As a nurse, you make quick and high-stakes decisions in intense, unpredictable, and challenging situations. In smaller communities and larger cities such as Portland, Salem, and Gresham, Oregon, or Vancouver and Camas, Washington, you and your colleagues are critical to your community's healthcare infrastructure.
As medical costs climb and prescription drug shortages continue, you care for patients who are vulnerable, frightened, and in pain. Amidst a nursing shortage, you show up for your patients every day. Your work is essential to the health and wellness of the Greater Portland area. Your education, training, and clinical experience may guide your medical and patient care decisions; however, your daily practice is also regulated by the state board of nursing with authority over your license.
The Lento Law Firm defends nurses facing disciplinary investigations, hearings, and sanctions throughout Greater Portland and in both Oregon and Washington. We know that nursing is both your calling and your career. A threat to your license is a threat to your livelihood and future.
If you are a nurse concerned about your license or a license disciplinary investigation in Washington or Oregon, you are not alone. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team is ready to help. Regardless of the circumstances or allegations, our experienced attorneys can fight to protect you and your nursing license. To partner with the Lento Law Firm, call our offices at 888-535-3686 or contact us online.
Nurse Licensing and Discipline in Oregon and Washington
The Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN) oversees license applications and renewals, investigates complaints, and takes disciplinary action against nurses who violate the Oregon Nurse Practice Act. All nurses practicing in Oregon are responsible for providing nursing care and conducting themselves in a manner consistent with the state's regulations and professional standards.
Portland, Oregon, boasts of top medical centers, such as OHSU Hospital, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, and Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Center. Additional critical healthcare is provided in small medical offices and community health settings. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team helps nurses protect their careers and defend their licenses in Oregon.
The Washington State Board of Nursing (WSBN)is responsible for regulating the practice of nursing in Washington through the establishment, monitoring, and enforcement of licensing requirements, standards of practice, continuing competency requirements, and disciplinary actions consistent with the state's Nurse Practice Act.
The nurses of Vancouver, Washington, work hard. In large medical centers, such as Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center or PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, and doctors' offices, clinics, or other community-based settings, nurses must provide exceptional treatment and comply with the state's rules of nursing practice and patient care. The Lento Law Firm fights to protect these valued nurses and their licenses from disciplinary proceedings in Washington.
Common Allegations of Misconduct Made Against Nurses
Nurses devote years of their lives to studying and gaining the clinical experience necessary to care for patients and establish a professional reputation. For you and your colleagues, a nursing career is the foundation upon which you've built your financial security. When a disciplinary investigation or hearing threatens your license, you must take decisive action to defend yourself and your license by contacting the Lento Law Firm. Regardless of where you practice, our experienced attorneys can advocate on your behalf. We are committed to protecting your license.
Washington and Oregon each have their own specific nurse practice regulations and requirements; however, both jurisdictions prohibit similar problematic conduct, such as:
- Improper patient care and patient neglect. Nurses are obligated to provide their patients with adequate nursing care. Nurses should not abandon their responsibility to treat a patient, nor should they provide care that is careless or contrary to medical standards.
- Errors while administering medications to patients. Nurses are responsible for providing patients with their prescribed medication in the correct dosage at the appropriate time. If a nurse makes a mistake with a patient's medication, they may find themselves the subject of a misconduct complaint.
- Alcohol and substance abuse. The misuse or abuse of alcohol, controlled substances, and illegal drugs can jeopardize nurses' licenses in both Oregon and Washington.
- Fraud or misrepresentation. Because trust is critical when providing patient care, nurses should conduct themselves with integrity. Nurses are prohibited from engaging in fraud or misrepresentation, including in their licensing application.
- Criminal convictions. A nurse may be denied a license or face disciplinary sanctions if they have a criminal record. In some cases, an arrest for an alcohol or drug-related crime, such as a DWI or DUI, can be a misconduct violation.
- Sexual misconduct with a patient. Effective nursing rests on trust. There is an imbalance in the relationship between a sick or medically compromised patient and the nurse on whom the patient relies. To honor the vulnerability inherent in illness and suffering, the relationship between a nurse and their patients must be free of manipulation, coercion, and exploitation.
If you are a nurse accused of committing misconduct or violating professional standards, you may feel isolated, embarrassed, or confused. Don't let your fear hinder your response. Let the Lento Law Firm challenge any complaint made against you. We are on your side.
Disciplinary Processes for Nurses in the Portland Area
The OSBN and the WSBN have developed their own investigation and hearing systems to review complaints about potential misconduct by nurses under their jurisdiction. The nursing disciplinary processes in both states share many common elements, including:
- An Investigation: When a credible complaint is made against a nurse in the Greater Portland area, the relevant state licensing board will investigate the alleged misconduct. Investigators will often interview the accused nurse, the individual making the complaint, and any other witnesses. Additionally, the investigator will likely collect and review documents related to the incident and the individuals involved.
- Consent Order: State boards are often willing to negotiate a consent order or other settlement agreement with nurses accused of misconduct. These agreements often involve the nurse accepting some level of responsibility and a sanction for misconduct, such as license restrictions or requirements that the nurse pursue an additional professional education, attend counseling sessions or complete an alcohol or drug treatment program. In return, there is no hearing, and the risk of unexpectedly receiving a severe sanction is mitigated. Any nurse considering a consent order should fully understand all the terms before signing the document.
The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team can strategize with you about obtaining a consent order in your case. We negotiate an agreement on your behalf, fighting to ensure the terms protect you and your best interests.
- Hearing: If there is no consent agreement, a hearing is held. The accused nurse has the opportunity to defend themselves against the allegations by presenting evidence, calling witnesses, and giving their own testimony. In Washington, a hearing officer or panel conducts the formal hearing. In Oregon, an Administrative Law Judge will oversee the hearing.
If you are preparing for a disciplinary hearing, let the Lento Law Firm develop and implement a comprehensive license defense strategy for you. From evidence collection and presentation to the identification of exonerating witnesses, our experienced attorneys can provide guidance and assistance before, during, and after the hearing.
- Issuance of a Sanction. If found responsible for committing misconduct, a nurse will be sanctioned, with possible penalties ranging from fines and reprimands to license suspension or revocation.
- Right to Appeal. If the hearing ends with an unfavorable decision or sanction, the accused nurse may have limited appeal rights. If you have been sanctioned, the experienced license defense attorneys at the Lento Law Firm can discuss the timeline, process, and possible grounds for appeal.
You provide critical medical care in and around Greater Portland and improve health and wellness across the country. Your education and experience inform the difficult medical and patient care decisions you make. If you are accused of professional misconduct, the life and license you need to protect is your own. When you need to save yourself, your license, and your career, you want the experienced attorneys from the Lento Law Firm on your side.
The Impact of Disciplinary Sanctions
The impact of an adverse determination by the OSBN or WSBN can undermine your life and career.An adverse decision may lead to the end of your current employment, and future employment opportunities may be limited. Without the ability to advance in the career you chose and invested in, your livelihood and financial security may be in jeopardy.
Many accused nurses find that there is a tremendous personal cost to facing disciplinary proceedings. An investigation and hearing are adversarial and stressful. The thought that your license may be at risk can generate catastrophic distress.
Furthermore, the stigma of losing your license can be isolating. From the hardship of losing your income to the impact on your physical and mental health, a disciplinary investigation, hearing, and sanction can disrupt every corner of your life.
At the Lento Law Firm, we protect nurses and their nursing licenses. We can help bring order to the chaos and uncertainty of a disciplinary hearing and sanction. The Professional License Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm can help you throughout any license disciplinary procedure. The sooner you add the Lento Law Firm to your team, the sooner we can help protect you and your nursing license.
Let the Lento Law Firm Help Defend Your License and Your Future
If you are the target of an investigation by the OSBN or WSBN, it is time to focus on protecting yourself and your nursing license. Disciplinary investigations or hearings are adversarial. State boards of nursing focus on enforcement actions and sanctions. They are not concerned about protecting you, your license, or your career. The earlier you assemble a defense team to protect you and your livelihood, the better. The Lento Law Firm is ready to collaborate with you to create and execute a comprehensive license defense strategy in response to any disciplinary threat.
The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team can defend you and your license through any investigation or hearing by:
- Advocating for the dismissal or abandonment of the complaint through early conferences with OSBN or WSBN staff.
- Ensuring the OSBN or WSBN meets its notice and due process requirements.
- Preparing you for your interview with the investigator and to give testimony during a deposition or hearing.
- Launching our own investigation to identify mitigating evidence and exonerating witnesses.
- Negotiating a consent order on your behalf and ensuring you fully understand the terms of any agreement before signing.
- Preparing correspondence, statements, and any other required documents for submission to a state board of nursing, its investigator, or its hearing officer.
- Developing an appellate strategy, if necessary.
It is never too late to discuss your case with a member of the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team. Whether you work in Beaverton, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tigard, or any other community near Portland and Vancouver, we can help. When you are ready, our experienced attorneys can help you with any disciplinary matter related to your license.
Protecting Nurses and Nursing Licenses in the Portland Metro Area
We understand that, as a nurse, your work is profoundly challenging and rewarding. You make decisions with far-reaching consequences in intense situations. Even when you make every right decision and provide excellent care, you cannot control your patient's health, the progression of their disease, or the effectiveness of treatment. Despite these circumstances, you continue to show up for your patients. If you are under investigation in Portland, Oregon, Vancouver, Washington, or the surrounding area, the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team can partner with you to protect your license, your career, and your livelihood.
Across Washington and Oregon, we've helped nurses facing license investigations, hearings, and sanctions, and we can help you. Call the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or contact us online to discuss your case.
