Nurses and nurse practitioners
A complaint to the board of nursing
Most nursing complaints start with a chart, a medication count or an employer's report. They end in a consent order, a hearing or a dismissal, and what you write in between decides which.
I handle the board's process for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and advanced practice nurses: the complaint letter, the request for records, the investigative interview and any hearing or settlement that follows.
If you hold a license in another state, or practice under a compact license, tell me at the start. Discipline in one place can follow you to the others.
Matters I take
Medication errors and charting complaints
Patient-care and scope-of-practice allegations
Employer reports after a termination
Substance-use concerns and monitoring programs
Criminal charges that reach the board
Renewals, reinstatements and out-of-state licenses
The stages
What the board will ask of you
Boards differ in their forms and their pace. The sequence is much the same.
- 01
The complaint letter
A short notice that names the allegation and sets a date to respond. The date is usually tighter than it looks. Send the letter to me the day it arrives.
- 02
The records request
The board may ask for charts, schedules and your own account. I review what is sent, and what is not, before anything leaves your hands.
- 03
The interview
An investigator asks to hear from you. You may bring a lawyer, and you should. We prepare for it together; we do not improvise.
- 04
The offer or the hearing
A consent order, a reprimand with conditions or a hearing before a judge or panel. I explain what each would mean for your work and your record before you choose.
Questions nurses ask first
My employer ended my job. Is the board next?
Often, yes. In many states an employer may or must report a termination for patient-care or medication reasons. A report does not mean discipline, but it opens a file, so call before the board's letter arrives if you can.
Can I keep working while the board investigates?
Usually, unless the board has suspended your license on an emergency basis. Your employer may have its own rules, so bring me what yours says.
Do my other states need to know?
Some boards require you to report discipline, or an open investigation, from elsewhere. I check the rules for each license you hold before you answer anyone.