Revoking Your Own License: How to Remove Your Name from the Board of Nursing

elkpark · Jun 13, 2017

You can surrender your license, but the information that you were licensed as an RN will always be available on the BON website. Once you give up your license (or allow it to expire), you're legally not allowed to call yourself a nurse, but the BON will not delete or erase your licensure info (although it will show the expiration date of your license and that it is not currently active). You can never completely erase any indication that you were at some point a licensed nurse. There are states in which I haven't been licensed in 20 years, but, if you look me up on the BON website, you'll find the info about my license # and the dates that the licenses were active.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jun 13, 2017

You can't. My sisters license expired 20 years ago and it's still on my BoN. My father died and his professional license is listed as status "deceased". It's a matter of public record. If your license is not active you can't be called nurse in many states

Emergent, RN · Jun 13, 2017

That's like trying to tell the Catholic Church that you are no longer Catholic, and to remove you from their baptismal registry. No can do.

Once a Catholic, always a Catholic. Once a nurse, always a nurse...

Boomer MS, RN · Jun 13, 2017

Once you go inactive as an RN and do not renew your license, you are no longer able to practice nursing in that state. But not being able to call yourself a nurse? I doubt that. You could say you are a retired nurse, but, as Emergent said, Once a nurse, always a nurse. I think it is semantics. I have been licensed in four states, presently only one because I did renew after leaving those other three states. If I were in those other states, I would say I am not licensed here.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jun 14, 2017

Not that I am planning on doing so, but I was wondering if someone could request that their named be removed from the Board of Nursing website and no longer legally be referred to as a nurse. This would not be in a case of a nurse facing disciplinary action; rather, if someone who was still in good standing decided they no longer desired to be referred to as a nurse or to maintain the legal responsibilities of a nurse, would they be able to do so?

Let your license go inactive and then you are not a licensed nurse anymore and don't have the "legal responsibilities of a nurse". Your name will still appear on the BON website and say "inactive" under license status though.

Editorial Team / Admin · Jun 14, 2017

In order to no longer be held to the standards of a nursing license, one simply needs to cease holding that license. It could be via voluntary surrender (not wise, because it's next to impossible to get it back without jumping through a lot of hoops should one need that license for one reason or another, such as finding oneself in need of a job) or allowing it to expire. However, that license information is public record and isn't going to go anywhere. Pretty much the only way to remove your name from the BON website would be to let the license lapse, and then legally change your name and start over somewhere new. But the old name would still appear and could be found.

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 14, 2017

As others have said it never goes away!

My poor aunt was an RN and she died about 15 years ago and her name and license still show, although expired of course.

Annie

Jolie, BSN · Jun 14, 2017

While your presence on the BON website may never die, you can excuse yourself from the professional duties of an RN simply by not working in nursing.

Many states' mandatory reporting laws apply to circumstances you encounter in the course of your professional duties, not your everyday life. While I would advise you to familiarize yourself with your state's requirements, there is a good chance that simply not working as an RN (regardless of whether your license is active or not) would eliminate your legal obligation to report suspected abuse/neglect. NOTE: I am not commenting on the ethical or moral aspect of this, only your legal obligation.

Some states mandate all competent adult citizens to report suspicions of abuse/neglect. If you live in one of these states, your obligation exists whether you are a nurse or not, so giving up your livelihood would not remove this legal obligation.

Some states require continuing education and/or current work hours for license renewal. If you choose not to comply, you would simply make your license inactive at the next renewal period.

Other than having your name on the BON website and complying with mandatory reporting laws, I am not aware of any burdensome professional obligations that would justify surrendering a license in good standing. Can you share exactly what you mean?

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Jun 14, 2017

I am going to throw out a "what if" scenario here. What if the nurse in question is escaping a domestic abuse situation and the abuser is stalking her? I haven't looked on a bunch of BON websites, but in WI I know they at least provide the city of residence in your license info. If this is the case in every state it wouldn't be terribly difficult for a stalker to find that nurse just by looking up license information in every state until the nurse is found. Even with a common name it would sure help narrow down the possibilities.

I've honestly never thought of this before, but do you think the State's department of licensing would remove a name altogether if it were requested under extenuating circumstances like that?

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN · Jun 14, 2017

If you have no active license, you may not practice. Otherwise, it would be practicing without a license. Your previous periods of licensure remain listed as public record.

But you cannot be held to the standards of a registered nurse if you're not "registered".

Editorial Team / Admin · Jun 14, 2017

I am going to throw out a "what if" scenario here. What if the nurse in question is escaping a domestic abuse situation and the abuser is stalking her? I haven't looked on a bunch of BON websites, but in WI I know they at least provide the city of residence in your license info. If this is the case in every state it wouldn't be terribly difficult for a stalker to find that nurse just by looking up license information in every state until the nurse is found. Even with a common name it would sure help narrow down the possibilities.
I've honestly never thought of this before, but do you think the State's department of licensing would remove a name altogether if it were requested under extenuating circumstances like that?

That license number doesn't necessarily even get involved when some people go hunting. There is so much that is considered public record- I can look up my old neighbors' foreclosure. I know exactly what the new neighbors paid for the house and how much of it they took out as a mortgage loan. And I didn't even need names. Think about what can be found with just a name.