Nursing License Defense in Lafayette, New Iberia, and Opelousas, Louisiana

Lafayette and its surrounding areas make up Louisiana's Cajun heartland, a vibrant region where music, food, dance, and tradition form a culture like no other. Working as a nurse in Lafayette or any of its nearby parishes can be an incredibly rewarding experience, justifying all the hard work it took to earn your RN, LPN, APRN, or other nursing license.

There are plenty of opportunities there, too. Some of Louisiana's most highly rated hospitals are in this region, including Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital, Ochsner St. Martin Hospital, and Abbeville General Hospital. And—as they are in most of the country—nurses are in high demand in and around Lafayette.

Being a nurse means being passionate about helping others, and that sort of passion gets rewarded tenfold by the greater Lafayette community. However, all of that can go away in the blink of an eye if the Louisiana State Board of Nursing receives a complaint about your conduct as a nurse.

It might seem unfair that a single allegation of misconduct could result in the loss of your license, but it's an unfortunate reality. The Board investigates hundreds of complaints every year, many of which result in disciplinary action, up to and including the suspension or revocation of a nursing license.

Facing a disciplinary investigation by the nursing board is a stressful event, but it's not something you have to face alone. The Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team is ready to defend your rights, your reputation, and your career in the state of Louisiana and beyond. We'll be by your side every step of the way, working to ensure the nursing board hears the truth and gets the full picture of your case. We respect the valuable role nurses serve, and we're fully committed to protecting your career against any and all allegations.

If you are facing allegations against your nursing license in the Lafayette region, call the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team today at 888-535-3686 or connect with us online to start planning your defense.

The Nurse Licensure Compact

Louisiana participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), a program that allows nurses from other participating states to practice nursing in Louisiana without obtaining additional licensure and vice-versa. States may require background checks and other minor paperwork, but the NLC makes it far easier for qualified nurses to find work.

However, this means that violating a state's nursing laws in any NLC state will also affect your ability to practice in other NLC states. Losing your license in Louisiana would prevent you from working in other Compact states, and facing accusations in another NLC state could cost you your license in Louisiana.

Types of Accusations That Can Threaten Your Nursing License in Lafayette and Surrounding Parishes

Nurses in and around Lafayette are held to high ethical and professional standards, as outlined by the Louisiana Nurse Practice Act. Breaches of these standards could damage your reputation and put the standing of your license in jeopardy. Examples of actions that violate these standards include:

  • Sexual Misconduct. Nurses are entrusted to work with individuals in vulnerable states, and as such, they are held to extremely high standards of professionalism. Any type of sexual contact with a patient—whether consensual or not—could threaten your license. This includes consensual romantic relationships between nurses and patients.
  • Misusing or Mismanaging Drugs. Properly managing medications is an important aspect of nursing. Forging prescriptions, diverting medications, administering drugs without the proper license to do so, and other mismanagement of medications—whether prescription or over-the-counter—could put your nursing license in jeopardy.
  • Patient-care Misconduct. Caring for patients is at the heart of the profession. Any failure to provide proper care, such as neglect, breaches of protocols, inadequate or improper documentation, or any other mismanagement of a patient, can be enough to receive allegations of nursing misconduct that have a severe impact on your career. This can happen whether the failure stemmed from willful negligence, poor decision making, or just by mistake.
  • Fraud. Nurses need to establish and deserve trust in order to do their jobs, as they often have access to their patients' sensitive personal information. Any sort of tampering with these records, such as inflating insurance claims, could lead to disciplinary action. Similarly, if a nurse is found to have falsified their own qualifications, or if they engage in any other form of fraud, it could damage that nurse's reputation and lead to the suspension or revocation of their nursing license.
  • Criminal Convictions. Certain criminal convictions can jeopardize your nursing license, on top of whatever punitive measures are meted out by the court. Usually, this happens when the offense is directly related to the profession, like abusing access to medications. But it can happen in cases where the crime demonstrates a severe lack of judgment or something that deeply affects someone's public reputation—violent felonies, child abuse, and other serious crimes, for example.

Can My Louisiana Nursing License Be Revoked Over Any Offense?

All licensing decisions in Louisiana are made by the state's Board of Nursing. The Board will conduct its own investigation into any credible allegation of misconduct. If it determines that the state's Nurse Practice Act was violated, it will have a number of disciplinary options ranging from an official warning up to and including the permanent revocation of the license.

This range of disciplinary measures includes:

  • License Revocation. For severe infractions against the Nursing Practice Act, or for repeated violations that demonstrate a pattern of unsuitable behavior, the Louisiana State Board of Nursing can outright revoke a nursing license. This will end your ability to practice nursing in Louisiana and other NLC states, and will make it very difficult to earn a new nursing license in another state.
  • License Suspension. The board can opt to temporarily suspend a license. In these instances, it usually sets conditions for reinstatement, such as completing certain education requirements. However, you won't be able to practice while your license is suspended. While not as severe as permanent revocation, a suspension will still affect your ability to earn a living.
  • Recovering Nurse Program. For complaints related to substance abuse, Louisiana may refer a nurse to its Recovering Nurse Program (RNP). This is a voluntary and confidential program used as an alternative to disciplinary action. It's a recognition by the state of the value of its nurses, as its focus on rehabilitation and aid rather than punishment helps keep nurses in the field.
  • Citations, Fines, and Formal Warnings. For minor infractions, the Board can opt to issue citations, fines, or formal warnings. While these are the least severe consequences they can mete out, they can still have a major impact on your career. Such disciplinary measures will likely be a matter of public record, meaning they'll be easily seen by patients, neighbors, and potential future employers.

If you're facing allegations against your nursing license in Lafayette or anywhere else in the state of Louisiana, the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team is ready to come to your aid. We'll make sure the Louisiana State Board of Nursing is aware of all the facts in your case, and we will work relentlessly to ensure the best possible outcome for your life and your career.

Remember—the Board has the discretion to administer whatever disciplinary measures it sees fit in your case. That means that even a seemingly minor misconduct allegation could be met with a suspension or other outcome that affects your ability to earn a living. That's why it's vital to meet any and all allegations against your license with the best defense you can muster.

The Nursing License Disciplinary Protocol in Louisiana

When complaints come into the Louisiana Board of Nursing, there is a standard procedure the Board must follow in order to ensure due process:

Investigation

The Board will notify the nurse whenever a complaint against them is received. The Board will then assign an investigator to the case, thus beginning the formal investigation. This investigation will typically take between 3 and 18 months to complete, and the nurse will be informed of the outcome at the end.

The Board will usually ask for input from the accused nurse throughout the investigation, typically in the form of writing. They may also request additional evidence, such as documents, records, or reports, and they may ask that the accused nurse complete evaluations including drug testing and/or psychiatric evaluation.

Complaint and Resolution

After conducting their investigation, the LSBN will determine whether or not to file formal charges. Formal charges will lead to either a board hearing or to a voluntary agreement called a consent order—essentially a settlement in which the accused nurse agrees to the charges against them and accepts whatever outcome the Board deems appropriate. Typical outcomes from consent orders include enrolling in substance abuse counseling, taking anger management courses, completing professional education courses, and similar programs.

If you don't accept the charges against you, you can present your side of the story at a formal hearing. In this hearing, both you and the Board of Nursing will appear before an administrative law judge. Both parties will be allowed to testify, question witnesses, and present other evidence to support their side of the case.

You can choose to represent yourself at this hearing, but it's far more advantageous to have an experienced legal professional by your side. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team has the knowledge and experience you can count on to represent you in a hearing like this. We'll gather evidence, interview witnesses, and make sure that the judge gets the full picture of what actually happened.

Decision and Appeals

If your case goes to a hearing, you will be notified of the final decision by mail. This decision will include whatever disciplinary measures the Board levies on your case. You may then choose to accept this outcome, or you can consider appealing the decision.

Appeals requests must be filed within 10 days of the Board-issued decision. And the law is very strict about what constitutes the grounds for an appeal:

  • The decision was clearly contrary to the law and the evidence.
  • Newly discovered evidence may be sufficient to reverse the board's decision.
  • Some issues presented were not thoroughly examined “to dispose of the case properly.”
  • Public interest weighs in favor of further consideration.

Winning an appeal isn't easy, which is all the more reason it's vital to mount the best possible defense in the first place.

Serving the Cajun Heartland

Being a nurse in Lafayette, New Iberia, Opelousas, or anywhere else in Louisiana's Cajun country is an incredibly rewarding experience. It's hard work, sure, but being part of this vibrant and deeply rooted community can make it all worthwhile.

Don't let an accusation against your license take that all away from you. If you're facing a threat against your nursing license, it's time to contact the Lento Law Firm.

We know how hard nurses had to work to earn their licenses, and how much time, commitment, and compassion they pour into the job day after day. It's why we're ready to put just as much effort into defending your rights, reputation, and career.

It doesn't matter why a complaint was filed—sometimes they come from an honest mistake or simple misunderstanding, sometimes they're even filed under false pretenses by disgruntled patients or their family members. But no matter where a complaint came from, it could threaten your entire career. There's no choice but to respond with the best defense you can mount.

The Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team is ready to dedicate itself to your defense. If your nursing license is being investigated in Lafayette or anywhere else in Louisiana, call us today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online to start defending your future.

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The Lento Law Firm Team is committed to answering your questions about Physician License Defense, Nursing License Defense, Pharmacist License Defense, Psychologist and Psychiatrist License Defense, Dental License Defense, Chiropractic License Defense, Real Estate License Defense, Professional Counseling License Defense, and Other Professional Licenses law issues nationwide.
The Lento Law Firm will gladly discuss your case with you at your convenience. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

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