Being a nurse involves having major responsibilities. Thus, it's not uncommon for nurses to share certain fears about their jobs. These fears often involve concerns about errors that could affect patient outcomes.

Making mistakes can also jeopardize a nurse's career. If you're a nurse whose license is at risk because of real or alleged errors, our attorneys with the Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team can help. Get started today by contacting us through our confidential online form or by calling our offices at 888-535-3686.

Common Fears of Nurses

Everything from individual blog posts to survey results indicates the following are among the top fears of nurses in the U.S.

• Harming patients
• Overlooking important details that may influence patient care
• Making medication errors
• Losing their licenses

There's some overlap between these. For example, a nurse who accidentally harms a patient may be at risk of losing their license.

How Patient Complaints Can Jeopardize Nurse Licenses

The process for filing a complaint against a nurse varies from one state to another. Typically, however, patients and others who may have knowledge of a nurse's on-the-job behavior can contact a state agency that handles such complaints.

This may trigger an investigation. Again, the process varies, but it's not uncommon for individuals to be protected from liability when they file complaints against nurses in good faith. Depending on the process, they may even have the option of remaining anonymous, though not all states allow this.

An investigator who looks into a complaint may present their findings to their state's licensing board. Although different licensing boards have different policies, potential outcomes if an investigation's findings validate a complaint include:

• Probation
• A requirement to participate in counseling, drug/alcohol rehabilitation, or a similar program
• License suspension
• License revocation

That's not necessarily a complete list. What's most important to understand is that, in virtually all states, a complaint against a nurse could theoretically result in disciplinary action from a licensing board. Depending on such factors as the nature of the alleged violation, a nurse's privilege to continue practicing may be on the line if a disciplinary board decides action is necessary.

How the Nursys System Affects Nurse Licenses

Most states now participate in the Nursys system or program. One of the benefits of the system is that it allows a nurse who's licensed in one Nursys state to practice in another Nursys state without having to get re-licensed.

However, there may be drawbacks to the system when patients and others file complaints. If a state licensing board takes disciplinary action against a nurse, information about said disciplinary action may be accessible by potential employers in other Nursys states.

You've worked hard to become a nurse. The idea of losing your privilege to practice because of a complaint may be a very stressful one.

Luckily, you don't have to navigate this situation alone. With help from our Professional License Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm, you can defend yourself properly when someone accuses you of wrongdoing. Call us at 888-535-3686 or get in touch with us via our confidential online form.