USU background check and drug screen: what has to clear, and when
USU needs a clear background check and a negative drug screen before your first clinical rotation, both ordered through the Background & Drug Screen package in Complio. Felonies aren't accepted, misdemeanors go to the Program Director, some states take months to return results, and a positive drug screen means withdrawal for at least 12 months.
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What USU requires
Both checks sit on USU's Appendix A PAC checklist, and OFE sends your approval letter only once everything on that checklist is approved.
- A clear background check before your first rotation, listed on Appendix A as Clear background check.
- A negative drug screen before your first clinical, listed on Appendix A as Clear drug screen.
- Both ordered through Complio by American DataBank, in the package Appendix D (July 2024) calls Background & Drug Screen.
- Results approved and on file with OFE at least 16 weeks before your clinical course, with the rest of your health and safety items.
USU's admission requirements list background clearance and proof of a negative drug screen among the clinical documents that must stay current throughout your clinical courses. Clearing once, at the start, is the beginning of that record rather than the end of it.
Ordering the Background & Drug Screen package
- Confirm the Complio addressUSU sources show two: sdnahsec.complio.com on the OFE page and www.sdnahcbackground.com in Appendix D. Ask your CPC which one to use. Our Complio page explains the conflict.
- Order the packageYou pay for it; USU's handbook says Complio fees are the student's. The USU sources we checked don't publish the price.
- Be ready for the drug screenUSU's handbook describes a random 24-hour authorization for the screen, so plan to act quickly once it comes through.
- Track the reviewComplio reviews results in 2 to 5 business days, and OFE updates your status about 2 business days later.
- Report anything newIf a new legal violation happens after your check, USU requires you to report it within 10 days.
Background check results: felonies and misdemeanors
USU's rule on felonies is short: "No felonies are accepted" (FNP Clinical Handbook). There's no review route described for a felony in the sources we checked.
Misdemeanors aren't an automatic bar. The Program Director reviews them, and the handbook doesn't publish the criteria for that review. If you know something will show up, the sensible step is to raise it with your CPC early, rather than letting it surface close to a deadline. How the Program Director's wider approval role works is on our Program Director approval page.
Your duty doesn't end once you clear. New legal violations must be reported within 10 days. Separately, the handbook lets the Program Director or the OFE Director require a student to find their own placements after a Code of Conduct violation or clinical probation.
Why some states take months
USU's FNP handbook warns that background checks in some states can take months. It doesn't list which states, so treat the background check as the first compliance item you order, not the last.
The timing matters because of USU's 16-week rule. Your cleared background check must be on file with OFE at least 16 weeks before the clinical course, and USU says rush requests can't be accommodated. FNP clinical courses start in the second year of the program, so the safest time to order is well before then. Our clinical deadlines page sets out the full timeline.
A slow check can also affect OFE's help. OFE gives priority for its placement support to students whose Complio requirements and documents are in by the deadline, so a check still pending at that point can cost you more than time.
The drug screen: 10-panel, nicotine and positive results
The drug screen must come back negative before your first clinical. USU's handbook describes it as a random 24-hour authorization, and the standard screen is a 10-panel that includes marijuana.
Some clinical sites also test for nicotine, and USU's policy is titled the Policy for Student Drug, Nicotine, and Alcohol Screening. Read it in full before you order, and ask your CPC if anything about the panel concerns you.
The stakes are high. Under that policy, a positive result means withdrawal from the program for at least 12 months. The policy also says a report will be filed with the California Board of Nursing upon withdrawal.
A positive drug screen means withdrawal for at least 12 months under USU's policy. Read the policy before you order the package.
When a site runs its own checks
Clearing USU's check doesn't always end the process. The FNP handbook notes that a hospital may require a background check different from the original, and students are expected to give sites what they ask for, which can include fingerprints.
Ask each site early whether it runs its own background check, fingerprinting or drug and nicotine testing, and how long those take. Share what you learn with your CPC, because a site's own check can push back your first day even when your Complio account is fully approved.
Timing the question matters. Once OFE sends the site its Affiliation Agreement, USU asks students not to contact the site during that process unless OFE requests it. Ask about site checks when the site first agrees in principle, or route the question through your CPC after that.
How our search plans around site checks
Your background check and drug screen results go to USU through Complio, and how a record is viewed is the Program Director's decision. Our part is practical: when we search for a preceptor and site, we find out whether the site runs its own checks, so your placement plan accounts for them.
If a slow state check is squeezing your timeline, tell us your course and start date and a placement advisor will reply with what's realistic.
Questions USU students ask
Does a misdemeanor stop me from doing clinicals at USU?
Not automatically. USU's FNP handbook says felonies aren't accepted, while misdemeanors are reviewed by the Program Director. USU doesn't publish the criteria for that review. If you expect something to appear on your report, raise it with your Clinical Placement Coordinator early so the review doesn't collide with your 16-week deadline.
Does USU's drug screen test for marijuana?
Yes. The handbook says the standard 10-panel screen includes marijuana, and some clinical sites also test for nicotine. A positive result means withdrawal from the program for at least 12 months under USU's drug, nicotine and alcohol screening policy, so read that policy before you order the Background & Drug Screen package in Complio.
How long does a USU background check take?
USU doesn't give a single figure. Its FNP handbook warns that checks in some states can take months. Once results are in, Complio's review takes 2 to 5 business days and OFE updates your status about 2 business days later. Order early, because everything must be on file 16 weeks before your clinical course.
Do I have to report a new legal issue after my background check clears?
Yes. USU's FNP handbook requires students to report new legal violations within 10 days. Clearing the check once doesn't end that obligation. The handbook also lets the Program Director or OFE Director require you to find your own placements after a Code of Conduct violation or clinical probation.
Will my clinical site accept USU's background check?
Not always. USU's handbook notes that a hospital may require a background check different from the original, and sites can ask for items such as fingerprints. Ask each site what it requires as soon as it agrees to host you, and tell your CPC, since a site's own check can push back your start.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-23
We check these pages against USU's own catalog, handbooks and disclosures. USU's current handbook and your Clinical Placement Coordinator have the final word.
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