What does this mean?
1. You have a Consent Agreement, Agreed Order, or Contract to resolve a complaint with the Nursing Board. This varies from State to State so we will call it a Board Contract.
Okay let's say you had 3 years of probation and monitoring. During the 1st year of probation and monitoring you were going through a nasty divorce and your spouse hits you, the police were called, and you both were arrested. You have to report the arrest to the Nursing Board because of the terms and conditions in your Board Contract that you signed.
2. You have an Addendum to the Board contract based on the DV (domestic violence) charge which was reduced to a simple assault. You agree with the Board to extend your probation by another year.
Okay now let's say you are continuing to practice at the Hospital and you are in your 3rd year of probation with the Board. You are getting excited because you may be able to apply for release from probation next year. You are now divorced and things are going well at work until you have a series of medication errors during one shift. One of the errors result in a patient death. The errors are related to you working 60-75 hours a week to pay your child support and support your new family; you are remarried.
3. Your license is automatically suspended because you failed to practice in accordance with safe standards of nursing practice. You will either take your case to a hearing, resolve the case with another contract with the Board, or apply for reinstatement pursuant to the terms previously agreed upon.
If you don't have legal counsel, you need it at this point. I am seeing Consent Agreements, Addendums, Agreed Orders, and Adjudication Orders with hearing transcripts that are the size of a phone book. I have to drink two cans of Pepsi to keep myself focused because there are so many documents cross-referenced. Okay, I am a drama queen and of course I am being dramatic, but you get my point!
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Does this seem unlikely? Actually its not and it can happen to anyone who practices as nurse. I am not saying its common because I think the majority of nurses have unrestriced and unencumbered licenses but a growing percentage have "action" against the license and a few of these nurses have multiple Agreed Orders, Consent Agreements, Settlement Agreements, Adjudication Orders, and Nursing Board contracts.
I am seeing this in my law practice in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
These cases are complicated because after a while the nurse becomes upset with the process and "being on probation", "jumping through hoops for reinstatement" for years and may give up. If this is you:
1. Stay on course;
2. Stay compliant with your Consent Agreement, Adjudication Order, Settlement Order, or Agreed Order; and
3. Stay healthy.
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