Protecting Your License from Board Discipline

A healthcare professional’s odds of facing a board discipline case far exceed those of being sued and the threshold for proof of misconduct is surprisingly low. The impact of these cases can have devastating effects on licensees. This presentation will walk participants through the process of a board investigation and offer insights into license protection. Nursing case study examples will be included. This presentation does not constitute legal advice.

Objectives: The participant will be able to identify:

  1. The mission of boards of nursing  
  2. At least three steps of the nursing discipline process
  3. At least three actions the board of nursing can take against a licensee
  4. At least two strategies to avoid board discipline.

Selected References:

Brous, E. (n.d.). CEARTICLEPRINT. Lippincott®Nursing Center®. https://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/ce_articleprint?an=00000446-201210000-00028

Discipline. NCSBN. (n.d.). https://www.ncsbn.org/nursing-regulation/discipline.page

Fenney, A. (2023, March 22). What is the role of the State Board of Nursing?. NurseJournal.org. https://nursejournal.org/resources/what-is-the-role-of-the-state-board-of-nursing/

Gray, J. (2021). In Defense of Occupational Licensing: A legal practitioner’s … https://scholarship.law.campbell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1717&context=clr

Nurse Practice Act statutes & administrative … (n.d.). https://ksbn.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/NPA/npa.pdf

State Licensing Board Compliance results. The NPDB – U.S. Map of Compliance Data by State. (n.d.). https://www.npdb.hrsa.gov/resources/npdbstats/npdbMap.jsp

Understanding the impact of patient complaints on Your Nursing License. Unlock Legal. (2024, December 4). https://www.unlocklegal.com/blog/understanding-the-impact-of-patient-complaints-on-your-nursing-license/