As a nurse, you likely you love your job. From helping people at their most vulnerable and desperate to working closely with other health care professionals, you enjoy your career and the impact you have on others.
Unfortunately, there are times when nurses find themselves in trouble. Adding to this is the fact that some situations can lead to the loss of your nursing license.
Here are some of the more common reasons nurses could lose their licenses:
- An addiction to drugs or alcohol. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll lose your license, but you need to be in a good recovery program if you want to keep your job
- Impersonating another medical professional. This sounds like something that would never happen, but it does come to light every now and again. For example, a nurse may impersonate another provider, maybe with the idea that it will allow him or her to obtain a license.
- Using a fake license. If a nurse has a suspended license, for example, he or she may provide a fake one in an attempt to get a job. It’s not as common as some of the other reasons on this list, but it does happen.
- Changing patient records. There is never a time when this is acceptable. Falsifying or changing a patient record, regardless of the reason, is a no-no.
- Unprofessional conduct. This can include everything from using inappropriate language with a patient to having an affair with a doctor.
Just the same as workers in other fields, nurses are held to a high standard. While a mistake doesn’t always lead to the loss of license, it could happen depending on the situation.
If you find that your nursing license is in danger, you need to learn why. There is a lot of gray area, so you must have a clear idea of what is going on and how to protect yourself. When you know your legal rights, it’s much easier to avoid a situation in which you lose your license and have to search for another type of employment.