How easy is it to lose your nursing license?

Nurses Career Support Nursing Q/A

Is it something that you worry about day to day? Every move you make could wind up to you losing your license?

Not too long ago I browsed BON disciplinary actions out of curiosity... and was shocked to see that a nurse I used to work with years ago had her license suspended and is currently on probation (she was in ICU, me stepdown, but we reported off to each other frequently). Now I thought highly of that nurse (and doubt she would have become less competent in the decade since), which is why I was so surprised.

According to the public record, she had made a wrong route med error, giving Demoral IM instead of IM. The pt was not harmed, and she immediately reported the error the physician. Then something went wrong. She wrote a verbal order "May give IM or IV", which the physician claimed he never gave. (Sounds like the classic throw-the-nurse under the bus story to me, or an unjustified, naive "trust" that the doc would just sign what the nurse wrote; or just a misunderstanding!) Either way, she was fired, disciplined, and will probably never have a decent job again.

I took that as a warning that I will most definitely call the doc who failed to order an analgesic at 3 a.m. (actually, have recently done just that ;))

DeLana

P.S. I have to preach this again: Always, always carry your own (I did even when unemployed); among other things, they will provide a lawyer to represent you before the BON!

Whoa I can't even imagine what a struggle it must be like to not be able to practice for a couple of years. At least it wasn't completely taken away though.

JomoNurse said:

P.S.S. I've had to call physicians at like 1am for an order of tylenol for fever and they have said things like "Why on earth are you calling me at this hour? It's OK to write an order for tylenol and then I'll sign it when I make my rounds tomorrow. Don't call me for this anymore" But I still call them anyway, totally not worth it.

You need to get standing orders for things like this, it is silly to have to call doc in the middle of the noc for this....that said, it must be done until you get the standing orders in place...

ms.RN said:
I worry daily about losing my license. It takes just one unintended mistake to lose license. We don't use pyxis machine, but medications are inside bubble packs. This one patient is taking oxycontin ir 20mg scheduled two times a day and also same dose of oxycontin 20mg as PRN. Both packs were next to each other and when patient asked me for PRN medication, I almost took medication out of ir packet. When I double checked and found my mistake, my heart almost dropped and realized how easy it is to lose my license for things like this.

oxycontin ir 20mg no such drug!

oxycontin 20mg as PRN .....totally inappropriate order!

Specializes in pulm/cardiology pcu, surgical onc.

A week ago I was taking report on a post op day 2 hepatectomy and the off going nurse just had called the doc for an order for Tylenol d/t fever. She was pretty embarrassed when I told her the reason the doc said NO TYLENOL.

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
JomoNurse said:
P.S.S. I've had to call physicians at like 1am for an order of tylenol for fever and they have said things like "Why on earth are you calling me at this hour? It's OK to write an order for tylenol and then I'll sign it when I make my rounds tomorrow. Don't call me for this anymore" But I still call them anyway, totally not worth it.

I assume that if a physician makes the decision not to write such orders PRN then they must WANT to talk to a nurse at 3AM and I do not hesitate for a second to call them. If they whine I just point out that this was their CHOICE and their DECISION. Hey dude if you don't want me to call you for stupid things then learn to write a correct set of orders. I am much more forgiving with interns and 2nd year resident but if you are a staff or attending then you should know better.

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Patient_Care_Asst said:
I have seen some places simply write a Tylenol order PRN for ALL admissions unless they are specifically allergic or there are contraindications etc.

Yes, or even better having it as a unit standing order like we do where I work. Same for lots of other drugs like benadryl and narcan.

Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.
Quote

Oxycontin IR 20mg no such drug!

Oxycontin 20mg as PRN .....totally inappropriate order!

I was wondering the same thing...LOL. Oxycontin Immediate Release would make drug addicts VERY happy...they wouldnt' have crush up the tablets! And giving Oxycontin PRN is definitely a big no-no. I think the poster was confusing the two: Oxycontin and Oxy-IR. I see it happen at lot with the nurses I work with when it comes to the pain meds and different names.

Specializes in ER, LTC, IHS.

At the assisted living where I worked we had a few on oxy 5 mg for breakthrough pain and no they did not all have the same doc.

(My nursing instructor said to treat every patient like a brother or sister and you have nothing to worry about)

I know some siblings who, if they followed the instructor's advice would not only lose their nursing license, but likely be looking at 5-10 in the Big House. :lol2:

Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
am not a nurse yet but I have made the decision now that I will not allow a doctor's attitude to possibly cause me to make an error that would cause me to lose my license. Screw that.

It isn't always an attitude that gets in the way. In the case of sleeping pills, cough medicine, or Tylenol for a headache sometimes knowing the doc (especially ones you work with all the time) has a full day the next day can cause night nurses to take pause on calling. However, as others stated, bundling orders, having all your facts straight and being very quick and concise can get them back to bed quickly. Also checking with other nurses before calling to see if they need the same doc helps too.

As long as it isn't a nephro doc...I have the worst luck late night with them.

Tait

Let me tell all of you out there..........its a LOT easier than you think. Six years ago (during my 22nd year of nursing, and closing in on my 50th birthday) I "turned" a surgeon "in" for doing some things during surgery that were.......well, HORRIFIC, at best. This doctor, along with a very bad set of members sitting on the board of nursing, subsequently DESTROYED my life.

With in 2 weeks of going to the "uppers", I'd lost my job and my license. You see, somehow I was forced to take a drug screen, with in 3 hours of speaking to the uppers, and I failed. Now, I knew I would fail it, and so did they, I told them I would and showed them my prescription. You see, at that particular time, I was undergoing my 4th round of chemotherapy for breast cancer. (**3 years and 3 months cancer FREE, by the way)! So, I simply provided them with my prescription number! End of story, right? WRONG! Within 48 hours I received a letter from my employer asking that I resign for "unprofessional conduct" (WHAT)?.......And if that wasn't enough, I also received an emergency suspension letter from the board of nursing because I tested positive without a prescription for opiates! NO ****, folks! The letter also demanded that I appear before the board.

OK, "no problem", I thought, "I will just bring that damn prescription with me when I go in front of the board". WRONG!

Hindsight........I actually had some crazy idea that they would actually allow me to speak or that I could hand over the copy of my prescription and or the bottle...which by the way was 4 months old by that time, and had 4 of the original 90 pills missing out of it. I figured they would be 100% "FAIR", and at the very least allow me the opportunity to present my side of the facts, right? WRONG! You see, I made the grave error of showing up without an attorney. And when I say the board didn't give a ****, that is the understatement of the century! They not only didn't give a ****, but they belittled and humiliated me. These were trumped up allegations of "narcotic abuse", but they simply refused to believe that anyone could be innocent of a physicians "charges". Yep, my doctor friend was ONE of the culprits behind it. The whole experience was nauseating, devastating and eye-opening. I could not believe how amotional, heartless and uncaring the board of NURSING actually was.

This was SIX and a half years ago: I still have no license. I appealed, and LOST. Again, no attorney. I was even sent to a psychiatric evaluation through IPN, and (the psychiatrist was 50 times kinder than the board of nursing, a contradiction.......huh)? Anyway, after being poked, prodded and evaluated, I told the psychiatrist the whole story and even provided her with a copy of the prescription in question. She subsequently wrote a letter to the board, on MY behalf and also told IPN to close my case, citing, "the client does NOT need any further evaluation, counseling or drug testing of any kind and is also perfectly capable of practicing nursing in a safe manner". So, IPN did close my case. End of story, right?

WRONG! I STILL have no license. You see, I will NOT allow them to leave that "discipline" on my license. Period. I will surrender my nursing license before I admit to ANY wrongdoing. I just cant admit that I did anything but the "right thing" by turning a doctor in for using drugs. I won't.

Yes, it is now almost SEVEN years from the day I lost my license! However, all was not a total loss, as I have started my 1st year of law school! Why? Well, you all know exactly why, now! And, I will NOT do what many of the lawyers did to me when I was in dire straights, and that is, charge a retainer fee that is so high, no unemployed nurse could ever afford it.

I will get my license back, and I WILL finish law school. And when I do..........watch out, Board, cause I'm coming. I absolutely cannot and will not "quit" until there is some sort of change made to the boards "guilty-until-we-think-you-are-innocent-regardless-of-the-evidence-provided", practices.

My NEW goal in life, aside from returning to work as a nurse (if and when I want), is to eventually make those a-motional, mistrusting, "everyone-is-guilty-until-proven-innocent" people, who are nothing when separated, but are the epitome of evil as a group.

So, ladies and gentlemen, BEWARE. Doing the right thing can get you into the same position that I am currently in. I highly recommend having legal insurance.........even if you have to work an extra few hours a month to afford it. Because, as you can plainly see, one doctors wrong doing can easily become your undoing!

****** OFF OLD LADY on a MISSION

+ Add a Comment