Is My Nursing License At Risk?

Many nurses express the fear of losing their hard-earned licenses. However, I suspect that much of this fear might be overrated. I have decided to share four stories of former coworkers who have had their licenses permanently revoked. You will notice that three of the stories involve addiction, impairment, or theft of narcotics. Nurses Professionalism Article

You are reading page 4 of Is My Nursing License At Risk?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN

102 Articles; 27,612 Posts

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
The stories are all the same and all involve nursing homes... hm:confused:

The stories are not quite the same. . .

All of the stories involve nursing homes because the first four years of my short nursing career (2006 to 2010) had been spent working in nursing homes. Therefore, almost all of the nurses with whom I had been acquainted were/are working in LTC.

If I had spent those years in another type of setting (telemetry, psych, ambulatory surgery, etc.), my true stories would most likely involve former coworkers from those specialties.

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP

1 Article; 2,594 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
It is unlikely that a nurse would get sued AT ALL.

That is why I can get $2 million in coverage for $158 per year and a doctor has to pay thousands.

That is because statistically, they get sued and we don't.

I am not saying nurses never get sued, I am just saying that if we got sued anywhere NEAR as often as physicians did, our malpractice insurance would be so high we couldn't afford to buy it.

Only 158 dollars per year?

You'd have to be a foolish or in a terrible financial constraints to NOT have at that rate!

LilRedRN1973

1,062 Posts

Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.

It takes a lot to actually have your license revoked in my state. I was found unconscious at work due to a pain medication addiction, turned myself in and am on a 5 year contract with the Board. I didn't work for about 8 months after getting clean/sober because I was in rehab, then intensive outpatient, then counseling, plus attending daily AA meetings. I gratefully have been employed for 3 1/2 years at the same facility and my license is only in danger of being revoked should I decide I want to drink, do drugs, or don't follow my contract. A colleage of mine was also on contract for being in recovery from methamphetamines; he had to test positive TWICE before they revoked his license. He has to wait 5 years to reapply. Another colleage of mine was diverting from the VA and was charged federally since it was a goverment building. She has multiple charges, has been clean/sober for almost 7 years and has been working as a nurse for the past 5 years. I could go on and on but none of us have had our licenses revoked and it would take not being compliant with our contract.

I did see the disciplinary hearings for the Board as part of my contract and was shocked at the amount of nurses they had brought before the board for numerous offenses such as refusing to give an order for a medications (a drip that was only supposed to be administered in a unit, not on the floor; she was acting accordingly and her nurse supervisor turned on her). It turned out the nurse supervisor falsified all kinds of documents to try and get this newer nurse in serious trouble. The attorney for the nurse being investigated was awesome and was able to prove that the nursing supervisor falsified time records, blood glucose readings, etc. The newer nurse was absolved of any guilt and an investigation was opened on the nurse supervisor. Another was a case of leaving a bair hugger on a patient and causing third degree burns. She didn't use it properly and was subequently found guilty with her license revoked. There were others but those are the ones that stand out. It was eye opening to attend the disciplinary hearings and see how nurses throw one another under the bus. Scary, in fact.

DawnJ

312 Posts

Thanks for the link, it is a good learning tool for us students

FaithGurl93

149 Posts

That one that had to take a Remediation course is what scared me into not taking stateboards for my LPN. It was a high school program and they tried to cram everything all together. I remember some of the things but not enough to actually go out and work. That's why I just have my CNA and going for my BSN with a program that actually teaches you and doesn't cram lol. But the stories you listed just sounds like people that KNEW they were in the wrong and just got caught. If you know your stuff then you have nothing to worry about as far as losing your license. :)

kingsmiley

41 Posts

OMG, i had that happen to me b4. she threatened to report me to the BON and not bc i had done anything wrong, just in case i did bc she didnt like me. i put in my 2 week notice the next day

waterfall09

36 Posts

Hello,

Just to share in my state MASS, MNA has a really good course when the boards comes knocking at your door. As a nurse you have to PROTECT your license. Your employer will never have your back or cover you. Even though you a wonderful employee. Understand your nurse practice act, follow policy and bring to administration. And if you get no results, keep it moving... you can always get a job. But a tainted license will have too many questions to be answered.

waterfall09

36 Posts

WOW, it seems like this is the way NURSING operates. It could be a lie and still you have to defend your license... And it get very expensive.

merrywhiterose

286 Posts

"My point is that the vast majority of license revocations in my state of residence occur due to issues with impairment or diversion. I regularly read the disciplinary web pages on the website of my state's BON."

You probably realize how many of us nurses fear losing our licenses for minor accidents. This makes me feel a lot better!

merrywhiterose

286 Posts

Get !!! It's cheap!

squirtcatt

25 Posts

Specializes in Tele/med surg/step-down, Cardiology.

Would be interesting as to which BON had the most disciplinary actions. I know Texas always had a long list!!!

rngolfer53

681 Posts

I'll bite...

So your theory is that because the nurses that you know that got their licenses revoked all did something illegal/ very serious that all nurses who have their licenses revoked did something implicitly illegal and/or very serious?

Think that logic is a little faulty there sister!

I've spent some time reading the disciplinary actions summary that is part of my state's BON newsletter. While it's not a scientific survey by any means, the vast, vast majority of suspensions and revocations involve impairment or diversion of controlled substances, followed by record falsification. The OP is pretty close to the mark.

You can probably look at the causes for discipline at your state's BON website.