Top 10 List Of Career Ending Mistakes For Nurses
If you are a licensed nurse, you have endured countless nights of studying, learning, and trying to help others. Once you have earned your license, your next goal should be to do everything in your power to keep it. The following is a list of 10 mistakes nurses should avoid to keep their licenses.
1. Nursing Negligence
This is a legal term used to describe a failure to provide adequate care in a nursing situation. Nursing negligence can include nursing deficiencies in assessing and responding to patient needs and conditions. These nursing errors include: causing harm to the patient, including medication errors and needle stick injuries, and nursing misjudgment in making plans to treat patients’ problems.
2. Nursing Negligence Causing Death
If a nurse’s negligence causes serious bodily injury or death, the nurse can face the loss of their professional license and a claim for medical malpractice or wrongful death.
3. Nursing Fraud
Intentionally providing false information on a nursing employment application is considered nursing fraud. Nursing fraud also involves false statements about health symptoms to obtain nursing services or nursing devices improperly. Stealing money from a patient, facility, agency, or organization is a form of nursing abuse.
4. Nursing Abuse
This involves the improper treatment of patients through mental or physical abuse.
5. Maintenance and Administering Drugs Without Proper Authorization
Giving a patient medication without the appropriate permission is a significant mistake. The doctor determines what medications the patient needs and who will administer them, not the nurse.
6. Medication Errors
A medication error example is giving the incorrect medication to a patient, which causes harm. This type of error is also a form of nursing negligence.
7. Treatment Errors
Giving patients improper or substandard treatment for their injury or ailment. Not only is this considered a treatment error, but it’s also a form of nursing negligence.
8. Filing Inaccurate Reports
Making significant mistakes on a patient’s report and filing it without making the appropriate corrections is a mistake that could result in license termination. Aside from this being an inaccurate report, it’s also a form of nursing negligence.
9. Taking Drugs for Personal Use
Taking controlled substances from a facility to then use the drugs illegally can leave you with a terminated license on the spot. Substance abuse issues are highly problematic in the medical field and specifically nursing.
10. Committing a Criminal Offense
Crimes such as driving under the influence are considered criminal offenses or can involve more serious crimes such as assault or sexual battery. Other actions listed above, such as fraud or theft, are also criminal offenses.
Any of the above-listed actions can result in a nurse losing their license to practice permanently. If you have legal questions about nursing licenses in California, it is important to speak to an experienced nursing license defense attorney. Call us today for legal help!
SJ Harris Law Free Consultation
The S.J. Harris Law Office is proud to offer FREE 30-minute consultations to all prospective clients. We understand that licensed nurses require representation that values discretion and privacy. Anything we discuss during a consultation will be protected by the attorney-client privilege. At S.J. Harris Law, we focus on three areas; your license, your reputation, and your future. Call us at (310) 361-8585 or contact us online for a free consultation.
