Kansas Emergency Medical Attendants: 7 Deadly Sins

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Attendants are the first medical providers on the scene of any major accident or emergency. Whether you are a first responder or an emergency medical technician, you are a highly trusted member of the community; the public relies on emergency medical attendants to provide critical care services without the benefit of hospital resources. Unlike the patient’s family physician, attendants come into a patient’s life as strangers and often leave as heroes. Most attendants consequently experience a high level of job satisfaction.  In order to continue to be able to enjoy your career it is important to keep one’s license in good standing. With this in mind, it is important avoid problems with the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services.  As such, consider the following career threatening mistakes:

  1. Violating Patient Confidentiality:  It is normal to want to share the events of your work day with friends or loved ones.  However, an attendant needs to be extremely careful that in relaying these stories the attendant is not sharing too much information.  Patients in this line of work may be fleeting, but they are entitled to the same degree of confidentiality from an attendant, as the patient would receive from a nurse or a doctor in a hospital setting.  Failing to take necessary actions to safeguard patient information can land an attendant in hot water with the Board.
  1. Performing Activities Beyond Certification:  Attendants encounter patients in a variety of life threatening situations.  Although it may be tempting to try to do more than what the attendant is qualified to do, it is important for any attendant to know and understand professional limitations.
  1. Misleading or False Statements:  The simplest way to avoid problems with the Board is to make sure that the information provided to the Board is accurate. Lying or misrepresenting facts on an application or certification renewal form is clearly an invitation for trouble.
  1. Failure to Meet Renewal Requirements: Make sure that your renewal form is completed in a timely manner, including the payment of all fees and the completion of all continuing education credits.
  1. Drugs Addiction and Diversion:  Diverting drugs from a patient is not only cause for discipline or loss of one’s license, it is also a crime. Drug use can interfere with the attendant’s skills and judgment. Attendants who are suffering from drug addiction need to seek qualified help or risk losing their career.
  1. Patient Abuse: Patients deserve the highest standard of care from the medical community. Attendants who physically, emotionally or sexually abuse a patient are subject to disciplinary action by the Board.
  1. Conviction of a Felony: Trustworthiness is the cornerstone of any attendant. An attendant who is convicted of a felony will typically not be allowed to continue until after a Board’s investigation determines that the individual has been rehabilitated to a level that again warrants the public’s trust.

If you have received notice of disciplinary action by the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services, contact the Sanger Law Office at 785-979-4353 to schedule a free and completely confidential consultation. Do not trust your professional license to just any attorney. Trust the professional license defense attorneys at the Sanger Law Office to provide you with exception legal services.

Kansas Nursing Professionals: Tips for Recovering from Disciplinary Action

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Receiving notice from the Kansas Board of Nursing that you are being disciplined for violations of the Nursing Practices can be absolutely devastating. However, it is important to realize that many other nursing professionals have been disciplined and have gone on to have wonderful careers. Here are a few tips to ensure post-disciplinary success:

  • Complete conditions of disciplinary action: Before leaving your attorney’s office, make sure that you understand the terms of your discipline.  This includes any conditions that you are required to compete and the time frame for completing each task.  Do not put off completing these tasks!  The sooner you are able to complete the tasks, the better you will feel. The Board will not look favorably upon a licensee who does not complete conditions on time.
  • Keep quiet at work:  In some cases it may be tempting to want to share your experiences with a co-worker. However, in most instances it is better if you keep to yourself.  If you feel like you need to discuss the matter with a fellow nursing professional, speak with a supervisor or someone who does not work at the same facility.
  • Do not hold a grudge:  It is completely natural to have mixed feelings after the disciplinary proceedings. However, the key to recovering quickly is to not dwell on the past events. Harboring ill feelings towards the proceedings or the patient who made the complaint will not help you recover. It is important to forgive yourself. Continuing to beat yourself up about the cause of the discipline will not make you a better nurse. Rather, keeping such feeling may do just the opposite.
  • Recommit yourself to the profession:  Do not let the disciplinary process take away your passion for nursing. Make the decision to recommit yourself to the profession. Take the steps necessary to improve and build upon your skill set. A great leader takes experiences, both good and bad, as opportunities to learn and grow.
  • Regain your confidence:  When recovering from disciplinary action it is normal to feel cautious so as to avoid making mistakes. However, more mistakes are made when confidence is low than when it is high. It is important for nurses to trust his or her instincts and training. However, if a certain area has you feeling particularly anxious, it is a good idea to find a certified nursing education class on the subject.
  • Communication is key: Many disciplinary complaints are the result of poor communication. Make sure that your conversations with patients are professional and polite.

You worked hard to obtain and maintain your nursing license.  Do not let one error cost you your license. If you have received notice of a complaint by the Kansas Board of Nursing, contact the Sanger Law Office at 785-979-4353 to schedule a free and completely confidential consultation. You can trust the Sanger Law Office to provide with exceptional legal services.

Kansas Legal Professionals: The Rules of Advertising

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There often comes a time when an attorney or a law firm wants to attract a larger client base. Maybe an attorney wants to start his or her own firm and needs to let the community know about the services the new office will provides. Or maybe a firm is looking to expand its practice into new areas of law. Whatever the reason, attracting new clients is usually not an easy task. Most attorneys, especially more senior partners, believe that the only way to obtain quality clients is through old-fashioned word of mouth and referrals from other attorneys who have different practice areas. Although both methods are tried and true, it can often take years to build up a solid client base.

Attorneys that are looking to attract new clients quicker and faster are often looking for new methods not traditionally used in legal circles. One such method is through advertising. Although thought to be taboo by some attorneys, advertising, whether in print ads, internet or television is a valid and often very successful way to draw new clients. However, before you put an advertisement in the local paper or on television, you need to be aware of the applicable rules regarding attorney advertising. In Kansas, attorneys should become familiar with the advertising rules which are set forth in the Rules of Professional Conduct. Violating these rules is sure way to encounter a problem with the Office of Disciplinary Administration. Here are a few key areas where attorneys who are not familiar with the rules related to advertising can encounter problems:

  • Advertisements cannot contain false or misleading statements: Attorney advertisements cannot contain false or misleading statements about the lawyer’s services. This includes statements that are considered likely to create expectations about the results an attorney can achieve. For example, statements regarding the amount of damages the attorney won for a particular client or a result that the attorney was able to achieve in a particular type of case. An attorney may also not compare his or her services to that of another attorney’s services, unless that comparison can be factually substantiated.
  • Advertisements that refer to the attorney as a specialist: An attorney can advertise that he or she does or does not practice in certain areas of law. However, an attorney cannot advertise that he or she specializes or is a certified specialist in an area of law, unless the organization that has given the certification to the attorney has been authorized to do so by the state and the advertisement contains the name of that organization. An exception to this rule is that attorneys that have been admitted to patent practice may designate themselves as a “Patent Attorney”.
  • Failure to name an attorney: In Kansas, attorneys may advertise their legal services through recorded, written or electronic communication, including public media. However, each advertisement must contain the name of at least one attorney who is responsible for its content.

If you received notice from the Office of the Disciplinary Administrator of a pending investigation, contact the Sanger Law Office today at 785-979-4353 to schedule a free and completely confidential consultation. Do not delay. Before you communicate with anyone, you need to speak with an experience professional license defense attorney. Trust the Sanger Law Office to provide you with quality legal services.