This has been a very interesting year. I am being contacted by more nursing students and NCLEX-Applicants with a variety of legal issues pre-licensure which carry over into post-licensure issues.
I remember being in nursing school. Most nursing students don't have the funds to retain legal counsel. I know I didn't have that kind of money (okay I did in a rainy day fund) to spend on attorney fees. But I was initially licensed in 1993 as a RN and licensure for nurses has changed alot since then.
Pre-licensure issues for nursing students and NCLEX-Appplicants are turning into post-licensure issues for newly licensed RNs and LPNS, which may then carry on and forward into their nursing career, workplace, and may restrict employment opportunities.
I know they don't tell you this in nursing school but I guess its not their "job" to tell you these things. I hear
* Why didn't my nursing instructors tell me this?
* I can't find a job with all these restrictions on my license!
* I didn't know I could contact an attorney!
* Why wasn't an attorney appointed to represent me?
* What am I going to do now?
Then it gets even more difficult when you want to move out of state and obtain a license somewhere else. If you have pre-licensure issues, retain an attorney. If you don't have the money, talk to relatives or immediate family members. I am seeing nurses who are investing $20-60k in a nursing education (for a diploma, ASN, or BSN) only to find out at the end of the road that there is a licensure dance.
Do you dance by yourself? Or do you retain legal counsel and dance with a partner? The decision is yours of course and economic realities may dictate that you dance alone.
Recent Comments