Making Connections

Hiring a nurse to care for someone in your home? Here are some helpful phone numbers to keep in mind.

To check the license status of a registered nurse, call the California Board of Registered Nursing at (800) 838-6828 and give the person’s name and nursing license number.

This 24-hour automated service allows callers to verify as many as three licenses during business hours and as many as 10 licenses after hours and on weekends. To make a complaint, call (916) 322-3350 during business hours.

To verify the license of a vocational nurse or to make a complaint, call the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians at (916) 263-7800 during business hours. Callers will need the person’s name and either their nursing license number or Social Security number.

Certified nurse assistants and home health aides work through licensed health-care agencies. To check on their license, call the specific agency. To make a complaint, call (800) 228-1019 or (323) 869-8500.

Additional information is available on the California Department of Health Service’s Web site at https://www.dhs.ca.gov on the Internet.