Five Ways to Jeopardize your Kansas Nursing License

Everybody makes mistakes. However, some mistakes can have dire consequences. Today, nurses are under greater scrutiny than ever before. One serious misstep may not only lead to disciplinary action; it could also jeopardize a nurse’s license. The following are some of the more serious violations that could cost a nurse his or her license:

  1. Failure to Keep Accurate Patient Records: An important task for all nurses is to update and maintain patient records. An accurate patient chart is essential in order for a patient to receive proper care. A nurse that fails to record an extra dose of pain medication is not only putting her license at risk, but is also endangering the patient’s safety and well-being.
  2. Negligent Patient Care: Nursing is a serious profession where a nurse’s action or inaction can directly impact a patient’s care. Having a chaotic night or being assigned too many patients is not an excuse for improper patient care. Forgetting to give a patient the required medication can not only land a nurse in hot water with a supervisor, but, could also seriously harm the health of a patient. Nursing boards are established in part to protect the general population.  In fact, boards take allegations of abuse and neglect very seriously.
  3. Failure to Maintain Patient Confidentiality: Nurses not only need to know and understand HIPAA, they also must understand its application in the workplace. More than a few nurses have landed themselves in trouble after using Facebook and other social media sites as a medium to vent about difficult patients.
  4. Drug Abuse: Many licensing boards require a nurse who has a substance abuse problem to seek treatment. Failure to successfully complete a substance abuse program, could result in disciplinary action and ultimately the loss of license. Most states have programs especially designed for nurses with substance abuse problems. If you have a problem, get help.
  5. Diverting Drugs from Patients: A nurse who diverts drugs from patients is not only jeopardizing his or her license, but may also face criminal charges. This dangerous mistake can start off as innocuously as a nurse who pockets a few pain pills to treat her own aching back. From there it may progress to providing medications to family members or selling pills to a friend who is without medical insurance. Taking drugs from patients is a very serious offense. Tell friends and family members to look elsewhere.  Do not put your license at risk.

If you are facing an administrative board due to an allegation of improper conduct, you need an effective nursing license defense attorney to represent you. Contact the Sanger Law Offices at 785-979-4353 for a free and completely confidential consultation. You can count on our team of professionals to aggressively defend you before the Kansas Board of Nursing.

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