Category: License Protection

For years, nurses have been the voices advocating for patients who could not advocate for themselves. We have stood at bedsides, held the hands of frightened families, questioned unsafe orders, and fought to make sure our patients received the care they deserved. We have witnessed firsthand what happens when the healthcare system works and, more importantly, what happens when it […]

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing healthcare. From electronic medical records that automatically generate nursing notes to algorithms that predict patient deterioration, AI promises to make healthcare more efficient, reduce errors, and give nurses more time to spend with their patients. But what happens when AI gets it wrong? More importantly, who is responsible when a nurse relies on AI-generated information […]

We have all had those moments when our mouths move faster than our brains. Unfortunately, in nursing, one off-the-cuff remark can turn into a patient complaint, a trip to Human Resources, or even an investigation by the Board of Nursing. I recently came across a hilarious BuzzFeed article about awkward things nurses have said to patients, and I have to […]

At a time when our country is struggling to recruit and retain enough nurses to care for patients, another troubling issue deserves our attention: experienced, dedicated nurses facing detention and possible deportation. This is not about being a Republican or a Democrat. It is about recognizing the contributions of nurses who have built their lives here, cared for our patients, […]

Imagine graduating from nursing school after years of studying, clinical rotations, care plans, exams, sleepless nights and sacrifices. You finally make it across the finish line. You are excited to begin your career, earn a paycheck and take care of patients. There is just one problem. You cannot work because you are waiting for your nursing license. Unfortunately, that is […]

  As nurses, we have all had those moments when something just did not feel right. The medication did not look like what we usually give. The patient’s condition did not match the diagnosis. The lab result seemed completely inconsistent with everything else we were seeing. Maybe an order made us stop and think, “Wait a minute. Is this really […]

Something happens at work. You are terminated. You are convicted of a crime. Another state takes disciplinary action against your nursing license. Then comes the question that can make even the most seasoned nurse’s heart rate jump: Do I have to report this to the Board of Nursing? The answer is not always yes. One of the biggest mistakes nurses […]

Welcome back to Part 2 of our nursing myth-busting series. As nurses, we learn an incredible amount in nursing school, orientation, continuing education, and years of clinical practice. But we also learn from each other. Unfortunately, sometimes the “rules” passed around the nurses’ station are not rules at all. They are nursing urban legends. And when your license is on […]

“You haven’t taken report yet, so you can leave.” “The doctor ordered it, so you’re covered.” “If you documented it, you’re protected.” Have you ever heard one of these statements at the nurses’ station? Nursing has its own version of urban legends. They get passed from nurse to nurse, shift to shift, and sometimes generation to generation. Eventually, we hear […]

There is something wonderful about a lazy river. You get in, grab a tube, lean back, and let the current carry you. You do not have to decide where you are going. You do not have to work very hard. You just float. And before you know it, you are right back where you started. I think that is what […]