Nursing Violations That Could Result in Disciplinary Action

 Posted on April 12, 2019 in Nursing License Defense

Here in the state of Illinois, nursing professionals are monitored and regulated by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), as well as the Illinois Board of Nursing. Nursing can be an incredibly gratifying career path, but also comes with a wide array of challenges.

Nurses are routinely asked to treat for injured and sick patients, provide emotional support and advice to families, assist doctors in the process of diagnosis, and file paperwork. If mistakes are made throughout these processes, nurses can face investigations from the IDFPR or the Illinois Board of nursing, and potentially lose their nursing license. If you believe that your nursing license may be at risk, seek out legal assistance, immediately.

Costly Nursing Mistakes

When a nursing professional acts negligently, the ramifications can be significant. Whether your actions are strictly negligent mistakes or reckless forms of malpractice, an investigation from the IDFPR can ultimately cost you your livelihood. Listed below, are some of the most commonly investigated forms of nursing error.

Errors in Treatment: Nurses are responsible for much of the treatment that patients require in a hospital stay. Because of this, it is important for nurses to constantly engage with their patients. If a patient falls while under your care, it may be due to your failure to offer assistance or your inability to perform your hourly rounds. In the event that a patient suffers an infection, it could be a result of unsanitary practices, unsterile techniques, or failure to use chlorhexidine to prepare the skin. These are just a few examples of the type of substandard care that can cost a nurse their license to practice.

Failure to Comply with an Ethics Code: As a nurse, you are responsible for behaving in an ethical manner, with both patients and fellow employees. Using discriminatory or disparaging language with a staff member or patient will likely lead to loss of license. Engaging in a sexual relationship with a patient is also grounds for license suspension or revocation. Other violations of most hospital ethics codes include breaching of the patient confidentiality agreement. For more information on ethical violations, speak with your attorney.

Personal Issues: Medical professionals are held to an incredibly high standard, both while at work and in their personal life. If you are convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, the Illinois Nursing Board could deem that you are unfit to practice within the state. Abusing substances while at work, is another reckless action that can directly put patients in danger. Because of this, the use of substances can be specifically cited as a determining factor in disciplinary action.

Contact an Illinois Nurse Defense Lawyer

As a medical professional, a license suspension or revocation can drastically impact your life. Fortunately, with the help of a quality attorney, you may be able to avoid significant punishment. Attorney Joseph J. Bogdan can help you navigate a disciplinary investigation, and secure the best possible outcome. To schedule an free consultation with an experienced Illinois license defense attorney, contact us today at 630-310-1267.

Source:

https://journals.lww.com/nursingmadeincrediblyeasy/Fulltext/2013/03000/How_to_avoid_the_top_seven_nursing_errors.4.aspx