There are many potential ways for a nurse to lose their license in California. Perhaps they have been accused of misconduct at work, maybe they have made critical errors that constitute medical malpractice or maybe there have been other issues—such as a criminal conviction—that called their license into question. A nursing license could then be revoked by the board so that the nurse can no longer work within California.
But if this happens to you, does that just mean that you need to move to another state? The board has revoked your nursing license in California, but can you continue with your career if you just relocate and find a new job?
You would need to transfer your California nursing license
The problem with doing this is that you typically need to transfer your California nursing license. You transfer it to the new state a few weeks before you move, and you are then authorized to work there.
But if your California nursing license has been revoked, it is impossible to transfer it. Instead, you would have to apply for a new nursing license in the state that you are moving to.
However, because you have a revoked license on your record, that is going to come up as you go through the application process in the new state. This could mean that the state will not issue you a nursing license either, depending on the details of the revocation. So it is not necessarily as easy to get around this issue as it may seem.
Exploring your legal options
Instead, it is often better to address the problem head-on and see if there is a way for you to have your license reinstated. You need to know about the legal steps you can take at this time.
