What do you need to know about defending your nursing license? Most registered nurses in the State of California know of a former co-worker who faced an accusation from the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). You probably already know that some of them were not successful defending themselves in a BRN disciplinary action.
Have you been contacted by the BRN regarding an inquiry, investigation or accusation against your professional nursing license in California? One of the first things you need to know about defending your nursing license is you must respond to any correspondence from the BRN. If you do not respond, the BRN will consider your silence as an admission of guilt and follow through with immediate disciplinary action.
You may become aware of a complaint or an investigation by the BRN. The formal disciplinary process usually begins with a letter of investigation. This is sent to California registered nurses who are suspected or accused of mistakes or violations of the Nursing Practice Act. The letter will give you a specific period of time to respond. You should not make any response before speaking with an experienced Watkins Firm nursing license defense attorney. We provide a free consultation to help you to understand what is happening and why you need an attorney. Another thing you need to know about defending your nursing license is that it’s absolutely essential that you do not agree to or submit to an interview with the BRN without having an attorney present. Your professional license is not the only thing at stake. Your honest statements to the BRN during this interview can be used to file criminal charges against you. This takes a professional license defense problem and escalates it to include the possibility of heavy fines, jail time and a permanent criminal record.
The BRN may offer you a diversion program and the deadline to respond to this offer is usually 10 days. This is another moment when you need immediate legal advice from our experienced nursing license defense attorney. Diversion is not a slap on the wrist or an easy way out. When you enter the diversion program your license will be “inactivated” meaning you will lose your job. Diversion can last for years and is a very expensive from most participant’s perspective.
The most serious risk to your California nursing license is a letter of Accusation. This is a formal document which serves to notify you, your employer and the general public at large that you have been charged with breaking the rules, guidelines, procedures or best practices identified in the Nursing Practice Act. The accusation letter may contain a Temporary Suspension Order (TSO).
If you receive any letter from the BRN (other than a license renewal form letter) Our attorneys must quickly file a notice of defense with the BRN along with an aggressive rebuttal of any accusation(s) and seek “discovery,” a legal process to obtain the information and evidence the BRN has gathered as well as any witness testimony.
One of the most important things you need to know about defending your nursing license is we can absolutely help you to defend your California professional nursing license and seek a resolution which accomplishes your goals and protects your ability to continue working.
We invite you to review the strong recommendations of our clients and contact the Watkins Firm or call 858-535-1511 for a complimentary consultation today.
