If you’re dealing with a potential threat to your nursing license, you’re likely reading and seeing a lot of terms you may not fully understand.
Let’s take a look at just a few of them. These are definitions according to the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).
Accusation
This may sound innocent enough, but it’s actually a legal document “formally charging a registered nurse with a violation(s) of the Nursing Practice Act.” It’s also made accessible to the public.
Incompetence vs gross negligence
Incompetence is defined as “Lack of knowledge or skill in discharging professional obligations as an RN.”
Gross negligence is an “extreme departure from the standard of practice for RNs. This can include a single incident or repeated ones. Nurses can have their license suspended or revoked for either.
PC 23 Order
California Penal Code Section 23 allows a judge to suspend or restrict a nurse’s license while criminal proceedings against them are ongoing and pending any other action against their license that may be taken later.
Revocation stays
There are several types of stays of license revocation. A stay means that the BRN has “set aside” a revocation order and given the nurse a probationary period.
A nurse who’s on probation can practice, but only under the specific terms of their probation and the monitoring of the BRN. If a nurse violates those terms, the stay can be lifted and their license can be revoked.
Suspensions
Suspensions aren’t the same as being on probation. If a nurse’s license is suspended, they aren’t allowed to practice at all during that suspension, which may or may not have a set end date.
Suspensions are typically used as a disciplinary measure – often followed by a probationary period. Sometimes, a license will be suspended instead of revoked if a nurse violates their terms of probation.
Wherever a nurse is in the disciplinary process, it’s important to have the right legal guidance to help protect their rights and their career.
