A. 1. The State Department of Health, in conjunction with the Office of the State Long-term Care Ombudsman of the Department of Human Services, shall develop a uniform employment application to be used in the hiring of nurse aide staff by a nursing facility or a specialized facility as such terms are defined in the Nursing Home Care Act, a residential care home, as such term is defined by the Residential Care Act, an assisted living center as such term is defined by the Continuum of Care and Assisted Living Act, a continuum of care facility as defined by the Continuum of Care and Assisted Living Act, a hospice inpatient facility or program providing hospice services as such terms are defined by the Hospice Licensing Act, an adult day care center as such term is defined by the Adult Day Care Act, and a home care agency as defined by the Home Care Act. Such uniform application shall be used as the only application for employment of nurse aides in such facilities on and after January 1, 2001.

2. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the State Department of Health or any other state agency from requiring applicants for any position in the classified service to be certified by the state using the State of Oklahoma Employment Application.

B. The uniform employment application shall be designed to gather all pertinent information for entry into the nurse aide registry maintained by the State Department of Health. The uniform application shall also contain:

1. A signature from the applicant to confirm or deny any previous felony conviction;

2. A release statement for the applicant to sign giving the State Department of Health and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation the authority to proceed with the state or national criminal history record checks; and

3. Such other information deemed necessary by the Department.

C. The Department shall provide implementation training on the use of the uniform employment application.

Added by Laws 2000, c. 340, § 23, eff. July 1, 2000. Amended by Laws 2001, c. 381, § 25, eff. July 1, 2001; Laws 2003, c. 339, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 2003; Laws 2012, c. 358, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 2012.