State licensing boards have broad discretion to determine what rises to the level of an offense that warrants suspending or revoking a nurse’s license. These boards outline the violations that may result in their loss of license in their Nurse Practice Acts (NPAs).
Travel nurses find themselves in a unique situation whereby they must apprise themselves of the NPAs in every jurisdiction in which they work. Failing to do so could result in the state depriving them of their license.
You may want to apprise yourself of some common NPA violations to avoid putting your professional nursing license at risk. These include:
Falsifying records
It’s your duty as a nurse to document all patient interactions accurately, including any time you administer drugs. You must document what happened, good or bad, or otherwise run the risk of losing your license if an audit reveals that you didn’t.
Misleading patients
You must not mislead patients nor their family members as it may result in a patient suffering unnecessary harm or dying. Doing so may not only result in you facing a medical malpractice lawsuit but also regulators taking your professional nursing license away from you.
Substance abuse addictions
It can be very stressful traveling around for work, especially if it takes you away from your loved ones for long periods. It’s not uncommon for traveling nurses to abuse drugs or alcohol as a result. Drug dependencies, in particular, can lead traveling nurses to steal medications in hopes that their employer won’t notice. A substance abuse problem may initially result in your license’s suspension along with a warning to get treatment before the board considers reinstating it.
Probation violations
The board may turn a temporary suspension for a minor violation of the state’s NPA into an all-out revocation should you violate the terms of your probation.
What can you do if you’re facing disciplinary action?
Many nurses just starting their careers find themselves attracted to the travel nurse role because it allows them to gain much-needed practical experience. Veteran nurses like the idea of living in new You don’t want anything to deprive you of future career opportunities. Disciplinary action on your record may cause you long-term problems. An attorney can help you defend your nursing license and maintain your livelihood.
