Is my License at Risk?

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Nurse Beth,

I have been a nurse for one and a half years now on a mother/baby unit. I recently started a second job as a nurse nanny to make extra money. I am not sure if I am putting my license in jeopardy. I do not chart the same way I do in the hospital. I write up a log of feedings, etc.. My concern is that if something happens to the baby after I leave, like SIDS or something else I have no true documentation in a chart to back up any complaints or issues. Am I at a greater risk of losing my license and what can I do to protect my license while being a nurse nanny. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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Dear Is License at Risk,

I'm not an attorney, but here are my thoughts:

You are documenting what a nurse nanny is expected to document (feedings. etc). Your job does not require you to perform an assessment,

and you are doing what is reasonable and normal for a nurse nanny under the circumstances.

At the same time, you may be bound to a higher standard of care if something went wrong with the baby during your care, because of your higher education. A court could ask "What would a similarly trained, prudent clinician do under the same circumstance?" It's similar to an RN working as a CNA- not illegal, but RNs working as CNAs can be held to the standard of care as an RN in certain states.

If an unhappy family discovered you have a nursing license, it could make you a target for a lawsuit. Even if they did not prevail, it would be a terrible experience for you.

Maintain your nursing insurance, and be sure to check with your BON to make sure you're protected.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

Author, "Your Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job"...and your next!