If a letter from the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) arrives in the post, it may bring bad news. If there is an accusation inside, you could face losing your nursing license. You need to stay calm and avoid errors that could harm your defense. These are some things you must not do:
- Do not ignore it. Pinning your hopes on the BRN being too busy to follow up or pretending you never received the notice is unprofessional.
- Do not go to work with an attitude. As a nurse, you need to act professionally at all times. However, upset as you are, storming into the hospital and airing your feelings about the BRN or the person that complained will not help your defense.
- Do not try and contact the person who made the complaint. Contacting them could be viewed as an attempt to change their mind. They could lodge a further complaint accusing you of intimidation.
- Do not try and intimidate or bribe people. People are entitled to make complaints. The BRN has to investigate these complaints. Any attempt to convince someone to take back a complaint or lie for you will be seen badly by the board.
- Do not post about it on social media. You never know who could see your post. Many nurses have got into problems over their social media posts.
- Do not lie. The truth usually gets out eventually. If you try to mislead the board members, they will hold it against you.
Never try to defend your license alone. Maybe you have never used a lawyer in your life. However, your career is at stake, and professional help can increase the chances of retaining your California nursing license.
