Do you ever get tired of hearing this phrase?

[Double-Helix]

"I'm so afraid I'm going to lose my license!"

This is one of my biggest pet peeves about this site. It seems like several times a day where someone (usually a new nurse) is working in a busy facility and fears that they are going to lose their license by making some kind of error. Most people even cite this as their reason for quitting their job. LTC and SNFs seems to be the biggest offenders.

So I did a search on the words "I lost my license" and read through several pages of posts about the subject. Guess what? Not ONE post about someone who legitimately lost their license due to a patient care issue. They were all related to drug use/abuse or a felony crimes.

I understand that there are some facilities that put you in unsafe working conditions. But it's really not that easy to lose your license. Even published stories about people who made fatal medication errors have retained their nursing licenses.

So please, let's get it straight that you're highly unlikely to lose your license because you're working in a busy hospital, or LTC, or a SNF with a high census. You might not like working in a busy environment like that, but quitting because you feel your "license is in jeopardy" is not a realistic reason. If you do this, you are probably denying yourself a great opportunity to learn and grow as a nurse.

That's my vent for today. Thanks for listening.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

She was stealing drugs and didn't get her license taken away? Wow...that's pretty bad.

A lot of places offer rehab and monitored programs to keep the nurse from losing his/her license. It's a second chance. And, for addiction, it's fair (and the programs don't play- you follow the rules, or go shave sheep). It's about THE only "nursey" thing where we do take care of our own- at least to give them a chance to get help.

I'd hate to work somewhere that someone isn't offered help. If they abuse the second chance - then don't let the door hit them in the butt. JMHO :) A lot of professionals who came through the drug/alcohol rehab place I worked at did well- it would have been a shame to just throw them away.

[LVNBSN2]

I get tired of hearing "If you don't do this....this....this.....it's your license, you are the nurse responsible." So, the CNA isn't responsible? Everything is the nurse's fault? Please.

[PediNrs05]

Well, while I was in Nursing school, it was hammered down our throats about covering your orifice or lose your license. I think is was a mixture of sheer terror/intimidation/uneasiness and basic schoolyard bullying. So many people that I went to school with were already terrified of losing their license and we still had a year of education left.

I personally feel that we should be instilling confidence, require classes how to deal with difficult families, how to react/respond to rude and obnoxious co-workers, not this paralyzing fear that many Nurses seem to possess. Add the fact that practically NOTHING can be done without an order. People just get scared.

Someone mentioned 'lateral violence' (I LOVE that phrase BTW)-people do get sick of hearing that, but if you haven't been on the receiving end-it really does sound like a silly cliche, but if you are the victim-it is very real and very serious.

Oh you hit this right on the head. I had no idea how to deal with any of that stuff. The rude/disfunctional families to the surgeons on their trips..Even today after 5 or 6 years of it I'm still having trouble knowing what to do with coworkers that are difficult.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

"i'm so afraid i'm going to lose my license!"

this is one of my biggest pet peeves about this site. it seems like several times a day where someone (usually a new nurse) is working in a busy facility and fears that they are going to lose their license by making some kind of error. most people even cite this as their reason for quitting their job. ltc and snfs seems to be the biggest offenders.

so i did a search on the words "i lost my license" and read through several pages of posts about the subject. guess what? not one post about someone who legitimately lost their license due to a patient care issue. they were all related to drug use/abuse or a felony crimes.

i understand that there are some facilities that put you in unsafe working conditions. but it's really not that easy to lose your license. even published stories about people who made fatal medication errors have retained their nursing licenses.

so please, let's get it straight that you're highly unlikely to lose your license because you're working in a busy hospital, or ltc, or a snf with a high census. you might not like working in a busy environment like that, but quitting because you feel your "license is in jeopardy" is not a realistic reason. if you do this, you are probably denying yourself a great opportunity to learn and grow as a nurse.

that's my vent for today. thanks for listening.

the one that bugs me is "i think i'm going to loose my license." hang onto it tightly, newbies, or it might get loose!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

new nurses are worried about the worst case scenarios: losing the license, getting fired from the job, living with the guilt of harming a patient, and the overwhelming stress the responsibility of nursing entails.

if an overwhelmed nurse wants to worry about losing her license, i give her the same tolerance that i give the patient family members who can only focus on one patient variable.( i had a family this week who was obsessive about their mother's wbc count; they wanted to know first thing every day.)

unfortunately, i see new nurses more worried about getting fired or losing their licenses than about harming patients. that's sad.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

I know. A co worker of mine whom I share CN duties with is super paranoid about being responsible for how the floor nurses do their job. She is so slow at her own duties because she makes rounds three times a day on all the patients to make sure the nurses are doing their job.

It underminds the nurses on the floor and they are resentful. I can't say I don't blame them.

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

I do not "hammer" the threat of losing your license down my students' throats. What I do constantly hammer down their throats is the image of them in the stand, or in a deposition. To me, this is more of a reality, because anyone can sue (whether it's legit or not). Not anyone can just 'take your license away'. Heck, I was supposed to lose my license this Christmas (a student was going to take it away)!! And while we're on the subject, one of my pet peeves is the instructors who claim that they will lose their license because of a student.