Throughout Mississippi, there are nurses who are committed to providing quality care for patients. However, they could have struggles in their personal lives that may affect their professional ones. Protective orders and accusations of domestic violence are especially serious examples.
If you've received notification of domestic violence charges and/or protective orders against you, don't underestimate how quickly they can ruin your career. Get competent and dedicated legal help right away by calling the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team at 888.535.3686 or filling out this contact form.
What Does the Mississippi Board of Nursing Do About Protective Orders and Domestic Violence Accusations?
The Mississippi Board of Nursing doesn't have a system that will automatically provide notifications of domestic abuse charges or protective orders against any of their license nurses, nor does law enforcement necessarily inform them. Nevertheless, the board has other ways of finding out, such as:
- You're applying to renew your nursing license or obtain one for the first time, and the board discovers the charges in a criminal history background check (note that it won't appear if the case was filed more than seven years ago and hasn't yet concluded).
- You decide to self-report the charges or protective order to the board.
- Someone submits a written complaint to the board to report about the charges or protective order.
All these scenarios have one thing in common—they can make you look like a risk to the patients and the board. Consult with the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team about methods to improve your image to the board, like providing a letter from a counselor or documents showing that you've completed a rehabilitation program.
Even if you fulfill these requirements, the board may still pursue an investigation of its own to fully understand you and your situation. They need to make sure that there are no mental or emotional issues or legal requirements and penalties that will cause interruptions, outbursts, absences, distractions, or inappropriate behavior in your job. The investigative report will likely include documents, recordings, video footage, victim, witness, and character statements, as well as other items that combine to paint an informative picture of you.
With that done, the Mississippi Board of Nursing will take the case in one of two directions. The simplest is to offer you an Agreed Settlement Proposal (ASP), meaning that you would admit your guilt and accept whatever sanctions the board assigns you. In return, you could avoid a formal hearing and/or harsher sanctions later.
If you opt for the formal hearing, you'll have a chance to present your side of the case to the board, which may include evidence, statements, and arguments that were not used in the investigation. With the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team supporting you, there's a high chance that you can avoid or reduce the sanctions that the board might consider imposing.
Should the board decide to take disciplinary action, however, these are the possibilities:
Formal Reprimand
A formal reprimand is the board's way of publicly condemning your actions and demonstrating that they hold their nurses, including you, to higher standards. Although it's one of the most lenient sanctions, a formal reprimand is still public record and could affect your ability to get promoted or hired for new jobs.
Drug Testing
Domestic violence is often intertwined with substance abuse. If that's the case for you, then the board might demand that you submit to drug tests at their discretion. Positive results could lead to additional disciplinary actions.
Some nurses are uncomfortable with drug testing, considering it a distraction or invasion of privacy. Nevertheless, the best way to avoid it is to convince the board that you don't deserve it.
Psychiatric Evaluations
Mental and behavioral disorders are common causes or motivators for domestic violence as well. Depending on the context of your case, the board may allow you to continue practicing as a nurse as long as you're getting psychiatric help. This would include psychiatric evaluations, which ideally would show progress in your mental health or ability to self-regulate and control yourself.
As with drug tests, sharing psychiatric reports or evaluations with the Mississippi Board of Nursing might feel too personal and sensitive. Plus, the appointments could make your work schedule less convenient. Still, the board can require them unless you can show that they're not necessary.
Fines
Nothing conveys displeasure and discourages reoffending like emptying a wallet. The board might demand a fine of hundreds to thousands of dollars, which will likely go toward expenses for the case and/or supporting the board's duties and services.
As if the financial hardship wouldn't be a setback on its own, fines can prevent you from paying for other fees or continuing education courses that would help advance your career. Avoiding this sanction would help you stay financially afloat and move up in your field.
Continuing Education Courses
If the board thinks that you could use a refresher or new information on topics related to the protective order or domestic violence charges, then they might assign you to take specific continuing education courses. They'll likely center on topics like ethics or self-management.
While nurses can always benefit from continuing education courses, being forced to take these specific ones could raise eyebrows when you're applying for promotions or new jobs. They would also take time and focus away from other tasks, potentially compromising your work or personal life.
Alternative Disciplinary Program
Many states offer alternative disciplinary programs to nurses. In Mississippi, it's called the Mississippi Nurse Voluntary Program (MnVP). With this, nurses can go through treatment and rehabilitation programs to overcome any substance abuse habits, addictions, or mental health problems that contribute to the filing of domestic violence charges and protective orders against them.
Depending on how long the program lasts, the time away from work could negatively impact your skills and experience, at least on paper. Employers might be hesitant to hire or promote you if they see a gap in your history because you had to be in a program.
Probation
In Mississippi, probation lets you keep working in your full capacity as a nurse, but only as long as you meet conditions that the board chooses. One of those conditions is usually to be supervised by another nurse who ensures that you're meeting your obligations and reports non-compliance to the board. Probation typically lasts at least one year.
The idea of being constantly watched and scrutinized might already be unpleasant to you, but it could also be distracting. Also, even if you successfully complete probation, it remains on your permanent record for future employers to see.
License Suspension
Perhaps the Mississippi Board of Nursing will decide that you need to take a break from nursing. This takes the form of a suspension, meaning that you will be prohibited from practicing nursing for anywhere from a few weeks to a few years. You won't be able to work as a nurse again until the predetermined time period is done and/or you fulfill certain requirements demanded by the board.
It's nice to know that you still have a nursing license, but a suspension can have long-lasting repercussions on your career and finances. After all, you'd have to work elsewhere to pay your bills until the suspension ends, and the time away could leave you with rusty skills, missed opportunities for important experience, and a gap in your employment history that employers would question.
License Restrictions
If the board decides to restrict your license, it means that they'll take away your authority to perform certain tasks. They might also limit you to working at specific times or places or with certain demographics.
The good part about restrictions is that you still get to practice nursing. Unfortunately, you'll have fewer opportunities to gain or master certain skills, and you'll have fewer choices in where and when you can work. These downsides can stunt your career and/or affect every other aspect of your life.
License Revocation
Arguably, the most devastating of all the possible sanctions, license revocation permanently bars you from practicing nursing in the state of Mississippi.
While you can apply for reinstatement after one year, you'll need to find another way to support yourself in the meantime. Additionally, your application will be under greater scrutiny, and you may be forced to pay extra fees or jump through more administrative hoops than other nurses to gain approval. Your career and finances may never fully recover.
Options for Protecting Your Nursing License in Mississippi
The criminal and civil charges that come with domestic violence cases and protective orders are intertwined with professional licensing rules and regulations. Still, they are separate matters that demand dedicated focus if you want to protect your nursing license. Here's what you can do about it.
File an Appeal
If you can't accept the outcome of your case with the Mississippi Board of Nursing, appeal it. If you make a compelling argument for why the board should reconsider its decision, you can get another chance to defend yourself at a new hearing.
Offer to Negotiate
The Mississippi Board of Nursing can be convinced to dismiss your case, defer adjudication, or reduce sanctions. You just have to know how to negotiate. For example, suggest lighter penalties that you can stomach, or volunteer your time and skills to a cause that's important to the board, all in exchange for leniency. Your lawyer can help you devise an effective proposal.
Enroll in a Class or Program
In addition to the MnVP, Mississippi offers classes and programs crafted to help abusers address their behavior and control their violent urges. The Mississippi Domestic Violence Class and Family Violence Intervention Program (FVIP) are just a couple of examples. Consider enrolling in one of these classes or programs to prove to the Mississippi Board of Nursing that you're committed to changing.
Why Hire the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team?
Don't assume that the outcome of your domestic violence or protective order case won't impact your nursing license. Although the courts and board both respond to the same issues, they can have vastly different results. You need protection specifically for your nursing license, not just your criminal record.
The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team is up to the task. Here are a few reasons why.
Services Tailored to Your Situation
Certain defense strategies have been proven time and time again, and the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team has mastered them. However, they also know how to customize every strategy to suit each unique situation. Rest assured that you're getting the highest quality in tried-and-true defense fused with personalization.
They Take Nothing at Face Value
In complex and emotionally charged situations like protective orders and domestic violence cases, it's easy to oversimplify the actions and people involved or assume that the truth is obvious. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team holds itself to a higher standard. They'll dig deep to understand the facts of the case and either prove your innocence or compel the board to view you with sympathy and nuance, raising the odds of a favorable outcome.
Extra Protection Via Legal Advice
When trying to convince the Mississippi Board of Nursing to drop the case against you or assign light penalties to your license, it helps to present yourself as thoughtful, diligent, and compliant. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team can assist with that by ensuring proper interpretation of the protective order and charges filed against you. They'll also help you successfully fulfill or execute every condition and requirement.
Keep Your Nursing Career Safe in Mississippi
There's no reason to let protection orders and domestic violence charges stall or end your nursing career. You can continue helping and caring for Mississippi residents, making a living, and doing something rewarding. All you have to do is contact the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team at 888.535.3686 or fill out this contact form and get them on your side.
