I am not a football fan. Its the end of the year and if I have to give you as a nurse a little advice for the upcoming year it would MANAGE the RISK.
All too often I receive frantic calls and emails from nurses, nursing students, and nursing school graduates who are failing to appreciate and manage the risks associated with being or becoming a licensed healthcare professional.
Be your own risk manager and manage the risk and seek professional advice and counseling if needed on a particular situation it escalates or morphs into something else.
I have reviewed at least 75 (I keep good records) Ohio Nursing Board Consent Agreements this year in the context of legal consultations. Typically, the nurse or graduate nurse signs the Consent Agreement and after its ratified and considered a legally binding contract between the nurse and the Ohio Board of Nursing, starts to ask questions that should have been considered prior to signing.
I have been contacted by several nurses on the eve of State Nursing Board hearing seeking attorney representation. Why wait until a week or two before a scheduled hearing to consult with an attorney?
I hear alot, I didn't know there were attorneys who handle licensure cases. Well, you didn't look because most attorneys who practice licensure defense have websites and are not hard to find with internet searches. There are several attorneys in the Columbus, Ohio area that handle these cases exclusively for licensed healthcare professionals in Ohio, a few in Louisville, Kentucky that handle licensure cases in Kentucky, and several in Indianapolis, Indiana representing licensed healthcare professionals in Indiana. Then there is me in Cincinnati representing nurses in all three states. Do your due diligence and find someone to speak to about your matter.
Something comes up at work and you need to talk to someone. Contact your state nurses association or seek a workplace or legal consultation with an attorney who is familiar with employment, licensure, and nursing professional practice standards.
Do not wait until the 4th quarter with 10 seconds to go on the clock before you say, hey, I think I might need to talk to someone about this.
And for heavens sake, purchase professional liability insurance with a licensure defense protection benefit. Most nurses who need attorney representation before the State Nursing Board have to pay out of pocket for representation because the lack of insurance. I have a few cases where nurses or another licensed healthcare professional has insurance, but the vast majority are private pay. Buy the insurance and sleep easier at night. Its not being named as a defendant you have to worry about anymore, its being reported to the State Nursing Board and your license being investigated.
Comments