How Do I Apply for a Nursing Home Administrator License?

Documentation and questions may be submitted by email: plpublic@idph.iowa.gov.

The application fee is $120. All application fees are nonrefundable.

Attach the following proof of education:

1. Official transcripts conferring a bachelor’s degree in health care, nursing home administrator or long-term care, sent directly to the Board office from an accredited college or university. Transcripts from applicants with degrees in other disciplines must show satisfactory completion of ten semester hours of business management, accounting or business law or any combination thereof, AND six semester hours of gerontology or aging-related coursework, AND twelve semester hours in health care administration.
2. Long Term Health Care Practicum
   1. 720 hours of long-term health care practicum, consisting of 80 clock hours of all of the following areas: social services; dietary; legal aspects and government organizations; nursing; environmental services; activities/community resources; business administration; administrative organization; human resource management, OR
   2. Written verification from school faculty of completion of a minimum of 400 hours of long-term health care practicum with a maximum of 320 hours waived based on prior academic coursework or experience, and that each of the 9 required practicum areas have been satisfied; OR
   3. Substitution of one year of long-term health care administration experience for the practicum requirement. The applicant must submit: written verification from the facility owner/ COO/ HR officer or board president that states the dates of service, facility name(s), and position(s) held, and a written attestation from a licensed nursing home administrator to verify completion of the equivalent of a minimum of 80 clock hours in each of the following areas

Email the documents to plpublic@idph.iowa.gov if there are any issues attaching

• Licensure in Another State if applicable: Applicants that have previously been licensed, registered or certified in another state must provide official verification of licensure for all states in which the applicant has received a license.
  • The license verification must include the following: 
    • Issue date
    • Expiration date
    • Status of license including a reference to any pending or past disciplinary action.

The verification may be printed from another state licensing board’s website if it contains all of the information noted above. If an online verification is not available, the verification must be sent directly from the licensing board(s) to the Iowa Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology.

Applicants who have not been issued a license in another state may disregard this requirement.