Summary
Highlights
The Board of Nursing can suspend or revoke a professional nursing license or cancel a temporary permit. Grounds for this include being convicted of an act contrary to law, mental incapacity, unprofessional or unethical conduct (work-related or not), gross incompetence, serious ignorance, malpractice, negligence, fraudulent claims to obtain a license, and violation of the Code of Ethics.
Unprofessional or unethical conduct, whether work-related or not, can lead to license revocation. Examples include discussing patient conditions publicly, taking unauthorized photos of patient medical charts, or engaging in scandalous behavior outside of work that brings disrepute to the profession.
Malpractice involves performing procedures outside the scope of nursing or doing a procedure incorrectly. Negligence is failing to perform duties and responsibilities within the scope of nursing. The doctrine of 'res ipsa loquitur' (the thing speaks for itself) applies to the individual who committed the act, while 'respondeat superior' holds the employer liable for employee actions, emphasizing proper selection and training of staff.
Fraudulent or deceitful claims used to obtain a professional license, such as submitting plagiarized work for academic degrees, are grounds for revocation. Violation of the Code of Ethics, which outlines responsibilities to promote health, prevent illness, restore health, and alleviate suffering, can also lead to license revocation.
There are three scenarios for reissuance: for lost or destroyed licenses, a new one can be reissued upon payment. For suspended licenses, once the suspension period (maximum four years) ends, the license can be legally used again without reapplication. For revoked licenses, after a four-year period, and if the cause for revocation has been cured, a license may be reissued upon proper application and payment.