Losing a license makes it impossible for a nurse to work, which can cause them to have to switch careers or take other drastic action. That’s why it’s so important for nurses to know what defense options they have if they are facing disciplinary action. It’s more than just losing a job. A license issue could make it impossible to work in the entire field.
So how common is this? How many nurses actually lose their license every year and find themselves having to make these hard decisions?
Around 1% every year
The nursing license suspension rate, according to some sources, sits right around 1%. This is not something that the vast majority of nurses are going to have happen to them, and many people look at a number like this and think that it isn’t a big concern.
But the thing to remember is that there are 5,355,450 nurses in the United States, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. One percent of that would still be 53,554 individuals. It’s clear that nursing license issues impact an incredible amount of people every year. Even if it hasn’t happened to you yet, odds are that you know someone who has been through this or who has been concerned about it. Every year, around 50,000 more people find themselves in this position.
So what can you do?
It’s very important to take things like this seriously to protect your career. Make sure you learn about all the legal options that you have and the steps you can take to put yourself in the best possible position.