This month has been really busy. A good and steady busy.
I have spoke with a number of nurses this month: some retain my services and others don't. The reason for not retaining me: cost. Legal representation before the State Nursing Board doesn't cost $199.95 unfortunately.
But let me say this about retaining a license defense attorney. Its money well spent if you hire an attorney with experience and familiarity with the issues in your case.
Borrow the money from family and/or friends, withdraw from a 401K or 403B, take out a loan, etc. Its money well spent.
If the State Nursing Board revokes your license, you can't practice. There goes your license, your livelihood, and for alot of us (like me) "being a nurse." So why wouldn't you spend the money to retain an attorney?
1. Rationalizing the complaint. I didn't kill anyone, its not that serious, its no big deal, etc.
2. The State Nursing Board is comprised of nurses and they will understand. State Nursing Board Members and Staff are nurse regulators and their role is public protection.
3. It costs too much to hire a lawyer and I can't afford to hire a lawyer. I keep it real on this blog and honestly I am speaking with more and more nurses who really can't afford NOT to hire a license defense attorney. Please excuse my use of a double negative.
I quote flat fee for representation and if I quote you a higher flat fee I will tell you why based on the circumstances. I like complex cases because they keep you on your toes.
I spoke with two nurses this month both with very serious allegations and complex cases who are representing themselves.One nurse knows her case is serious but just can't afford representation and the other nurse fails to appreciate just how serious the pending complaint is against her license.
Both of the cases are complex and will require long-term representation, counseling, and advising. Both of the nurses really needed representation yesterday and both are taking a "tell all" and "let's see what happens" approach. The truth will set you free right? Maybe if you say it in the confines of an attorney-client relationship.
Does the truth set you free? This may work in kindergarten but not necessarily in licensure matters. My grandmother says there are three versions of the truth: yours, mines, and the truth is somewhere in the middle.
I have a feelling I will hear from both of these nurses 3-6 months from now. One case has the complexity of a 7 and the other case has the complexity of 9.
I communicated with another nurse this month who is being represented by another license defense attorney (the nurse contacted me with questions) and the attorney doesn't have any experience handling this particular type of case. I told the nurse you need to take your questions to your lawyer.
The allegations in the complaint are a 8 to 9 on the scale of 1-10 and the nurse doesn't know this. This nurse hired the wrong attorney to represent her/him before the State Nursing Board because the allegations scream "you need an attorney who knows these issues back and forth, front and back, side to side, up and down, and round and round. I have a feeling I will hear from this nurse again in 6-9 months.
So what I am saying? You don't know what you don't know sometimes until it slaps you in the face. I don't know about you but I have been slapped in the face many times with various experiences and incidents in my 39 years (that's life right?). Finding out a complaint is filed against your license may be viewed as a slap, punch, bite, kick, smack, or kiss (we have State Nursing Board staff who review this blog:)
The complaint is unexpected and even if its expected it still a surprise. How you respond to the complaint, investigative process, and hearing may alter your nursing license and career and your life. If you don't know Nursing Board complaints, investigations, and hearings learn it or hire an attorney. Its just that serious. Oh and reviewing allnurses.com and other online nursing forums ain't enough to successfully navigate the law, rules, regs, process/procedure, and nursing lit and standards.
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