Should you represent yourself before the Board of Nursing?

It has happened again, a nurse called wanting to know if it was safe to represent herself before the Board of Nursing. She thought that they would understand her side of the story and that although she did violate the law, they know how it is for nurses right now. She had discussed the incident with some co-workers and they told her that the Board was on the side of nurses. Thank goodness while looking on the Internet, she came across some information that made her pause and call me for further information because what she had been told was incorrect and potentially damaging to her nursing license.

There are lots of articles and blogs out there explaining the pitfalls of representing oneself before the Board. I just read Latonia Wright's blog entry about the same issue, "Are You Receiving Legal Advice from your colleagues at the water cooler?" Ms. Wright is an attorney representing nurses in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. So, this issue is not just limited to one state. All nurses in all states should contact an experienced lawyer to assist them if there is an inquiry or investigation by the Board of Nurses. Please read my posts about how to pick an attorney and why a nurse needs an attorney if facing the Nursing Board.