Members are discussing the importance of renewing nursing licenses on time and sharing personal experiences with license renewal processes. Some members highlight the consequences of not renewing on time, while others share tips on organizing renewal documents. There is also a conversation about the potential disciplinary actions for working with an expired license and the importance of taking responsibility for license renewal.
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.
I did a little research into disciplinary actions, and it looks like the people who were fined and reprimanded were working under an expired license for a very long time. 14 months in one case ($1000 fine and a mark on the record) and over 3 years in another ($1500 fine and a mark on the record). These were from 2008 and 2011 respectively. I couldn't find anything from 2011 until present.
I put a call into the Board, and I'm waiting on a call back. I will keep you updated.
I think the person here that went 8 weeks before noticing only had to pay $250 and the CEs she had to do for the board were maybe 5 or 10 hours.
You may feel that you "hardly think that forgetting to renew my license for a handful of weeks makes me historys greatest monster"....ummm can you be more dramatic?
You asked what to expect and people gave you polite answers. No one said you were a "monster". You instantly start firing off excuses. Great. Super. You are responsible for your license. Period.
You may think it is no big deal..once again..it doesn't matter what you think. The BON makes that decision. I think certain charting is ridiculus. Guess what...it doesn't matter what I think...I am required to do it.
I just got back from the Board. Everything was fine. My license was activated while I drove home. The person from the Board was very understanding and professional. "You're not the only one who has forgotten to renew on time, but don't let it happen again." I know that I am very very lucky.
That said: Some of you guys are rough! I think that nurses are fairly notorious for being hard on one another. I also think that nurses have a reputation in taking a fair amount of self-righteous joy when other nurses make mistakes. In part, I understand it. Nurses have a very important job, and mistakes can quite literally cost patients their lives. But I think that a little perspective as to the nature of the mistake is important. I am also probably being too sensitive. But my point stands: We should strive be kind to one another.
Thanks to all for the advice. This won't happen to me again.
^^ Don't worry to much about all the brow beating women that made negative sounding comments regarding what happened. Especially loved the comment questioning your ability "to provide competent nursing care, if you couldn't even renew your license on time". That made me laugh. Spoken like true nursing instructors, They must be very proud of themselves I'm sure. Every single nurse out there has made a mistake sometime or another, don't pay their bs any mind. Besides I wonder what all those license fees get us anyways? I wonder what they do with "fine" money, what does that get used for exactly? But who am I to question the all-powerful board of nursing. Did the board of nursing help me thru school? Don't they receive money from state taxes as well? I'm sure there are other sources as well. My license of 20 years lapsed as well, time to pay fees and fines I guess, because that's exactly what I deserve right? /rant off
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Ecs268, your first post after joining just today is to denigrate posters in a thread that hadn't been posted in for over a year? People are permitted to respond how they choose as long as it is in line with the TOS.
ECS. So what would you "question" with the BON? Is your argument that "registered" nurses should be able to work without being registered? Is that your argument? Why don't you make it to them instead of a message board. And where did anyone say that nurses don't make mistakes? That doesn't mean we are not accountable for our mistakes. Because someone 10 years ago forgot to renew their license that means I can? I am trying to understand your "rant".
I moved to a different state from where I was initially licensed, which was every 2 years, new state is every YEAR..... I forgot , two years in a row!! Once , I was at work , manager said do you know your license is not renewed??? ( face palm) all I had to do was drive up to the city where the licensing board was and renew.... THIS year, I almost forgot AGAIN... it was liters 1145 the night before it was due !! I renewed online in 5 minutes no issues either time...
dishes, BSN, RN
3,950 Posts
@Jory, it's taken care of see post #44