You may have gone into nursing school right out of high school, or you may have decided on nursing as a second career after the kids were a little older. Either way, you cannot deny the amount of time, effort and money you put into getting your license. You likely experienced weeks or months of anxiety interviewing for jobs and waiting for an invitation to join the staff of a medical facility or a physician’s practice.
Now that you have achieved your goal, you may think your job is secure and your license is yours as long as you keep up your credentials. However, this is not always true. Many nurses make critical errors that cost them their careers. Being aware of these potential errors may help you avoid them.
Prescription for trouble
One of the most common and dangerous mistakes a nurse can make is falsifying patient charts. You may do this intentionally by recording that you performed a treatment you did not do or purposely omitting that you gave medications a doctor did not prescribe, such as pain relievers. In other cases, you may simply run out of time to complete prompt and precise logs, and you fill in the blanks with your best recollection.
While there are many reasons why a colleague, supervisor or patient may report you to the California Board of Registered Nursing, some accusations that may jeopardize your career include the following:
- Inappropriate behavior on the job
- Insubordination
- Improper use of social media
- Abusing or neglecting a patient
- Lying about your nursing credentials
- Violating patient confidentiality
- Committing a felony
Drug diversion is fast becoming one of the most frequent reasons why nurses face discipline. Addiction among medical professionals is a sad fact, but there are alternatives to losing your license. You may be able to save your nursing career by seeking treatment and following the program prescribed by your counselors if you find yourself dealing with this difficult situation.
Protecting the nursing license you have worked hard to obtain is certainly important to you. For this reason, you will not want to leave your future to chance if you stand accused of any offense that could place your career at risk. You don’t have to face these accusations alone. You have every right to legal counsel anytime the Board calls you to answer for your behavior.