If I receive an email or phone call from a nurse and its strictly a nursing practice issue, then I refer the nurse to the State Nurses Association or the State Nursing Board for assistance. Often times a State Nursing Association or a State Nursing Board can provide you with the informational and educational literature or references so that you can answer your question. Some State Nursing Associations offer free practice or workplace consultations for members and charge non-members for this service.
I had someone recently ask me why doesn't the Ohio Nurses Association have attorneys to represent nurses before the Ohio Nursing Board.
The Ohio Nurses Association is a nursing union and a nursing professional association and its mission is to advocate for nurses and the profession of nursing here in Ohio. http://www.ohnurses.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Vision_and_Mission&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=2838
The ONA has attorneys on staff to assist with labor relations and collective bargaining agreements of union members. Even during the grievance and arbitration process, the union attorney is representing the union pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement, not the individual nurse.
It would not be appropriate for a nursing professional association such as the Ohio Nurses Association, Kentucky Nurses Association, or Indiana State Nurse Association to provide attorney representation to individual nurses (regardless of whether the nurses are members of the association or non-members) being investgated by the State Nursing Board. This would present a conflict on multiple levels.
If there is a State Nursing Association which provides attorney represention to nurses before the State Nursing Board as a member benefit, then I stand to be corrected and will include a link.
I complain about nursing professional associations but I can complain because I pay my dues. However how can you complain about the services your state nurses association does not provide if you are not a member?
If you have concerns about the products and services your state nursing association provides or does not provide, contact the State Nursing Association Executive Director. I am sure he or she will be more than willing to answer your questions and mail you a membership application.
Attorneys and the legal profession, which I am a part of:) have a monopoly on the practice of law (except the mess with unemployment claims and workers compensation here is Ohio) and if you want legal representation for the most part then you are going to have a hire a private attorney.
Law unlike nursing (LPN vs. RNs, LPN vs. RNs. vs. Medication Techs, etc.) doesn't part with open up and part with sections of its scope of practice without a fight. Now you talk about litigation....
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