A nurse aide from another state or US territory is eligible for certification by endorsement in Colorado if he or she meets all of the following requirements:
- is certified to practice as a nurse aide by another state or territory of the United States with requirements that are essentially similar to the requirements for certification in Colorado;
- is listed in good standing on the nurse aide registry in another state or US territory and has not committed any act or omission that would be grounds for discipline or denial of certification;
- has no record of abuse, negligence, or misappropriation of resident's property or any disciplinary action taken or pending in any other state or territory against such certification;
- has successfully completed an education program approved by the board or a nurse aide training program that meets the standards for such programs;
- has passed the CNA examination;
- submits the completed application for endorsement;
- pays the application fees for certification by endorsement, if required;
- meets all state and federal requirements for certification in Colorado.
To apply for a Colorado CNA certification by endorsement you may complete the online application for Certified Nurse Aides and must be able to supply the following information to the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations:
- Social Security Number - A Social Security Number is required for all licensees. Exceptions are made for foreign nationals not physically present in the United States and for non-immigrants in the United States on student visas who do not have a Social Security Number.
- Required Fee - You will need to be able to pay the fee with a credit card or electronic check as part of completing the application process.
- Affidavit of Eligibility - You will be asked to attest to and provide information that you are lawfully present in the United States or otherwise eligible to work here.
- License Verification - You will be required to provide information about your current certification from another US state or territory if online verification of your license cannot be obtained.
- Name Change Documentation - If you already have another type of license in Colorado and your name has since changed, you will be required to upload proof of your name change.
- Screening Questions - You will be asked a series of screening questions related to your criminal history or pending complaints filed against you in other jurisdictions. This may require you to upload court documents or other material. An arrest, subsequent criminal conviction, or disciplinary action is not an automatic disqualification from licensure. The board will look at the facts surrounding the criminal conduct and disciplinary action in addressing your license application. Failure to fully and accurately disclose requested criminal history information, alone, could constitute grounds for denial of your application or revocation of your license.
If you cannot supply the necessary information then you may not proceed with your online endorsement application. Once you submit your application it will be reviewed by an application specialist. If there is something missing from your application, or additional information is needed, you will be contacted via the email address you provide during the application process. You can apply for endorsement, check the status of your application, review notes from your assigned application specialist, and update your email address by visiting the Division of Professions and Occupations online services portal.
Your online application will be available for completion in the system for 30 days. If you do not submit your online application within that time frame you will need to begin again. Once you submit your application it will be kept for one year. It will be purged if you do not submit required documents and complete your application process within within that time frame. You will need to resubmit a new application and supplemental documentation after that time.
You are permitted to work in Colorado for up to four months after your employer has called the state you are transferring from to assure that you have an active and current nurse aide certificate that allows you to work as a nurse aide in a nursing home. You must become certified in Colorado within that four month period to continue working. If you are not certified within four months, you cannot continue to work as a nurse aide. You may not work through an agency until you are certified in Colorado.
Colorado has a mandatory Nurse Aide Practice Act, which means that no one may practice as a Certified Nurse Aide without obtaining certification. Submission of the endorsement application does not guarantee licensure. Do not make life or career decisions based on the probability that you may receive a license and plan ahead for the time it will take to receive and review all required documents and complete the evaluation.