Renewal Dangers

There is a new trap waiting for the unwary:

The Board of Nurses is getting fingerprints on every licensed nurse that has not already submitted fingerprints and they are also conducting CEU audits. So, if a nurse waits until a couple of weeks prior to the end of his/her renewal period, the nurse might be without an active license to practice with.

Don't be fooled by the Board's wording about "delinquent" licenses, if a nurse does not have an active license, he/she cannot work as a nurse. There is no grace period while the license is delinquent. The Board does not function like creditors where delinquent means that you are just late paying, delinquent for the Board means so much more.

Nurses be sure to renew 2 months prior to the expiration of your license and get those CEUs certificates organized to be sure that there are enough CEUs. Worried about your past criminal history and the effect on your license? Contact an experienced Administrative Lawyer with experience before the Board of Nursing.

The Board Wants a Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation and Polygraph

The Board of Nurse Examiners has sent a nurse a request to obtain a forensic psychiatric/psychological evaluation and/or a polygraph examination, what should the nurse do? I have found that in some cases an evaluation and/or a polygraph are not warranted. The examinations are expensive and time consuming, so I do not recommend them unless there is a need based on the facts of the nurse's case.

I am also careful on which evaluator I recommend to the nurse. There are some evaluators on the BNE's list that will almost always find fault with the nurse. I prefer to use an evaluator that is middle of the road, that looks at the facts and findings and issues an opinion without taking the side of the Board or the nurse.

The best response to a request for a forensic evaluation and/or a polygraph examination is to contact an experienced Administrative lawyer immediately. See the post on "The best attorney for the job" and "Representing Yourself before the Board of Nurses".