Missouri....an at will State. But why should our license be turned in too?

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  1. If you could change the way the State Board of Nursing disciplines nurses would you?

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      Yes! I would love to see a change!
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      Maybe, I am not sure if it matters or not.
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      No way! I think they are doing exactly what they should be doing based on the complaints sent to them.

I just got though seeing an attorney about being let go from a small rural hospital for "not fitting in". And it really appalled me that not only can Missouri fire us for any reason but they then turn our license in for false allegations! Isn't it bad enough that we have to suffer the humiliation, the shock and the disbelief that we are let go for other reasons than poor work performance? I mean, my license is my livelihood and for it to be put in jepordy just because a nursing supervisor thinks I look funny is beside me! I was so upset with this attorney's answer to my questions that I asked him how he could sit there and say there was nothing I could do, but yet he could defend a murderer knowing full well that the guy/girl did it and get them off for whatever reason but he couldn't do anything to help a nurse that could lose their whole career??????? What rights do we have as nurses to protect our licenses from false allegations? I have never had my license affected yet but that doesn't mean that it won't happen one day especially if every person that has a personal vendetta keeps turning it in. Now I know some of you have read all of my posts on here (names left unmentioned), but no matter what my reasons for being let go, at no time have I been in trouble with the State Board of Nursing. Missouri tax dollars are paying tons of money for these people to come and investigate us only to find out that we haven't done anything to warrant an investigation. I can see it if I passed the wrong meds, caused a patient to be in grave danger, hit another co-worker, did drugs or all the horrible things you could do, but for "not fitting in"? I am waiting on my next letter from the State Board saying that my license has been turned in and for what. I noticed in my monthly nursing newsletter that so many nurses are having their license revoked for not going to meetings! But yet you can steal a poor dying lady's medication for yourself and you are given probation! There is a problem somewhere in the system and I wish I knew what I could do to help get it fixed so that it works for all of us for the better and not the worst. I love nursing, always have and always will. But I am having serious thoughts as to if I will stay in nursing because of all the "rights" hospitals have in deciding whether we stay nurses or not. Any ideas on this subject?

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Specializes in Critical Care,Recovery, ED.

There are a few thoughts on your post. First the BON of all states are not in existence to protect Nurses but rather the public. They are usually not friends of Nurses. Secondly, a Union can help prevent these types of vindictive attacks on your license. Third you can always counter sue the individual nurse manager that takes part in this type of behavior. And people wonder why there is a nursing shortage when the above described behavior happens.

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I never thought about it, but you are so right! I will remember to tell my attorney that tomorrow when I go and see him about my wrongful termination case and the facts of turning my license in for false incidents. Thanks.

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in my opinion a union makes the nurse even more like a factory worker or some such. I vote with my feet---go elsewhere

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