap on the Chat Icon by the Scheduler’s name

3. To contact by phone, tap on the facility’s picture or the Facility Name to bring up the Facility’s profile with their phone number

   • Note: tapping on the address will bring up your Map options, so make sure you’re tapping on the name or the picture

   • From your mobile app, tap on the phone icon to call the facility

If you earned $600 or more through Nursa in the year 2022, you will receive a 1099 from Nursa. If you earned less than $600, you will not receive a 1099 from Nursa. However, keep in mind that all compensation you may receive through Nursa may be subject to IRS tax laws. Refer to your local state tax laws for more information on reporting income.

To receive your 1099, first make sure you have the latest version of the app, then you’ll need to confirm your W-9 information in your Nursa Wallet, and then consent to your preferred delivery method – either digitally directly in the Nursa app or a paper copy mailed to you. 1099s will not be emailed for security purposes.

If you select a digital copy, it will be immediately available for download in the Nursa App. If you choose to have it mailed to you, it will take additional time to be delivered to your address. 

If you do not consent in the app to either a digital or paper copy, you will receive a paper copy in the mail by default. If you are unable to access the app for any reason, you will also receive a paper copy in the mail. 

All 1099s will be available or postmarked by January 31, 2023. Read more about Nursa and 1099s in our tax guide.

Nursa is not responsible for any shift worked at a facility if the shift is not posted and scheduled through the Nursa App. If a facility asks a clinician to work a shift and says they will put it in the app later, this is against Nursa policy. Facilities cannot retroactively post shifts in the App.

If you are asked to work a shift that is not in the Nursa App, please ask the facility to post the shift and share it with you so that you can request it and have it officially scheduled as a Nursa shift. 

If not, Nursa will not pay any shift that was not scheduled through the App. If a clinician agrees to work a shift that is not in the Nursa App, the facility will be responsible for paying the clinician as a 1099 employee directly out of their own payroll.

If you are exposed to COVID-19 outside of work you are encouraged to get a COVID test as soon as possible. If you have any shifts scheduled before you are able to get tested, you should contact the facility directly and explain the situation. They may direct you to cancel your shift in the app, in which case Nursa protocols will freeze your account for 14 days. However, once you have received a negative test, you should submit the results to support@nursa.com for review and possibly getting your account unfrozen early. This is not a guarantee of your account being unfrozen, but it can help to process!

Nursa refers to CDC guidelines and individual facility protocols in each situation as we all strive to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please refer to the CDC’s article for healthcare workers on potential COVID-19 exposure.

Nursa pays out twice a week for shift reports completed within the payment timeframe (see payment schedule below). We'll process payments on Mondays and Wednesdays, and you'll receive your deposit in your bank account within two days.

• Shift reports must be completed by Sunday night at 23:59 by both clinician and facility in order to get paid with the Monday batch, receiving your payment by Wednesday. 
• Shift reports must be completed by Tuesday night at 23:59 by both clinician and facility in order to get paid with the Wednesday batch, receiving your payment by Friday.

Note: Facilities have two full business days* to complete their shift report after a clinician completes their shift report. If the facility has not confirmed the shift report within that time frame, it will automatically be verified to ensure that clinicians are paid in a timely manner.

*business days do not include Saturday and Sunday

Pay Schedule

Scheduling facilities may have other workplace safety training. Please make sure you understand the workplace safety requirements at any facility where you are working.

There are a few different entities who provide workplace safety training specifically for healthcare workers. You can find general information here:

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

• National Library of Medicine

• Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM)(NIOSH)

• Dementia and Alzheimer's Care Education

• Patient Safety - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

*Nursa does not require any workplace safety training. Please inquire with each facility where you work.*

CNA

Your CNA license may be pending for a few reasons.

One may be that the information entered into our Nursa system was incorrect. Please verify that you have entered your license information exactly as it appears on your license.

Another reason could be that your license wasn’t able to be located in the state database. In this case, you will receive an email from Nursa letting you know, but you must contact the state licensing board that issued your license to resolve the issue. Once resolved, you can re-enter your license information on the Nursa App or reach out to Customer Support at 801-695-9609.

A final reason may be that the review process isn’t complete yet. CNA licenses are state regulated, and our review process can take a few days to complete. To ensure your license can be verified quickly and efficiently, please ensure your licenses information is entered correctly into the app.

You can upload as many state CNA licenses as you have, but remember that you cannot work in a state where you are not licensed. State waivers are not currently valid or accepted. If you have any problems uploading multiple licenses, don’t hesitate to contact Customer Support at 801-695-9609.

LPN/RN

Nursing licenses are automatically verified through Nursys.com. If there was an error in the Nursys verification process, you should have received an error message in the app.

To avoid any issue in verification, please make sure that what you’ve entered matches exactly what’s on your nursing license. If you received a message that your license is invalid, your license was unable to be verified through Nursys or the state licensing board. In this case, you would need to contact those entities to resolve any issue.

Certified Caregiver

Please note that Nursa only accepts Certified Caregivers in the state of Arizona at this time. Verification of your Arizona CCG certificate may take 3 to 5 business days.

If you received your CCG prior to 2013, you are encouraged to contact the NCIA Board , check the list of accredited schools, re-certify to the current year, or take a refresher course.

Learn more about Arizona Certified Caregivers here.

QMAP (Qualified Medication Administration Personnel)

Please note that QMAP qualifications are only available in Colorado. If you try to add anything but QMAP qualifications to that option in the app, it will not be verified.

Verifications of QMAP qualifications may take 3 to 5 business days. 

Learn more about Colorado QMAP here.
 

Facilities have full control over managing shift requests. There is not a set time when to expect your request to be accepted or dismissed. You will receive a notification and/or email when the shift has been scheduled or canceled. You are encouraged to contact the facility if you have any questions regarding a pending shift request or an upcoming scheduled shift. 

You are welcome to remove a pending request  if it no longer fits into your schedule. If a facility accepts your request after the shift time has started and you did not remove your request, you are still expected to work that shift and report the hours correctly.

Note: You will only get paid for the time you are in the facility working, even if it is a late call.