Working on Expired License for 5 Weeks

Nurses Professionalism Nursing Q/A

I messed up. My RN license expired 5 weeks ago, and I just realized it yesterday. I've been working on an expired license for 5 weeks!

I know that it is my responsibility, and I dropped the ball. But here are my excuses: I currently work in occupational health as a contractor. In the past, my manager would alert the staff as to when their RN license was about to expire. No such entity exists at my current job. Also: I moved recently. I didn't recieve the renewal notice for the BON. (I also didn't alert the BON as to my change of address, so there you go.) Again, I understand that these aren't valid excuses, and I feel really REALLY stupid.

I'm up to date on all of my CEUs. I'm going back for my BSN, so I have tons of credits. There have been zero issues with my license in the past, and for what it's worth, my current job can be considered "Nursing Lite". I do not give out meds or treat patients. I essentially take vital signs and give hearing and vision tests. I do sign 'RN" after my name, and I know that it is necessary for an RN to do my job, however.

My question: What kind of penalties can I expect? Is there anything I can do or say to the board that might help? I have the ultimate goal of becoming an NP, and I don't want a mark on my license to keep me from getting accepted into an NP program. I love my job, and I don't want to get my employer into trouble or make any waves.

Any and all advice would be appreciated.

60 Answers

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

All state dependent. In my state you would be fined & license suspended for failing to update address when the renewal was returned to sender (they are not forwardable in most states). The suspension would be lifted once you contacted the BoN & updated contact info. You have 30 days to renew past expiration date in my state with only a late fee and no discipline. At 5 weeks working while expired/unlicensed & signing RN would be actionable but the board has discretion for first timers. (Chronic offenders are a different story). Not every BoN has walk in services so you may want to check first.

Good luck. Learn from this. Accept responsibility. Move forward and don't repeat v

Check your states Board of Nursing website. It varies from state to state.

Inform the BON and your employer, you will likely not be allowed to work until after your license is reinstated.

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Depends on the state that issued the license. Could be something as small as a fine (or a large one- fines seem the most common), could be something as big as probation or suspension (not very likely). 5 weeks is a long time to be working with a lapsed license- I would also expect disciplinary action from your employer.

Best way to prevent this in the future is to have a reminder at least 6 weeks before it expires written in your calendar/app/whatever you use in your day to day life. Keep setting reminders until you have confirmed the renewal went through. Never depend on anyone else (nurse manager) to remind you- take the responsibility as a professional to maintain your own license without relying on others.

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
sainttchristopher said:
Thanks for the reply. I am off work until Monday, and I'm driving down to the BON on Friday to hand deliver my paperwork. Any idea of the chances of my getting my license reinstated that day?

Again, totally dependent on the state you work in, which you haven't provided. Best bet is to check the website for your state's BON.

The BON may need to speak to your employer about the 5 weeks that you were working without a license, so may not reinstate the same day.

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
sainttchristopher said:
Thank you for the advice and the good will. I do accept responsibility, which I felt I made clear in the original post. But I am human, and I made a mistake. My address info is updated. My BON does have walk in hours. I am going to call and make sure that I have all the paperwork ready before I make the 3 hour drive to the office. My state has a 30 day grace period, which expired last week.

I have been a nurse for 8 years and I have never had any issues with the board. I don't expect to get off scott free, but I think that suspending my license, or jeopardizing my current job and future career is excessive. I understand that practicing with an expired license is serious, but I hardly think that forgetting to renew my license for a handful of weeks makes me history's greatest monster.

I think the BoN has discretion. It would be different if you lapsed 5weeks every two years. Even though the penalties in my state are specific, in cases like yours just late fees and a modest fine were charged.

You can't fix what already happened. You are moving forward. You made certain you can walk in to the BoN, have your paperwork ready to go, have a strong track record of over 8 years, I would venture to guess you will get off with a late fee and fine and no "blemish" on your license moving forward.

Even in my money hungry state where they suspend licenses for failure to notify for change of address, once the nurse pays the fees and updates information the suspension is expunged from the record for a first offense.

My state is a bit more hyper reactive than many after a few black eyes from some imposters killing patients and others practicing without a license.

(Clearly not your case but my example above was to show extreme reactions & penalties that vary from stats to state)

It doesn't make you a monster at all obviously and I don't think anyone doesn't sympathize but you included excuses when really they were pretty empty ones.

I don't have an answer to your question but I hope the penalties still allow you to work.

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

Hi! I'm so sorry you're dealing with this! Please don't be too hard on yourself! You made a mistake -

Not sure how hard your state's BON will be but this actually happened to a coworker of mine quite a few years ago. Hers had lapsed for 8 weeks when she noticed. She drove down to meet with them. She got just a little lecture about being more careful next time, a small fine and had to do some mandatory CE tests that pertained to the licensing and legality issues. We live in Louisiana.

Good luck! Let us know how it turns out!

Anne, RNC

Each state is very different with this. Good Luck.

It probably happens more than people realize. Take the good advice given here and take care of it. You are not a monster.

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

If your license expiration is not associated with an easy to remember date, it's easier to have this sort of slip up. In my state, licenses expire on the last day of your birth month.... matched to either even or odd years. So, if you are born on March 15, 1970- your next license renewal date would be March 31, 2016...... easy peasy. Hardly anyone forgets their birthday, right??? But it still happens. The idea about setting reminders on your electronic (phone) calendar is a really good one.

+ Add a Comment