Causes of losing your license?

Nurses Professionalism

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I'm not asking about drug use, intentional fraud etc but due to clinical/medical errors.

We have a new nurse (graduated 2 yrs ago and new to HH) who is afraid of making a mistake and losing her license. I asked if she knew of anyone who had and they were related to illegal behavior.

What type of errors has anyone lost their license? Missing an important finding? Med error? Unintentional physical harm to a patient?

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I know someone who claims to know someone who lost his license for raping a patient . . . not really an "error" that happened "on accident." I know someone who lost her job for diverting narcotics, falsification of documentation. She kept her license. I know someone who diverted so many drugs the DEA was investigating every nurse on the unit . . . he kept his license and was promoted to management so he didn't get to carry the narcotic keys. I know someone (more than one, actually) whose serious medication error killed a patient. Kept their license and their job.

The only people I've known who have actually lost their licenses lost them for offenses so enormous that one would think they were actually TRYING to lose that license.

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Thank you for the responses.

How about lawsuits? I know some investigations go to court (I haven't known anyone myself), what are the outcomes for nurses there?

I've seen some medical cases I thought for sure would end up in court or settlement but attorneys wouldn't touch them, said they didn't have a chance.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing and ANA have promulgated the application of the "Just Culture" model to address individual nursing practice issues and improve patient safety. My state has also formally adopted it.

According to this model, there are 4 types of errors. Here are simplistic examples: 1) human error - "omg, I dropped the sterile dressing supplies on the floor because I was trying to carry too much" , 2) at-risk behavior - "I knew I was carrying too much, but I have done it before, so I didn't think I would drop anything this time", 3) risky behavior - "It doesn't matter if I drop sterile supplies; I can still use them as long as no one else notices" and 4) malicious behavior - "I really hate that patient; he deserves to have a wound infection, so I'll use a contaminated dressing".

Performance issues are analyzed (using a standard algorithm). Unintententional (#1 & #2) errors are treated very differently than intentional (#3 & #4) ones. No one would lose a license or have significant consequences for #1... just counseling & discussion; possibly consolation, if the incident resulted in harm to the patient. For #2 (at-risk) errors, the nurse would be counseled, and have remediation to clarify the procedures/rules that must be followed.... note, if the same type of error is made again, it would probably escalate to a #3 (risky) because ignorance of the rule could no longer be claimed. Severe consequences are reserved for #3 & #4... including loss of license.

Hope this adds some clarity to a very scary 'threat' that seems to loom over nurses.

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Specializes in Palliative, Onc, Med-Surg, Home Hospice.

I personally know of 5 nurses who have been sanctioned by the BON. 3 were sanctioned for drug diversion. (1 actually was suspended indefinitely, because she refused to appear before the board and would not pay fines, attend classes, etc board required). The other 2 were sanctioned for other reasons.

Nurse A was sanctioned for patient abandonment when she left a SNF to go get food and left the unit without a nurse. A resident coded while she was away and instead of calling 911 when she got back, she called the funeral home (Pt was a full code).

Nurse B was a wound care nurse who wasn't providing wound care but was documenting that she was providing said care. What is worse, she was also forging other nurses names. That is actually how she got caught. Nurses who were on vacation, providing wound care? She didn't do a good job.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
joemomma35 said:
Many state boards of nursing will let you look up online what the cause of license actions were for nurses. Usually they're drug/alcohol related, not paying child support or loans in the states we talked about, etc. I haven't heard of any from med errors or basic mistakes.

Thumbing through BON disciplinary proceedings is an excellent way to see what could you get you in trouble with them...and you'd be surprised what could get you a disciplined, suspended or revoked license.

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Libby1987 said:
Thank you for the responses.

How about lawsuits? I know some investigations go to court (I haven't known anyone myself), what are the outcomes for nurses there?

I've seen some medical cases I thought for sure would end up in court or settlement but attorneys wouldn't touch them, said they didn't have a chance.

1) Despite what you've "heard," nurses are very rarely the subject of criminal charges that go to court, or the sole defendant in a malpractice/negligence action. The vast majority of malpractice cases brought to attorneys are not pursued because they lack one or more requirement to pursue them, or because taking them forward would not result in enough money to pay for the preparation of it.

"Medical malpractice law in the United States is derived from English common law, and was developed by rulings in various state courts. Medical malpractice lawsuits are a relatively common occurrence in the United States. The legal system is designed to encourage extensive discovery and negotiations between adversarial parties with the goal of resolving the dispute without going to jury trial. The injured patient must show that the physician acted negligently in rendering care, and that such negligence resulted in injury. To do so, four legal elements must be proven: (1) a professional duty owed to the patient; (2) breach of such duty; (3) injury caused by the breach; and (4) resulting damages. " (An Introduction to Medical Malpractice in the United States)

Damages means financial losses, not, oh, like something that leaves a scar. You can replace the word "physician" with "nurse" and it's still true. Of 100 cases brought to attorneys, only about 5% proceed to a suit, and of those, only about 4% are found in favor of the plaintiff. It doesn't make great TV, but that's reality.

In summary, if you don't plan on stealing narcotics and falsifying those records, pursuing other felonious conduct in or out of work, refusing to pay your taxes or other debts, or the like, stop the heck worrying about the Board of Nursing pursuing you. Med errors (unless extremely, extremely egregious), p***ing off the staffing coordinator, habitual lateness or unexcused absences, mouthing off to your boss or others, and the like may get you a warning from your employer. Repeated such behavior will probably get you fired. But you will not attract the attention of the licensing board. Tell your "friend" to chillax and get the reports from her state board on current disciplinary actions if she doesn't believe it.

If after having the facts before her she persists in having these very unrealistic fears to the point where they are interfering with her ability to work, she should seek counseling for her anxiety, preferably cognitive-behavioral therapy that will help her achieve a more realistic sense of proportion and risk.

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Most of the disciplinary actions I've read about regarding medication/standard of care issues have been in LTC - where a great many things regarding the procedures, workload, documentation, and standards of care are freaking ridiculous. I have yet to see an acute care nurse admonished by the BON over a medication error.

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Specializes in Pediatric.
CelticGoddess said:
I personally know of 5 nurses who have been sanctioned by the BON. 3 were sanctioned for drug diversion. (1 actually was suspended indefinitely, because she refused to appear before the board and would not pay fines, attend classes, etc board required). The other 2 were sanctioned for other reasons.

Nurse A was sanctioned for patient abandonment when she left a SNF to go get food and left the unit without a nurse. A resident coded while she was away and instead of calling 911 when she got back, she called the funeral home (Pt was a full code).

Nurse B was a wound care nurse who wasn't providing wound care but was documenting that she was providing said care. What is worse, she was also forging other nurses names. That is actually how she got caught. Nurses who were on vacation, providing wound care? She didn't do a good job.

Oh my goodness. I hope that meal was worth it. ?

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I used to work with a nurse who had a drug diversion charge and working impaired years earlier. she got her license back only to lose it again when she got charged with the same crime. Her only punishment was a suspend license and a fine. The second time she surrendered her license and just got a small fine. Every state is different but it takes a lot before the Bon actually takes your license.

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Disciplinary action for not taking vital signs. Anyone know what they may be. Attorney general trying to make nurse pay settlement. No state board letter telling him to appear. Need avice.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
13 minutes ago, Roxy152 said:

Disciplinary action for not taking vital signs. Anyone know what they may be. Attorney general trying to make nurse pay settlement. No state board letter telling him to appear. Need avice.

Contact a lawyer. TAANA is a good place to find one familiar with nursing.

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Specializes in Health Care.

So can you lose your license for not doing something for someone right when they ask, even if it doesn't cause harm to the person? Like not digging around for a remote to raise the head of bed or taking a blood sugar when the person says their blood sugar is not low? This say happened when in middle of doing other things that needed done on time limit.

Or be fired and they call it abuse?

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