Nurses and DUI Charges: Don't Drive Buzzed or Drunk!!!
This has been an interesting year already. I have received three phone inquiries from nurses about DUI charges and its nursing licensure impact.
A RN in Cincinnati, Ohio was sentenced to 6 years in prison this week (the article appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer) for a car crash that left one dead and another seriously injured. Her blood alcohol level was twice the legally permissible level.
Do not drive intoxicated! If you have a few drinks (beer, shots, wine, etc.) then have someone drive. Don't drive. Catch a cab or have a friend or family member pick you up. You may not think you are drunk but don't take that chance.
In the end the extra effort can save lives, your employment, and your nursing license. Also when a licensed professional is charged with a crime, the headlines say: Nurse Charged with DUI, Lawyer Charged with Theft Crimes, Teached Indicted for Misconduct, etc.
Whether or not you have to report a DUI conviction depends on the state(s) where you are licensed. If you have been charged with a DUI or DWI, contact a licensure defense attorney associated with The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA) for a consultation. See www.taana.org.
A DUI on your record affects more of your life than you realize. To start you may have to pay fines, surrender your driver's license, or even have you vehicle impounded. A charge on your record may also affect your employment or ability to borrow money. If you can, avoid the charges being placed on you but if you can't or don't avoid them, seek legal counsel.
Posted by: DUI Lawyer Hennepin County MN | May 07, 2008 at 04:53 PM
What is wrong with people!? A DUI has nothing to do with how a nurse practices. A DUI has nothing to do with how anyone performs their job. You might as well take away the license of any professional who drinks period. You have a drink you lose your license. A drinking nurse that stays home is no different than one that drinks then drives home. If you get drunk at home, you should lose your license. Drinking and practicing nursing are completely unrelated. People, are soooooo stupid. Hey, how about this, if you drink you should not be on any medical/nursing review board.
You may have a drinking problem. Getting drunk when your not working (driving or not) affects your judgement at work? Anyone who believes that should not work. They are obviously too dumb to be working. Ok, anyone who gets drunk should not work when their sober. Lets create a drinking welfare state.
Getting drunk on a weekend means you are unfit to perform any kind of job during the week when you're sober (DUI or not). Taking away someone's job will make them drink more, you stupid idiots. This is some bullcrap way of practicing prohibition.
Posted by: concerned citizen | September 03, 2008 at 01:36 PM
Concerned Citizen,
You are obviously not a licensed healthcare professional or a licensed professional. Thank you for the comment anyway.
Posted by: latonia | September 04, 2008 at 07:59 PM
Unfortunately, this is a far too common thought process when it comes to this issue.
We have a lot of work to do and many obstacles to overcome before we can change the way people react to the disease of chemical dependency. Myth, mis-belief, and misunderstanding are the basis for most of the negative attitudes. Unfortunately there will always be those who simply won't change their view no matter how much scientific evidence is gathered and presented. You can lead a person to knowledge, but you cannot make them think.
Jack
Posted by: Jack Stem | September 27, 2008 at 12:54 AM