The Legal Partners

You Can Trust

Nursing boards have stepped up disciplinary actions

On Behalf of | Aug 22, 2021 | Administrative Law |

National Practitioner Data Bank statistics show that nursing boards are increasingly taking disciplinary action against registered nurses. There were 14,092 reported incidents in 2012. Those rose steadily through 2016, with a slight decrease by 2019 when the most recent data was compiled.

Which types of disciplinary action are nursing boards employing?

There’s been an uptick in reports of ethics violations among nurses. Many of the complaints have called into question whether nurses can sufficiently care for patients and make sound decisions. There have also been increased complaints pursued by boards centering around:

  • Missed child support payments
  • Disputes between nurses and their supervisors
  • Nurses receiving gifts from patients
  • Publicly disclosing safety issues

When asked if they saw the rise in disciplinary actions of nurses as concerning, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing said that they don’t see such efforts that way. They instead saw their actions as holding nurses accountable and ensuring patients’ public safety.

Cases are being left open

Another emerging trend that nurses have to contend with in addition to increased disciplinary hearings is situations where board members perpetually leave cases open. There are various instances in which boards delay trials for years, thus leaving nurses’ futures uncertain.

Finding out that the Kentucky Board of Nursing received a complaint about you can be jarring. You’ve put in far too much work to securing your degree and landing your job to give up without putting up a fight. You’ll want to take time to learn about what to expect at disciplinary hearings so you can present a strong defense against the allegations in your case.