anyone have a board complaint

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This is something nurses need to discuss , the number of nurses who get board complaints and have no idea how to handle them . Or have preconceived ideas on how to proceed. And most complaints have nothing to do with nursing .

TheOwalrus. Most likely you will get licensed , but I have seen az deny nurses a license based on something very old , been working a long time. Now that bad part of that is AZ denial is PUNITIVE (they do not allow u to just withdraw application) Surrendering a license when you get sick of jumping through the many many hoops, is PUNITIVE for AZ , not all states are about 5% is all. So many nurses have never worked 1 day in AZ and cannot find work in many area due to the ding on their license. I don't know of any board who would give info over the phone since, the bd has to vote. Now when a nurse / NP gets investigated , gets revoked or what ever on license and they move away those boards where they move will NOT issue a license but refer you back to AZ , every time. (a lot of people think nurses can just skip around and work, NO WAY) and the worst cases had nothing to do with nursing (calif is tough too but they just got caught falsifying documents themselves so , hmmmm !!

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That is true , depends on the action , loc , doc , not a real big deal but this is another area boards play favortism, they give their 'buddies' a 'fine" which is non punitive. by buddies, they all attend the same faith .

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Specializes in Psych.
3 hours ago, kuippo said:

they give their 'buddies' a 'fine" which is non punitive.

You see, that's all I got. A fine and then I was able to work. When I originally went looking for a job I called several HRs from the bigger hospitals and asked if this would be an issue to work at their hospitals and they all said basically that was no reason to refuse a nurse to work. One guy even started laughing and said, "That's nothing! A fine?! No limitations? suspensions? You're fine!" I'm assuming since I was only issued a fine and received my license right there I should be okay moving forward LOL I got my bachelor's, got accepted into the DNP program and the wound care program at the hospital. I'm assuming also that since everything else would look okay I don't really have anything really to worry about? LOL Just to get another opinion.

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I think you should be OK , the one thing they (azbon) loves to hit people on is the past , and doesn't matter how long ago, and if you disclose it. to them a biggee. They make a big deal out of that but then it never matters in the final decision . I would not meet with them , u don't have to just put it down , short answers , and deny to meet with them, they will put it on the BON meeting , at that point you can go , make short statement just for the back of the room because the board doesn't listen to anything you say they have made up their minds long before u get there. you should be fine. another area they love is when a NP is in one area and does things in areas not certified in . Although a FNP (ON THE BD) said she can diagnose psych disorders .

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in 2017 I obtained a contempt of court charge which resulted in a misdemeanor- due to a a bad break up with an ex whose main goal in life was to make me miserable- hence spending 22,000 in attorney fees, court nine times- he was hell bent on hurting me, my career, my relationships etc.

I reported it to the board- I explained my side of the story to the board of nursing. 7 months later they sent me a letter wanting me to explain. 

so I wrote them explaining what happened, even spoke with a referee four months later- this was July of 2018 

fast forward January 2019- I called to find out the status- they wanted to reprimand me, I hired an attorney in April of 2018. $5000 retainer and all. 

so long story short- I've spent over $6700 and haven't even had a heading yet. my first attorney general assigned to my case quit, so we had to start all over. my hearing was scheduled for January 2020- I did not feel my attorney was well prepared, no strategy, didn't feel like he was up to date with my case- it had been a year since I hired him. 

so case adjourned to march- covid hit- rescheduled three times.  

I am being charged with mental incompetence- I had 3 psych evals- one I did when my ex first placed a ppo on me, 2nd by the judge, 3rd by the board of nursing - all said anxiety, depression- the last consent order even stated by the attorney general I was competent to practice nursing, - so I kept asking my attorney, why are we going to court? they find me competent this needs to be dismissed

so august 24th they send a letter out for a September 30th hearing  via telephone- then august 26th I get a notice stating they are withdrawing my original case and its being superceeded by new charges- negligence and lack of moral character ( this was a break up between an ex and I, absolutely nothing to do with my work as a nurse)- 

so I have to start the entire process over again, sending in an explanation within 30 days, then eventually talking to a referee. I found out the other day, that I still have the telephone hearing September 30th which makes absolutely no sense to me at all. I feel like my attorney is just nickel and diming me and not being aggressive.  we were both under the understanding that the hearing was cancelled, but apparently I have two hearings for the same charge. 

I know I should hire another attorney but I've already invested so much into this guy- im just not understanding why there are two hearings and why am I being charged with negligence-

 

let me just add this- I have never harmed, hit, assaulted anyone in my life- I broke up with my ex and he wanted revenge. 

 

any insight this is just crazy and has almost been 3 years and I've lost great jobs because of this. 

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Tell your attorney to do their damn job or you're going to report them to the bar. Highway robbery! Plus, how are you being charged twice with two hearings for the same 'crime' for lack of a better word? That's double jeopardy. I know it's the nursing board and not a court of law but it still seems like they're just throwing things at the wall hoping something will stick or you'll do something to validate their witch hunt. It's stressful but seems like harassment and character assassination to me. I'm no attorney but I'd surely sue the ex for slander, libel, and anything else that's applicable plus attorney fees and whatever else I could think of. But most importantly, I'd start searching for an attorney that specializes in and/or has a history of dealing with the nursing board.

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board atty's are not always the best. they tend to make a bigger case out of nothing , to make more money. And they have 'side talks " always wanting a plea , deal when you have done nothing wrong. This case is very COMMON with BON's , they know retaliation but don't care they'll make a nursing case out of a private feud , and someone not a nurse trying to destroy a good nurse ! harassment by your BON (az BON is the worst ) .

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if someone puts in a board complaint , ex who ever and it 'sticks " which the corrupt boards do make it 'stick" (at least in arizona) then you can't sue them. Because it shows that it was substantial . Before anyone goes to nursing school figure out how the boards can ruin your entire life by one false complaint . Not just in nursing but in other areas as well.

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Specializes in Psych.

Honestly, I think nurses should be able to file a lawsuit against the BON when they do things so unfair. They shouldn't have so much power. This is why I'm planning to invest in real estate on the side. You can't just sit back and allow a group like the BON to just destroy someone's life so easily.

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On 7/4/2020 at 10:49 AM, Bluebird777 said:

kuippo you are right. I'm relying on my lawyer a lot and he says that it will be impossible for me to secure another job in nursing, or probably in any hospital, while this is going on. And that will take many more months, even up to or more than another year.

I have a complaint from a family member and I just tried to renew my license and I had to tell them I have a pending litigation against me and I don't know if I will be able to renew my license or what my punishment will be.  I haven't even been in front of the nursing board yet. They cancelled my first appearance.  I am nervous 

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a lot of complaints that go to the BON are from vicious family, neighbors , ex spouses . A real BON would recognize that they are retaliating and not take action . That is not the case with AZBON, they will jump on it. File against the nurse. Usually the nurse is a victim of DV and getting away from an abusive spouse and they want the kids. or get even . So the nurse is getting a double wammy.  If you did nothing wrong stick to your guns your taking nothing . Be VERY careful signing anything , to 'get past this' it could lead to bigger problems and your atty may tell you to sign so you don't lose your license, so he can be paid. It is what you can live with . (by signing in AZ you give up the right to go after them for damages, letting them off the hook ) . Why should any nurse do this?   Good luck to you.

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Im a nurse in Wisconsin.  I dealt with the Board in the '90s becouse of addiction.

It was a nightmare.  It just seemed that could do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted.  I took the BON into our State Court System to get things straightened out because my Board Monitor had me following 2 separate "Final Decision & Order"  which was impossible.  Example:  one Order allowed access to narcotics while the other Order did not.  When I questioned my Board Monitor about which one I should follow he handed me a copy of the Original Order which he stamped in bright red ink "FILE COPY" this one gave me access to narcotics at work.  To this day nobody could figure out WHY I had 2 separate Orders to begin with.  My Board Monitor lost his job over this.  The Attorneys for the Board, my Monitor and who ever else was there was lectured by the Judge for not listening to me and not investigating when I told them I had 2 Orders.

I finished my 3 years being monitored successfully and granted full licensure in 2000.

It was stressful, confusing and very costly. Stay hopeful though.  You all can make it too!

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