Its a basic premise in contract law; you agree to the terms, conditions, and language in a contract BEFORE the parties sign, date, and the contract is ratified.
What does this mean for nurses?
1. Don't sign a State Nursing Board document, agreement, or contract you do not understand. Either hire a lawyer to explain it and all the language and the implications to you or ask the Board staff to explain the document to you line by line by line;
2. Don't sign a State Nursing Board document, agreement, or contract thinking you will sign now and change the terms later or just return. This isn't Rent A Center.
3. Don't sign a State Nursing Board document, agreement, or contract now and then contact an attorney later (weeks, months, or years) to see what arguments can be made to change the document, agreement, or contract you signed.
4. Don't sign at the advice of friends, family, and others "to just get this over with" unless you know what you are signing and you understand the implications of your signature.
5. Don't have your neighbor's cousin's best friends baby mama who is a 3rd year law student review your State Nursing Board document, agreement, or contract. Contact a nurse license defense attorney in your state or jurisdiction for an appt.
6. Don't look for advice and counseling bootleg on the online nursing boards, forums, and chatrooms on the pros/cons of signing a document, agreement, or contract with the State Nursing Board.
Why? Not all of the information provided on those sites is truthful or an accurate representation of a case. How do I know?
Because I have read posts on these sites and was able to figure out "oh sh*t, this is/was my client, a prospective client, or a consultation" and "oh h%ll, this person is not providing accurate case info." Oh, well.
7. If you can't afford to hire an attorney or pay an attorney to consult with you. Then rely on yourself. Do your research and homework and become informed before you sign; review the online nursing forums but don't take it as the gospel;
8. If you need to return a document to the State Nursing Board by Friday and you received the document on Wednesday of the same week, then contact the Board staff assigned to the case and request additional time to review the document. It can be granted or denied but its an option;
9. Don't just sign, date, return, hope for the best and that all will end well because in the end life is what you make of it, I am a good person and good things happen to good people, reach for stars and touch the moon, you have to give it your best shot, and I am giving you the best that I got, baby. Oh, snap. This is an Anita Baker song.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giving_You_the_Best_That_I_Got
But you get my point; don't hype yourself things your mom tells you just to make you feel better. This isn't a Lifetime Movie; its your life, your license, your career, and your livelihood.
For example, yesterday I worked from 9am to 7pm non-stop; just coffee refills and bathroom breaks. I anticipate doing much of same from 8am to 2pm today. I left my home office at 7pm yesterday and it was dark.
As I am walking down our driveway, I slip on a sheet of ice, hit my head on our large plastic trashcan and fall hard to the ground. I sit up and check to make sure I didn't break or fracture anything. I ask my son to find my purse (always find your "pocketbook" after a fall first), check my Droid X to make sure it still works (or we were headed to Verizon also), and if I broke my new hair band (I know; I am into hair bands now).
I call husband first and then my grandmother. and tell her that I fell. She tells me its okay and its going to be alright. Was I injured? Do I need soup and a warm bread? Do I need her to come over? I laughed at this point because I can't imagine her coming over to comfort and baby me but then falling in the driveway on the same ice patch.
My grandmother new exactly what to say to make me feel better and besides the headache, a bent plastic hair band with damp flower accessories, a sore right index finger, and the bruised ego of having my son watch me fall in slow motion and then just sit on the ice patch for 3 minutes (while he did not laugh in my face; after he helped me up and to the car; he went back to house "to get a bottled water." That's what he told me anyway; he went into the house to laugh. I know because I heard him laughing, screaming, and yelling so hard he couldn't catch his breath and he was panting; he is so animated when he laughs), I feel much better.
10. Finally, if you live in the Midwest and you are dealing with combos of the snow fest and the ice freeze, buy a pair of Timberland boots. I don't own a pair but I will soon.
http://shop.timberland.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10862021
or
http://shop.timberland.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11163825.
I don't know why but I had on my "cute boots" yesterday when I came out. My cute boots are cute and warm. My cute boots are apparently scared of ice.
I am buying a pair of Timberland knee boots this week and a pair of the inexpensive Walmart work boots (each boot costs for $9.95 separately; or you can buy a pair for $15.00) that have a "skinny jeans" grip on the pavement and ice. You can walk up the walls and on the ceilings with these boots.
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