Can Summer Social Drinking Cost You Your Nursing License?

Summer is the season of vacations and social gatherings. For nurses, however, these activities carry professional risks that could cause significant damage to their careers. State nursing boards are increasingly aggressive when it comes to investigating alleged drug and alcohol abuse. This means a single off-duty incident or embarrassing social media post can cause a full-blown investigation into your fitness to practice.

Your license is your livelihood. Do not face an impairment allegation alone. Call the LLF National Law Firm Professional License Defense Team at 888-535-3686 or contact us online to protect your nursing career.

Why Are Nursing Boards Targeting Off-Duty Behavior?

As the opioid crisis has continued to negatively affect health professions nationwide, boards are targeting any behavior that is related to substance abuse. Alleged drug or alcohol abuse is now one of the most common reasons nurses are formally disciplined.

Many nurses believe that what they do on their own time is their business. Unfortunately, state licensing boards disagree. They operate under a mandate to “protect the public.” As a result, if your personal activities do anything that could suggest you might show up to work impaired or put a patient in danger, the nursing board will not hesitate to open up an investigation.

How Might Summertime Activities Affect Professional Boundaries?

Summer social settings often involve peer pressure and a relaxed attitude toward alcohol or recreational substances. For nurses, the line between “letting off steam” and “professional liability” is dangerously thin. Common scenarios that trigger board investigations include:

• Co-Worker Reporting. Attending a Sunday barbecue with colleagues and showing up to a Monday morning shift looking tired or smelling like alcohol. Mandatory reporting laws require your peers to forward these incidents to the board and your workplace, which could result in termination even if you keep your license.
• Social Media Exposure. Posting photos of excessive drinking or partying. Employers, co-workers, or disgruntled past acquaintances can screenshot and forward these to the board.
• Vacation Legal Troubles. Getting a DUI or public intoxication charge while on summer vacation. Most states require nurses to self-report any criminal charges within a strict timeframe.

The LLF National Law Firm Helps Nurses Save Their Careers Nationwide

Attempting to handle an impairment investigation on your own is incredibly dangerous. In many cases, unrepresented nurses inadvertently admit to policy violations or accept overly harsh monitoring programs because they believe cooperating without a defense strategy is their only option.

Our Professional License Defense Team has many years of experience negotiating with licensing boards nationwide. We take a cooperative, strategic approach to protect your due process rights. Whether you are falsely accused by a vindictive coworker or you made a mistake and need help negotiating a fair path forward, we will fight to keep you practicing.

It is dangerous to go against your state nursing board alone. Protect your license today. Call the LLF National Law Firm Professional License Defense Team at 888-535-3686 or contact us online.