Click on the appropriate tab below to see the Initial Licensing Requirements, Process, Fees, Statutes and Administrative Rules for a Nursing Home Administrator by Examination
The requirements for licensure by examination as a Nursing Home Administrator are as follows. Applicants must:
Pass the Florida Nursing Home Administrator Laws and Rules Examination.
Pass the Florida Nursing Home Administrator Examination. To qualify to sit for the examination, applicants must:
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and have majored in health care administration, health services administration, or an equivalent major, or have credit for at least 60 semester hours in subjects, as prescribed by Rule 64B10-11.007, F.A.C., which prepare the applicant for total management of a nursing home, and have completed a college-affiliated or university-affiliated internship of at least 650 hours with a board-approved preceptor in a skilled nursing facility that has at least 60 beds.
OR
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and have majored in health care administration, health services administration, or an equivalent major, or have credits for at least 60 semester hours in subjects, as prescribed by Rule 64B10-11.007, F.A.C., which prepare the applicant for total management of a nursing home, and have fulfilled the requirements of a 1,000-hour nursing home administrator-in-training program prescribed by the board.
OR
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and have fulfilled the requirements of a 2,000-hour nursing home administrator-in-training program prescribed by the board.
OR
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and have one year of management experience* allowing for the application of executive duties and skills, including the staffing, budgeting, and directing of resident care, dietary, and bookkeeping departments within a skilled nursing facility, hospital, hospice, assisted living facility with a minimum of 60 licensed beds, or geriatric residential treatment program and, if such experience is not in a skilled nursing facility, have fulfilled the requirements of a 1,000-hour nursing home administrator-in-training program prescribed by the board.
* In order to establish supervised direct management experience, the applicant must prove that, while under the supervision of a licensed nursing home administrator, they performed in the role of an executive manager, performing the same duties and skills expected of a Florida licensed nursing home administrator including, at a minimum, the primary direction of all facility departments of:
- Human resources, including recruiting, selecting, staffing, educating and developing managers so goals of each department are accomplished, and conducting performance appraisals for all department managers
- Resident care
- Dietary
- Accounting/bookkeeping, including budgeting and internal controls
- Life safety
- Maintenance and housekeeping
- Therapies programs
Applicants with Health History
If a “Yes” response is provided to any of the questions in the health history section, provide the following documents directly to the board office:
A letter from a Licensed Health Care Practitioner, who is qualified by skill and training to address the condition identified, which explains the impact the condition may have on the ability to practice the profession with reasonable skill and safety. The letter must specify that the applicant is safe to practice the profession without restrictions or specifically indicate the restrictions that are necessary. Documentation provided must be dated within one year of the application date.
A written self-explanation, identifying the medical condition(s) or occurrence(s); and current status.
Applicants with Discipline History
Applicants with prior disciplinary actions are required to submit the following:
Board Actions – Certified copies of document(s) relative to any disciplinary action taken against any license. The documents must come from the agency that took the disciplinary action and must be certified by that agency.
Self-Explanation – A detailed description of the circumstances surrounding your disciplinary action and a thorough description of the rehabilitative changes in your lifestyle since the time of the disciplinary action which would enable you to avoid future occurrences. It would be helpful to include factors in your life, which you feel may have contributed to your disciplinary action, what you have learned about yourself since that time, and the changes you have made that support your rehabilitation.
Applicants with Criminal History
Applicants with prior criminal convictions are required to submit the following:
Final Dispositions/Arrest Records – Final disposition records for offenses can be obtained at the clerk of the court in the arresting jurisdiction. If the records are not available, you must have a letter on court letterhead sent from the clerk of the court attesting to their unavailability.
Completion of Probation/Parole/Sanctions – Probation and financial sanction records for offenses can be obtained at the clerk of the court in the arresting jurisdiction. Parole records for offenses can be obtained from the Department of Corrections or at the clerk of the court in the arresting jurisdiction. If the records are not available, you must have a letter on court letterhead sent from the clerk of the court attesting to their unavailability.
Self-Explanation – Applicants who have listed offenses on the application must submit a letter in their own words describing the circumstances of the offense. Include in your letter the date of the original offense, the charge, and the jurisdiction where it occurred.
Health Care Fraud; Disqualifications for License, Certificate, or Registration
Effective July 1, 2012, Section 456.0635, Florida Statutes (F.S.), provides that health care boards or the department shall refuse to issue a license, certificate or registration and shall refuse to admit a candidate for examination if the applicant:
- Has been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a felony under Chapter 409, F.S., (relating to social and economic assistance), Chapter 817, F.S., (relating to fraudulent practices), Chapter 893, F.S., (relating to drug abuse prevention and control) or a similar felony offense(s) in another state or jurisdiction unless the candidate or applicant has successfully completed a drug court program for that felony and provides proof that the plea has been withdrawn or the charges have been dismissed. Any such conviction or plea shall exclude the applicant or candidate from licensure, examination, certification, or registration, unless the sentence and any subsequent period of probation for such conviction or plea ended:
- For the felonies of the first or second degree, more than 15 years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
- For the felonies of the third degree, more than 10 years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
- For the felonies of the third degree under section 893.13(6)(a), F.S., more than five years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
- Has been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a felony under 21 U.S.C. ss. 801-970 (relating to controlled substances) or 42 U.S.C. ss. 1395-1396 (relating to public health, welfare, Medicare and Medicaid issues), unless the sentence and any subsequent period of probation for such conviction or pleas ended more than 15 years prior to the date of the application;
- Has been terminated for cause from the Florida Medicaid program pursuant to section 409.913, F.S., unless the candidate or applicant has been in good standing with the Florida Medicaid program for the most recent five years;
- Has been terminated for cause, pursuant to the appeals procedures established by the state or Federal Government, from any other state Medicaid program, unless the candidate or applicant has been in good standing with a state Medicaid program for the most recent five years and the termination occurred at least 20 years before the date of the application;
- Is currently listed on the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s List of Excluded Individuals and Entities.
Submit your completed application and fees to the board office. To apply online select the “Apply Online” button above.
If you prefer, you may apply using the paper application. To download the paper application, click the “Resources” tab above and select the application for the appropriate licensure type from the “PDF Applications” drop-down menu.
Please download, print, and complete the paper application. Submit your application along with the required fees to:
Board of Nursing Home Administrators
P.O. Box 6330
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6330
Within 7-14 days of receipt of your application, the board office will notify you of the status of your application and any remaining required documents that need to be submitted.
The following documentation is required to complete your application:
- Official Final Transcript- Have your official final transcripts mailed directly from your college or university to the board office at:
Board of Nursing Home Administrators
4052 Bald Cypress Way Bin C-07
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3257
- Experience Verification- Have your employer(s) send a letter confirming one year of managerial experience.
- Job Description- Have your employer send an original signed and dated copy of your job description.
- Facility Organizational Chart- Have your employer send a copy of the facility organizational chart.
- Internship Verification- Have your college or university send a letter confirming completion of 650-hour minimum internship at a Skilled Nursing Facility with a minimum of 60 beds.
- Administrator-in-Training Forms- Complete and submit the forms at the back of the Administrator-in-Training paper application (pages 7-9). To download the paper application, click the “Resources” tab above and select the “Administrators-in-Training Application” from the “PDF Applications” drop-down menu.
Examination:
| Examination Fee | $250.00 |
| Initial Licensure Fee | $500.00 |
| Unlicensed Activity Fee | $5.00 |
| TOTAL FEE | $755.00 |
Make certified check or money orders payable to the Florida Department of Health, or pay by credit card when applying online.
Click on Chapter or Section Number to View
Florida Statutes
Chapter 468, Part II: Nursing Home Administrators
Chapter 456: Health Professions and Occupations: General Provisions
Chapter 400, Part II: Nursing Homes and Related Health Care Facilities
Chapter 415, Parts: Adult Protective Services
Chapter 765, Parts I, II, III and IV: Health Care Advance Directives
Chapter 120: Administrative Procedure Act
Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.)
Rules: Chapter 64B10: (Board of Nursing Home Administrators Rules)
Rules: Chapter 64E11: (Division of Environmental Health – Food Hygiene)
Rules: Chapter 64E16: (Division of Environmental Health – Biomedical Waste)
Rules: Chapter 59A4: (Agency for Health Care Administration – Minimum Standards for Nursing Homes)
