Many nurses incorrectly believe that the only nurses who end up before the Licensing Board are impaired. This is simply not true. An impaired nurse is someone who uses alcohol or a controlled substance on a regular basis and to the extent that it interferes with their work. And here’s a sad fact, many of these nurses don’t know that they have a problem. Yes, there are a fair number of impaired nurses and, surprisingly, the incident of impaired nurses is the same as the general public … [Read more...]
MTV’s Scrubbing “Hurts Perception of Nursing”
You play the role of the nurturing caretaker and fearless problem-solver in your everyday life. Whether it’s with your children, your coworkers, or your friends, people often turn to you for both advice and for comfort. You’regret at putting the needs of others above your own…[Read Full Article] … [Read more...]
Help! I Just Received A Letter From The Board
I frequently get panic calls saying “HELP! I just got a letter that I have to appear before the Board.” The first thing that I would suggest is to take a deep breath and read this. There are two types of communications you may get from the Board. The first is an investigation letter and the second is actual charges against your license. If you receive an investigation letter giving you twenty days to respond, it is important that you respond carefully because what you put in your … [Read more...]
What Happens When You Get Fired?
I can imagine how awful it might be to get fired from a job. You know, with many of us, our life is our profession. We really care about our patients and want to do the best job for them. So, when we do get terminated, it is a huge blow to us both personally and professionally. Unfortunately, if you have been terminated, you are required to disclose that job and the termination on all your future job applications. With that in mind, I have some tips for you on how to write your employment … [Read more...]
What Happens If I Get Written Up?
Employment law is not my area of expertise but if you do have an employment situation that can result in a Board matter, that’s where I come again. With that in mind, I want to share these tips with you to help you protect your license and to provide you with some information on what to do if this should happen. Being human, mistakes are going to happen. Nurses tend to be somewhat obsessive, compulsive and perfectionist. Or, at least I know I am. When our boss invites us to their office … [Read more...]
