With its steadily growing population, Utah has a high demand for qualified healthcare providers, including nurse practitioners. However, nurse practitioners in Utah are still subject to actions that jeopardize their licenses and threaten their careers.
The Lento Law Firm Team knows how difficult being a nurse practitioner can be and how important it is to protect the dedicated individuals providing quality care. We know that state licensing boards don't always understand the full scope of a challenge to a nurse practitioner's professional license, which is why we're always ready to help.
Nurse practitioners can face sanctions as a result of false allegations, honest mistakes, or even simple misunderstandings. No matter what the root cause, sanctions must be taken seriously and fought against with every available resource. Your very career may count on it.
If you're seeking capable representation against nurse practitioner license sanctions, the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team can help. Call us today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online to get started.
The Utah Division of Professional Licensing
Professional licenses in the state of Utah are administered and maintained by the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL). Investigations are carried out by DOPL's Bureau of Investigation, which employs approximately 30 investigators and five support staff.
When a complaint against a nurse practitioner or other licensed professional in Utah comes in, the DOPL Bureau of Investigation first enters it into a database that tracks patterns of behavior. The complaint is then reviewed by an Investigative Supervisor, who will qualify it as one of the following initial determinations:
- No Violation. The complaint is determined to not constitute a violation, and is thus closed with no action taken. In this case, the complaint remains private.
- Violation Does Not Meet Criteria for an Investigation. While there was a violation,DOPL is legally unable to investigate or otherwise act on it. This could be because of a lack of jurisdiction or other authority. In this case, DOPL would be able to refer the complaint to the appropriate agency for proper review.
- Violation Does Meet Criteria for Investigations. It's determined that the complaint is both within DOPL's jurisdiction and that it potentially constitutes a violation. As such, the case will be assigned to an investigator and prioritized for further investigation.
Penalties for violations of professional licenses in Utah can include monetary fines, suspension or revocation of the license, and more. No matter what sanctions you're faced with, you should seek qualified legal counsel to help defend yourself and your livelihood.
Protect Your Professional License in Utah
The Lento Law Firm is experienced in defending nurse practitioners, and we've seen many cases where the accused nurse practitioner did nothing wrong. Unfortunately, in cases like this, it isn't safe to rely on the truth to provide a sufficient defense. Nursing boards make mistakes, and those mistakes can result in a nurse practitioner facing disciplinary actions despite no wrongdoing.
That's why it's essential that you hire qualified legal counsel to help you protect your license, no matter how ironclad you believe the facts to be. Nursing and other licensing boards can come to unfair or inaccurate rulings because:
- They don't reach an appropriate conclusion despite all available information.
- They fail to conduct sufficient discovery and/or due diligence, leaving facts, witness testimony, and other evidence undiscovered.
- They disclude or otherwise choose not to consider key pieces of evidence or testimony, resulting in an incomplete or inaccurate portrayal of events.
- They display bias in favor of a complainant or against the accused for any number of reasons.
While the Utah DOPL assuredly seeks to administer justice and uphold the truth in any disciplinary investigation, the simple truth is that mistakes happen, and there are plenty of ways a case can go wrong. When it comes to your professional license, the stakes are simply too high to gamble by trusting your defense to anything less than the best.
Let one of our attorneys present every fact, every bit of evidence, and fight relentlessly to obtain a positive outcome on your behalf. Your career could depend on it.
Grounds for Sanctions Against Nurse Practitioners Practicing in Utah
Violations of Utah DOPL fall into two main categories: unlawful conduct and unprofessional conduct.
Unlawful conduct includes falsely claiming titles or certifications, such as “nurse practitioner” or “R.N.”
Unprofessional conduct covers a much broader spectrum of violations, including:
- Failure to safeguard a patient's right to privacy
- Failure to provide nursing services in a manner that demonstrates respect for the patient's dignity
- Engaging in sexual relations with a patient
- Unlawfully obtaining, possessing, or using prescription or illicit drugs
- Unauthorized taking or personal use of nursing supplies from an employer
- Unauthorized taking or personal use of a patient's personal property
- Unlawful or inappropriate delegation of nursing care
- Failure to exercise appropriate supervision of persons providing patient care services under supervision of the licensed nurse
- Employing or aiding and abetting the employment of an unqualified or unlicensed person to practice as a nurse
- Failure to file or record any medical report as required by law, impeding or obstructing the filing or recording of such a report, or inducing another to fail to file or record such a report
- And more
Any of these violations carry the potential for fines and could place your license in jeopardy.
Reasons to Hire an Attorney from the Lento Law Firm Team When Facing Nurse Practitioner License Sanctions in Utah
If you're facing the potential of professional sanctions in the state of Utah, you may question if it's really necessary to hire an attorney. The answer is a resounding yes! Sanctions against your professional license are simply too consequential to trust anything less than the best possible legal defense.
Unlike the American justice system at large, where the burden of proof is on the prosecution, challenges to professional licenses often require the defendant to disprove allegations against themselves. In other words, they can feel “guilty until proven innocent.” Hiring an attorney can help you establish your innocence and protect your professional license.
When you are in a case against the Utah DOPL, you're in a case against the state of Utah, with all the state's resources at its disposal. That means you need a law firm that has its own deep resources available in order to even the playing field.
You also need experience on your side. Most nurse practitioners haven't experienced license defense proceedings before. But we have, and we're ready to help guide you through the process.
We also have a successful track record when it comes to defending nurse practitioners and protecting their professional licenses in the state of Utah. When you choose the Lento Law Firm, you can take comfort that we know what it takes to win.
Hiring a law firm to defend your nurse practitioner license also gives you the peace of mind to go about your life while we fight your legal battles for you. You can stay focused on your family and your other personal and professional obligations while we stay focused on defending your license.
Appealing a Suspended or Revoked License in Utah
If you're facing charges that put your nurse practitioner license in jeopardy, don't hesitate to start mounting your defense right away. However, if you've already had your license suspended or revoked, it's not the end of the road.
The Lento Law Firm is experienced in the appeals process, and we are ready to help you get your license reinstated.
Appealing a suspended or revoked professional license is not an easy process, and you'll want the help of experts who have the experience necessary to navigate these complicated legal proceedings.
In an appeal, it's important to remember that the court is not reviewing guilt or innocence. An appeals court's job is to determine if you were afforded due process in your case and whether or not there were any errors in how the case was handled. This means that things like claiming wrongful accusations are not likely to win you an appeals case.
However, you will have plenty of options for grounds on which you can base your appeal of the licensing board's decision to revoke or suspend your nurse practitioner license. These include procedural errors, capricious or arbitrary rulings, lack of substantial evidence, and more.
As mentioned, winning an appeal is no easy task. It will require the diligent work of a qualified lawyer to prove any of the above reasons for a valid appeal. Fortunately, the License Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm is ready to take immediate action on your appeals process. We'll determine the best grounds on which to file your appeal, and we'll follow through with the courts until a decision is reached.
How The Lento Law Firm Can Help Protect Your License
Whether you're defending your license against accusations or appealing a decision that has already affected your ability to work as a nurse practitioner in the state of Utah, the Lento Law Firm is here to help. We will make it our mission to protect or restore your license and your good name and to help you avoid sanctions that could irreparably harm your career. If sanctions can't be avoided, we will do everything in our power to get them reduced as much as possible. To that end, here are some of the steps we'll take when we're on the case:
- Determine the ideal outcome for your case. We will help you set realistic expectations for the outcome of your case, whether that is the complete dismissal of the case or the reduction of any incurred penalties.
- Gather all relevant evidence and testimony. We don't rely on third-party information. We'll launch an investigation into your case, obtaining witness testimony and other evidence to uncover the truth. We're thorough because we know how important the right testimony or other evidence can be to the outcome of your nurse practitioner licensure case.
- Explore options for outside settlements. Sometimes, settling outside of the regular adjudication proceedings is the smartest way forward for all parties. We'll conduct negotiations with any Offices of General Counsel (OGCs) who have the authority to settle your case. In our experience, these direct negotiations can often lead to an efficient and fair outcome. It's a key benefit of hiring a qualified license defense team.
- Accompany you throughout the adjudication process. We'll be prepared should your case proceed to traditional adjudication. We'll be there for any meetings you have, we'll represent you at your hearing, and we'll be ready to promptly start an appeals process if necessary.
- Follow through with additional legal action as needed. When you hire the Lento Law Firm, we'll do whatever it takes to protect your nurse practitioner license. That can include taking legal action beyond just the appeals process. When you meet with our team, we will discuss any relevant options and how they may affect your case.
We're ready to protect your license in the state of Utah and elsewhere. As part of a nationwide legal team, our attorneys have the experience you can count on to secure the best possible outcome for you and your career.
The Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team is Ready to Fight for Your Nurse Practitioner License in Utah
As a nurse practitioner, defending your license means defending your career. If you're facing sanctions or have been threatened with actions that could harm your good standing, our team is ready to help. We have the knowledge, resources, and proven track record that you need to protect both your license and your reputation.
We proudly represent nurse practitioners from across all of Utah, including Salt Lake City, West Valley City, West Jordan, and more! Call the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 today or contact us online to learn how we can defend your nurse practitioner license in Utah.
