Home › Health Science Programs › Kentucky
State Guide

Kentucky Clinical Requirements for Health Science Students

Updated October 2026

This page collects what Kentucky law and state agencies say about background checks, immunizations and training for nursing and allied health students, with a link to each primary source. Most day-to-day clinical requirements, such as the drug screen panel, TB schedule and CPR level, are set by your clinical sites and affiliation agreements rather than by the state; see your program’s guide for those.

Background checks

  • Licensure. Kentucky Board of Nursing rule 201 KAR 20:070 requires exam applicants to submit a criminal record check by the Kentucky State Police and the FBI, completed within six months of the application date. (source)
  • IdentoGO live scan. The Board of Nursing says state and federal background check reports for its applications must be obtained through the IdentoGO live scan process; out-of-state applicants can mail a fingerprint card instead. (source)
  • KARES excludes interns. Kentucky’s national background check program for long-term care and state health facilities (906 KAR 1:190) says a prospective employee does not include a student participating in an internship program. (source) Clinical sites can still require their own checks.

Immunizations

  • Meningococcal information. Kentucky law requires colleges with residential campuses to provide information on meningococcal meningitis vaccination to full-time students living in resident housing. (source) Clinical sites set their own immunization lists; see titer testing.

Nurse aide training

  • 75 hours. Kentucky’s rule 907 KAR 1:450 requires nurse aide training programs to consist of a minimum of 75 clock hours of instruction, including at least 16 hours of supervised practical training. (source) See CNA programs.

Medical cannabis and drug screens

  • No accommodation required. Kentucky’s medical cannabis law, effective 1 January 2025, says nothing in it requires an employer to permit or accommodate the use of medicinal cannabis in the workplace, and employers may keep drug-testing policies. (source) Clinical sites set their own drug screen rules; see marijuana, CBD and drug tests.

Drug Free Schools does not take fingerprints. For Kentucky Board of Nursing applications, the board requires IdentoGO live scan. For any other fingerprint check, students use the provider the agency or site names, usually Fieldprint, IdentoGO or the local police department. We handle the name-based background check, the drug screen and the tracking, so the rest of the student’s clinical file is ready.

How Drug Free Schools helps programs in Kentucky

  • On-campus drug screening from $25 a student, depending on cohort size: our team comes to your campus and screens the whole cohort in one visit. Students who miss the date can test at any Quest location for $40–$55.
  • Name-based background checks through Checkr: Standard ($35) covers SSN trace, national criminal, sex offender and global watchlist searches; Premium ($70) adds 7-year county criminal and FACIS Level 3 healthcare sanctions.
  • N95 fit testing on campus, $25–$35 a student.
  • Tracking for every requirement in our clinical compliance tracking portal: every upload reviewed within 24 hours, email and text reminders before anything expires, $30 per student, one time.
$30
per student portal, one time for the whole program. Free staff accounts.
From $25
per student for on-campus drug screening (by cohort size); $25 in-house kits for small groups
$40–$55
10-panel, 11-panel with alcohol or 12-panel at Quest locations nationwide
$35/$70
background checks; N95 fit testing on campus $25–$35

Want your own demo portal? We’ll email you a login.

Set up in about 5 minutes with your program’s requirements. No meeting needed.

Support 7 days a week by phone, text or email, for students and school staff: call or text (901) 517-7450 · josh.smith@drugfreeschools.net

See the director dashboard (3:06)

Recorded in the live portal: the rotation check dashboard, document review, requirement rules, clinical sites and rotations, and secure links for sending records to a site.

Loads from YouTube only when you press play. Watch on YouTube · Get a demo login

Frequently asked questions

Do Kentucky nursing graduates need fingerprints?

Yes. 201 KAR 20:070 requires a Kentucky State Police and FBI criminal record check for exam applicants, and the Board of Nursing requires it through IdentoGO live scan. Drug Free Schools does not take fingerprints.

Does KARES apply to students on clinical rotations?

Kentucky’s rule says a prospective employee does not include a student participating in an internship program. Clinical sites can still require their own background checks.

How many hours is nurse aide training in Kentucky?

At least 75 clock hours, including at least 16 hours of supervised practical training, under 907 KAR 1:450.

Sources

Other states: Tennessee · Mississippi · Arkansas · Alabama · Programs: Nursing · CNA · All programs

This page summarizes Kentucky statutes, rules and state agency pages as checked on 14 October 2026, with a link to each source. Rules change; confirm with the agency, your school and your clinical sites. Clinical sites can require more than the state does. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Quest Diagnostics, Checkr, Fieldprint and IdentoGO are trademarks of their respective owners.