Please use the online complaint form to the right.
The Alabama Board of Nursing approves nursing programs as entities, but maintains no operation control over the programs. ABN has no authority to compel a program to take any action relative to an individual student. Your complaint, if deemed to be of merit, could result in a Board site visit to that nursing program, which could, in turn, lead to the program being cited with a deficiency, requiring corrections to be made within a specified period. Should deficiencies remain uncorrected, the program’s approval could be in jeopardy. This is a lengthy procedure and, as stated, involves the overall program and NOT the individual student.
Frequently Asked Questions
§34-21-2, Code of Alabama 1975, charges the Alabama Board of Nursing with the legal authority to prescribe standards and approve curricula for nursing education programs in Alabama. The Alabama Board of Nursing approves Nursing Education Programs. ABN has no authority to compel a program to take any action relative to an individual student (or faculty). Your complaint, if deemed to be of merit, could impact a program’s approval status, as complaints are considered in the review of the programs. This is a lengthy procedure and, as stated, involves the overall program and NOT the individual student (or faculty).
The Board’s legal authority over nursing education can be found in ABN Administrative Code §610-X-3-.02 – Standards for Approval If you have followed the institution/program’s grievance policy and still wish to file a formal complaint against your program, you may submit a complaint to ABN or ACCS using the appropriate email provided on either website for complaint submission.
You should follow the nursing program’s published grievance process. If you have not followed the program’s complaint/grievance process, you cannot proceed with filing a complaint with either the Board of Nursing or the Alabama Community College System (ACCS). The Alabama Board of Nursing DOES NOT intervene in interpersonal grievances between faculty and students or faculty and administration.
No. Filing with both will cause unnecessary delays. Some nursing programs are jointly approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing and the Alabama Community College System (ACCS). If your program is jointly approved, please follow your program’s grievance procedure, and then file a complaint with ACCS. If you are unsure whether your program falls under primary ACCS jurisdiction, you may check here – https://www.accs.edu/community-college/find-college/. The ACCS will investigate the complaint and the Board of Nursing will be notified of the result. If your program does not fall under ACCS jurisdiction and you have followed your program’s grievance process, then proceed to the ABN online Nursing Education Program Complaint Form.