Few professions are more noble than nursing. You sacrifice your time, energy, sleep, and often personal lives and well-being in service of others. Yet, when a nurse faces allegations of wrongdoing or unfitness, it seems that disciplinary bodies give no credit for character and sacrifice. We do this at the Lento Law Firm.
Our Professional License Defense Team recognizes that nurses can be wrongfully accused, misperceived, put in unfair positions, and even vulnerable to making mistakes—mistakes for which, in most cases, they deserve grace and leniency. We will fight to ensure you receive due process, and we will also fight to secure the best possible resolution to difficult circumstances.
The Lento Law Firm serves the true Upstate New York, where nurses brave not just the hazards of this high-stress job but also the harsh winters, traffic of Interstate 90, and a medical job market that, at times, can be challenging. You deserve a hand from a firm that's practiced in nurse license defense, and that's us.
Call the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online to discuss how we help nurses avoid career-altering discipline and get back to unrestricted work.
Why Nurses in New York Might Find Their License (and Livelihood) in Jeopardy
When speaking of potential discipline imposed upon nurses, the American Nurses Association's (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses often arises. In many cases we handle, nurses are accused of violating the tenets of this Code, which uses vague terms like “commitment” and “advocate”—terms that are, problematically, in the eye of the beholder.
We might also see you accused of explicit forms of wrongdoing, with some common allegations against nurses including:
Mistreatment of Patients
New York's bodies tasked with overseeing nurses take patient safety seriously, as they should. However, bureaucrats accusing nurses—whose lives are dedicated to directly helping patients, difficult as the job often is—of not caring for patients can be difficult to stomach.
Yet, you might face serious discipline if you do not effectively defend yourself from accusations of:
- Neglect
- Intentionally inflicting physical pain
- Emotionally or psychologically abusing a patient
- Sexual misconduct involving a patient
There is no substantial barrier to filing a complaint against a nurse. Even someone who has not interacted with the medical system you work in might be able to levy a serious accusation against you. It will be our job to defend you against any such accusation, including any claim that you've mistreated one or more patients.
Misuse of Drugs or Alcohol
If you are accused of using prescribed or illicit drugs or alcohol in a manner that is illegal or inhibiting to your ability to perform your duties, this may be grounds for disciplinary action.
Conduct Unbecoming of a Nursing Professional
Also known as “unprofessional conduct,” you might face possible discipline if you're accused of:
- Insubordination
- Using inappropriate language in the workplace
- Issuing a threat
- Inappropriate sexual behavior
- Any other act or pattern of action that is not consistent with nursing
These kinds of allegations can be particularly difficult, as they are often subjective and can be motivated by ulterior motives.
Fraud in the Acquisition of Your License
Those accused of obtaining a nursing license through cheating, deceit, or other fraudulent means can expect to hear from disciplinary bodies, possibly face an investigation, and potentially face severe sanctions.
Fraud or Deceit in the Performance of Nursing Duties
Allegations of falsifying records, mishandling narcotics, lying to patients or superiors, or engaging in any other type of deceit within your nursing duties could trigger the disciplinary process.
Criminal Conviction
Nurses are held to a high behavioral standard. Being charged or convicted of a criminal offense, such as driving while intoxicated (DWI), may be grounds for discipline. However, even a criminal conviction does not necessarily mean you should face formal sanctions, and the Lento Law Firm will fight for leniency on your behalf if you have been charged or convicted.
The Lento Law Firm Fearlessly Serves All Nurses in Albany, Schenectady, and Throughout New York State
Our Professional License Defense Team has a depth and breadth of experience that allows us to effectively serve virtually any medical professional. New York's nursing ranks include four primary types of nurses, and we serve each of them:
- Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)
- Registered Professional Nurses (RNs)
- Nurse Practitioners (NPs)
- Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs)
We also serve nurse anesthetists facing potential discipline or other adverse outcomes. When it comes to hardworking medical professionals facing potentially career-defining adversity, we help them all.
Yes, New York Licensing Authorities Will Take Swift, Severe Actions Against Nurses
The New York State Office of the Professions (OP) has proven its willingness to sanction nurses in serious ways. The annals of disciplinary action are littered with nurses who were:
- Given formal public reprimand
- Put on professional probation
- Suspended
- Subject to stayed suspension
- Fined
- Stripped of their license to practice
- Monitored closely upon returning to practice
- Harmed in ways that we cannot know because they were subject to serious discipline
Discipline can be warranted in some cases. Whenever patient safety is in question, it's necessary to have a body closely overseeing medical professionals' behavior. However, this does not mean that the OP always gets disciplined right, and you owe yourself a duty to defend yourself vigorously—even if you may have made a mistake.
Honor that duty to protect yourself and your career, and seek the outcome you deserve by allowing the Lento Law Firm to represent you.
New York's Office of the Professions Holds Immense Influence Over Your Professional Future
Whether you work in Albany Medical Center, Glen Falls Hospital, Columbia Memorial Health, Samaritan Hospital, or any other large, medium, or small provider in New York, you're subject to the decisions of the Office of the Professions.
Countless nurses have been accused of wrongdoing and subsequently:
- Went through the disciplinary process without an experienced, qualified advocate protecting their rights and advising them
- Believed, perhaps naively, that telling the truth would lead to a fair outcome
- Were talked into accepting a consent order that included serious, career-altering, and likely life-altering sanctions
- Had their license suspended or revoked despite their protests
- Suffered financially, psychologically, emotionally, and otherwise because they did not adequately protect themselves from the perils of the disciplinary process
While you will participate in the disciplinary process in some capacity, don't think you have control over its outcome. The Office of Professions has immense power to determine your future, and you should deploy a robust, comprehensive defense led by the Lento Law Firm.
What to Expect from the Nurse License Defense Process in the Albany-Schenectady Area
It does not matter whether you work in Albany, Troy, Glen Falls, Schenectady, or elsewhere in this upstate metro area. If you are a nurse facing sanctions in New York, you will be subject to the Office of the Professions' disciplinary proceedings. These proceedings warrant your respect and attention, as the outcome could have long-ranging personal and professional consequences for any nurse.
Let a member of our Professional License Defense Team advise and guide you through this process, which will likely include:
The Investigation of the Complaint Against You
Investigations of complaints against nurses generally consist of the following:
- Informing you of the allegation(s) made against you, with as much detail as the informing party deems appropriate
- An assigned investigator interviews those involved in the claim, including the complainant, you, and relevant witnesses
- The investigator reviews any evidence and information that may influence their decision
- The investigator decides whether further action is necessary or instead lack of credible evidence supports the dismissal of the complaint
It is especially important for you to have a capable representative during any interviews you undergo. Your words can be used against you. We will advise whether you should submit to an interview at all, and we will accompany you through any interview you elect to participate in.
Tendering of a Consent Order (Which You May or May Not Want to Accept)
Records of nurse discipline in New York frequently contain the phrase “consent order.” This is akin to a settlement, with all parties agreeing that the nurse will accept specific disciplinary conditions.
Whether you want to consider or accept a consent order will depend on the unique facts of your case. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team will discuss your willingness to consider a consent order, review any offer disciplinary bodies extend, and negotiate the best deal we can secure (if you wish for us to).
A Hearing, If You Do Not Accept a Consent Order
If your disciplinary proceedings do not conclude with a consent order, a hearing may come next. Disciplinary bodies may:
- Determine if further steps in your case, including a hearing, are warranted
- Arrange and oversee any hearing that results from the complaint(s) against you
- Provide all the materials necessary for you to prepare for a hearing
Your attorney from the Lento Law Firm will play the most important role in preparing you for any upcoming hearing. We will explain what you can expect during the hearing, go over a personalized strategy for success in the hearing, and accompany you to that hearing.
We will also actively advise and protect you as the hearing unfolds. This service will be priceless, as most nurses who must undergo a hearing are in utterly foreign territory, and our experience and service will prove highly beneficial.
A Ruling
The hearing panel that conducts your hearing will, most likely, make the initial ruling. The New York State Board of Regents will need to co-sign any discipline against you.
We will fight for the ruling you deserve. If the ruling is unjust, though, we will be prepared with an appropriate response—and a continued fight for the outcome you deserve.
Potential Appeal of an Adverse Ruling
The Lento Law Firm is a dynamic group. We often find resolutions through the systems established by the OP. However, when circumstances demand it, we are also able to take legal action on our client's behalf.
If we need to appeal a ruling against you, we will most likely do so through the pathways afforded by the Office of the Professions. That said, we always prepare for the possibility of legal action on behalf of nurses unfairly disciplined.
How the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team Will Fight for You and Your Ability to Continue Working
The Lento Law Firm has focused on nurse license defense in New York for many years. We are familiar with this process and have helped many nurses successfully resolve cases that caused them immense distress, and we are here for you during this high-stakes crossroads in your life and career.
Expect your attorney from our Professional License Defense Team to:
- Prepare you: Understanding what lies ahead can ease your mind. We will also ensure you know what to do and what not to do to promote your license defense.
- Protect you: We will be the point of contact for those inquiring about your case. We will also protect you through the advice we issue you.
- Accompany you: You're never alone with the Lento Law Firm Team representing you. You always have someone to turn to, and we will proactively protect your interests during case-related interviews, meetings, and hearings.
- Fight for you: We will fight for your license with the same urgency we would show if our own licenses were at risk.
Nurses from Albany County to Rensselaer County, Saratoga County, Columbia County, and all the others that fall within this metro area should rely on our Professional License Defense Team to solve whatever problem stands in your career's way.
Choose the Law Firm That Knows Large Medical Employers in the Albany-Schenectady Metro Area
The Lento Law Firm does not handle license defense issues on the side. This is a critical focus for us. We seek expedient resolutions, and the best possible result is the only result we seek. Call the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online, and we will reach out to discuss our license defense needs.
