Published Dec 13, 2015
Crosobien
11 Posts
I hear nurses that have been in LTC say that they are afraid to lose their license.
Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN
893 Posts
One reason: sometimes you're just so BUSY it's easy to forget what you're forgetting to do.
VANurse2010
1,526 Posts
It is impossible (in most facilities) to get all the work done in the appropriate time frames at the appropriate level of quality, sans short cuts and "creative" charting.
Hoosier_RN, MSN
3,965 Posts
I've never seen anyone in ltc lose their license. Now in local hospital, someone did for gross negligence
bluegeegoo2, LPN
753 Posts
The only time I've heard of anyone losing their license is d/t diverting narcotics/drug abuse. Even then, in most cases they've had to register with the state and comply with the monitoring program. If they fail to comply then yes, their license is suspended.
I have seen some horrendous nursing errors resulting in actual harm, including death, and somehow those nurses maintained their license. (and job!)
Most of the people that I've seen worrying about losing their license seem to be new nurses and new to LTC nurses. Once they realize that they'd actually have to TRY to lose their license they tend to settle down about that.
TheCommuter, BSN, RN
102 Articles; 27,612 Posts
In the area where I live, revocation of licensure usually occurs as a result of narcotic theft, diversion, impaired practice, or failure to satisfactorily fulfill the terms of an intervention program for nurses (IPN). All of the LTC nurses I personally know who have lost their licenses had problems with addiction, theft of drugs, or impaired practice.
kbrn2002, ADN, RN
3,930 Posts
It takes a lot more than being overworked to the point of taking shortcuts to lose your license. I'd guess that 99% of nurses that lose their license do so because of narcotic diversion. Occasionally I hear of a nurse losing their license because of a conviction for violent crime or theft. Of course proven violation of residents rights can cause a nurse to lose their license, though I must admit I've never heard of any particular cases where this happened.